Immediately once World War II ended, The Soviet Union distance4d itself from the West. In particular, a deep political and diplomatic gap developed between it and the USA. That divide is the Cold War, a period of tense detente that lasted five decades. Political intrigue, diplomatic drama, international espionage and military posturing tensions marked the period, delivering rich literary material for writers of history and fiction alike. A Cold War author concentrates on the political and ideological maneuverings of those years.
The Soviet Union fought against Nazi Germany as an ally of the British-French-USA military axis during World War 2, In spite of that alliance, the relationship between the Soviet and western countries was very fragile and brittle. This is perhaps not surprising given the huge difference in the political ideology that divided the two sides at that time. After all, communism and capitalism are far from easy bedfellows.
The war brought the Soviets closer to the West. A reasonable diplomatic dialogue existed during the war years. However, once the war ended, the Soviets almost totally closed their economy to foreign trade, diplomatically withdrew back within themselves and severely limited their dialogue with the West.
Less than a year after the war ended, Sir Winston Churchill bemoaned Soviet detente in a speech he delivered at Westminster College in Missouri, in March 1946. Churchill described how isolationist Soviet foreign policy had brought down an Iron Curtain across Europe, from the Baltic to the Adriatic, dividing western nations from those in the east.
All the countries to the east of that curtain were subject to a high degree of Soviet influence, if not absolute control. Eastern European nations within the Soviet sphere of influence included Poland, East Germany, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Romania. These Soviet satellites were widely regarded to be a source of instability for peace.
The Soviets repeatedly rejected economic and diplomatic ties with the USA and other western nations. It remained deliberately distant and difficult to access politically, economically and culturally. Its economy was essentially closed to the much of the outside world. Its reluctance to engage in dialogue with the West created an information vacuum. Lacking data, the West filled that vacuum with uncertainty, doubt and suspicion regarding Soviet military ambitions.
The imagery painted and rhetoric used by Churchill in his address at Westminster College captured the attention of people all around the world. Churchill originally titled his speech Sinews of Peace but the media and scholars almost immediately dubbed it his Iron Curtain speech. It is one of the early signals marking the beginning of the Cold War.
Throughout that five decades of Soviet detente, limited data about its economy and military were available to other nations. Western analysts grossly over-estimated Soviet economic wealth and military might. That misunderstanding greatly contributed to the arms race. Eventually, burdened by a crippling budget deficit, the Soviet Union moved to limit its military spending. Its President Gorbachev introduced Perestroika, a set of policies to strengthen the efficiency of the economy. He abolished bureaucratic constraints on individuals and businesses, introduced the market system to many sectors and opened it to global competition. Gorbachev also ended diplomatic detente with the West. As a result, a rich source of literary ideas, that any Cold War author had enjoyed for decades, dried up.
The Soviet Union fought against Nazi Germany as an ally of the British-French-USA military axis during World War 2, In spite of that alliance, the relationship between the Soviet and western countries was very fragile and brittle. This is perhaps not surprising given the huge difference in the political ideology that divided the two sides at that time. After all, communism and capitalism are far from easy bedfellows.
The war brought the Soviets closer to the West. A reasonable diplomatic dialogue existed during the war years. However, once the war ended, the Soviets almost totally closed their economy to foreign trade, diplomatically withdrew back within themselves and severely limited their dialogue with the West.
Less than a year after the war ended, Sir Winston Churchill bemoaned Soviet detente in a speech he delivered at Westminster College in Missouri, in March 1946. Churchill described how isolationist Soviet foreign policy had brought down an Iron Curtain across Europe, from the Baltic to the Adriatic, dividing western nations from those in the east.
All the countries to the east of that curtain were subject to a high degree of Soviet influence, if not absolute control. Eastern European nations within the Soviet sphere of influence included Poland, East Germany, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Romania. These Soviet satellites were widely regarded to be a source of instability for peace.
The Soviets repeatedly rejected economic and diplomatic ties with the USA and other western nations. It remained deliberately distant and difficult to access politically, economically and culturally. Its economy was essentially closed to the much of the outside world. Its reluctance to engage in dialogue with the West created an information vacuum. Lacking data, the West filled that vacuum with uncertainty, doubt and suspicion regarding Soviet military ambitions.
The imagery painted and rhetoric used by Churchill in his address at Westminster College captured the attention of people all around the world. Churchill originally titled his speech Sinews of Peace but the media and scholars almost immediately dubbed it his Iron Curtain speech. It is one of the early signals marking the beginning of the Cold War.
Throughout that five decades of Soviet detente, limited data about its economy and military were available to other nations. Western analysts grossly over-estimated Soviet economic wealth and military might. That misunderstanding greatly contributed to the arms race. Eventually, burdened by a crippling budget deficit, the Soviet Union moved to limit its military spending. Its President Gorbachev introduced Perestroika, a set of policies to strengthen the efficiency of the economy. He abolished bureaucratic constraints on individuals and businesses, introduced the market system to many sectors and opened it to global competition. Gorbachev also ended diplomatic detente with the West. As a result, a rich source of literary ideas, that any Cold War author had enjoyed for decades, dried up.
About the Author:
Read more about Soviet Detente With The West Delivered A Cold War Author Many Literary Ideas visiting our website.
No comments:
Post a Comment