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An overview of Cold War Historiography

An overview of Cold War Historiography. Cold War Historiography. The orthodox interpretation. The revisionist interpretation . Moderate revisionist view . The post-revisionist view. Revival of orthodoxy. Return to orthodoxy in the Putin-Medvedev era???. The orthodox interpretation.

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An overview of Cold War Historiography

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  1. An overview of Cold War Historiography

  2. Cold War Historiography The orthodox interpretation The revisionist interpretation Moderate revisionist view The post-revisionist view Revival of orthodoxy Return to orthodoxy in the Putin-Medvedev era???

  3. The orthodox interpretation • Why the Cold War? • Soviet aggression • Why the aggression? • Ideological evangelism? • Russian imperialism? • Does not matter • Its monolithic nature • The US reaction? • US sought to continue wartime cooperation • Forced to stand up to Soviet behaviour • The Truman Doctrine? • All the Soviets’ fault

  4. Why the orthodox interpretation? • Breakdown of the anti-Nazi alliance • Soviet domination of Eastern Europe • Complete by 1948 • Berlin (1948) • Spread of the Cold War to Asia: • The “loss of China” • Korea (1950-53) • Indochina • McCarthyism

  5. The revisionist interpretation • Breakdown of the wartime alliance • US fault • Soviet behaviour? What would you expect? • US imperialistic- why? • Markets/ investment/ raw materials • Regimes to look after US interests

  6. Why the revisionist interpretation? • The Vietnam War • Questioning of the war led to questioning of the bases of US foreign policy • The 60s: an era of protest and challenge • Nixon engendered opposition thinking • The man • The Pentagon Papers • Watergate

  7. The moderate revisionist interpretation • Personality focussed • If only FDR and not Truman • Truman surrounded by fanatically anti-Russian advisors • Kennan • Clifford • Nitze • Acheson

  8. Why the moderate revisionist interpretation? • FDR’s willingness to trust and work with Stalin • Truman’s hardline approach • His inexperience? • Beholden to his advisors? • But blame still on US

  9. Revival of orthodoxy • When? • The 1980s • What? • Back to it’s all the fault of the Soviets • Why? • The Reagan era • “the evil empire” • Soviet invasion of Afghanistan • End of détente

  10. The post-revisionist interpretation • Washington and Moscow • Both sides had their faults • Both sides pushing their national interests • Ignorance of each other • Led to misunderstanding • Nearly nuclear war • Stalin? • Security his concern • But: couldn’t be sure • Gaddis particularly hard on the role of Stalin

  11. Why the post-revisionist interpretation? • Opening up of the Soviet archives • But do not overplay this • The Cold War was now over • Allows a non-partisan approach • Avoids the Soviet apologist approach

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