East, West, North, South : Major Developments in International Politics since 1945

by Geir Lundestad; Gail Adams Kvam

• ISBN13: 9780198782384
• ISBN10: 0198782381
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-10-21
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Summary

This is the fourth edition of Geir Lundestad's successful textbook on the history of international politics after 1945, which has established itself as one of the leading works on the international history of the post-war era. The book concentrates on two main lines of development: on the one hand, the rivalry between the superpowers and the effects of their power and influence even in the most remote corners of the globe; and on the other hand, the weakened position of the superpowers and the developments leading up tothe dissolution of the Soviet Union and the Eastern bloc. This new edition covers international developments up to mid-1998, explaining the end of the Cold War, and describing the many post-Cold War crises as well as recent political and economic developments in Russia, the EU, and East Asia. East, West, North, South offers the ideal introduction to the subject for all students of modern history and international relations, as well as the general reader with an interest in post-war history and international affairs.

Author Biography

Geir Lundestad is Director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute and Professor of International History at the University of Oslo. His numerous publications include The American Empire and other Studies of US Foreign Policy in Comparative Perspective (1990), The Fall of the Great Powers, Peace, Stability, and Legitimacy (1994), and Empire by Integration: The United States and European Integration, 1945-1997 (1998).

Table of Contents

From the Preface to the First Edition	ix
Preface to the Fourth Edition	xii
The World in 1945--1950	1	(6)
The Cold War in Europe, 1945--1949	7	(36)
Three Main Theories about the Cold War	7	(3)
Some Structural Explanations for the Cold War	10	(4)
Who Acted Where?	14	(21)
US Policy	14	(9)
Soviet Policy	23	(7)
The Problem of Germany	30	(5)
Motivating Forces behind US and Soviet Policies	35	(8)
The United States	36	(4)
The Soviet Union	40	(3)
The Cold War Becomes Global, 1945--1962	43	(38)
The United States, the Soviet Union, and Asia, 1945--1950	43	(12)
The Civil War in China	43	(6)
Other Countries in Asia	49	(3)
Signs of Re-Evaluation in the Superpowers' Asian Policies	52	(3)
The Korean War	55	(5)
Changes in US Policy in Asia	60	(8)
The Soviet Union Tries to Play a Global Role	68	(7)
A New Policy in Asia and the Middle East	68	(4)
A New Policy in Africa	72	(3)
The Cold War Reaches Latin America	75	(3)
The United States, the Soviet Union, and the Third World: A Comparison	78	(3)
Detente between East and West, 1962--1975	81	(29)
Signs of Detente during the 1950s	82	(3)
The Policy of Detente, 1962--1975	85	(11)
Agreements and Contact between East and West	85	(4)
Reasons for Detente	89	(7)
Detente and Geographic Expansion of the East-West Conflict	96	(14)
Respect for Each Other's Vital regions	96	(2)
The Grey Zones between East and West	98	(1)
The Middle East, 1967--1975	99	(3)
The Vietnam War	102	(8)
Renewed Tension between East and West, 1975--1984	110	(19)
The Soviet Union: A New Globalism	111	(7)
The United States: Reaction to Detente	118	(11)
The End of the Cold War, 1984--1990	129	(9)
Different Theories about the End of the Cold War	129	(2)
What Happened---and Why?	131	(7)
Major Powers and Local Conflicts after the Cold War, 1990--1998	138	(9)
The Major Powers in the New World	138	(3)
Hopes for Peace---and the Reality of Local Conflicts	141	(6)
The Arms Race, 1945--1998	147	(38)
Perspective and Motivating Forces	147	(2)
Hiroshima, Atomic Weapons, and Conventional Forces, 1945--1949	149	(3)
The US Turnabout, 1949--1953	152	(3)
New Directions in US and Soviet Defense Policies	155	(6)
The ``New Look''	155	(4)
The ``New Look'' in the Soviet Union	159	(2)
The Smaller Nuclear Nations	161	(3)
Kennedy, McNamara, and Flexible Response	164	(4)
The Soviet Build--up	168	(4)
The US Reaction	172	(7)
The First Phase: Prior to 1973--1974	172	(2)
The Second Phase: The Years up to 1984	174	(5)
Cooperation and Disarmament	179	(6)
Developments within the Western Bloc, 1945--1998	185	(43)
Expansion by Invitation, 1945--1950	186	(3)
European Integration, 1945--1973	189	(7)
Explanations for the US Stance	194	(2)
US-European Relations, 1950--1973	196	(11)
Cooperation prior to 1962	196	(4)
Political and Military Controversy, 1962--1973	200	(4)
Economic Relations, 1962--1973	204	(3)
The United States and Western Europe after 1973: New Tensions	207	(13)
Expansion and Integration of the EC/EU	207	(4)
From the Year of Europe to Bill Clinton	211	(5)
The Unification of Germany	216	(4)
The United States and Japan, 1945--1998	220	(8)
1945--1960: Occupation and US Dominance	220	(2)
1960--1990: Economic Strength and Greater Political Independence	222	(3)
1990--: Economic Problems and Political Uncertainty	225	(3)
The Soviet Union/Russia and the (formerly) Communist Countries, 1945--1998	228	(46)
Expansion and Conformism, 1945--1953	229	(4)
The Reins are Loosened (1953--1956) and Tightened (1956--1958)	233	(3)
The Revolts in Poland and Hungary in 1956	234	(2)
The Split between the Soviet Union and China	236	(10)
From Cooperation to Armed Struggle	238	(2)
Explanations for the Split	240	(6)
The Sino-Soviet-US Triangle, 1972--1998	246	(4)
Soviet Relations with Eastern Europe, 1958--1985	250	(9)
Czechoslovakia---1968	255	(1)
Developments in Poland	256	(3)
The Soviet Union and the Communist Movement Elsewhere	259	(2)
The Fall of Communism in Eastern Europe	261	(4)
The Fall of the Soviet Union	265	(5)
Developments in Russia and Eastern Europe after the Fall of Communism	270	(4)
Decolonization	274	(27)
Changes on the International Level	274	(3)
The National Level: Changes within the Colonial Powers	277	(13)
British Policies	278	(5)
French Policies	283	(3)
Belgium and Portugal	286	(2)
Why Different Attitudes?	288	(2)
The Local Level: Independence Movements Grow Stronger	290	(6)
The Three Stages	291	(1)
Economic and Cultural Development	292	(2)
The Influence of International Events	294	(2)
The Non-Aligned Nations in World Politics	296	(5)
Economic Relations between North and South, 1945--1998	301	(40)
Two Theories on Development and Underdevelopment	302	(3)
Aid and Trade 1945--1998	305	(9)
1945--1955	306	(1)
1955--1964	307	(2)
1964--1981	309	(2)
1981--1998	311	(2)
The Soviet Union and North-South Issues	313	(1)
Some Comments on the Two Main Theories	314	(22)
The North's Development---The South's Underdevelopment?	315	(13)
The Multinational Corporations	328	(2)
Raw Materials and Processed Goods	330	(1)
The Question of Dependence	331	(5)
Why Poverty?	336	(5)
Bibliography	341	(10)
Index	351