원문정보
초록
영어
There are some generalizations about the end of the Cold War which are widely believed but are greatly misleading. The following five are among the most popular misinterpretations of the Cold War’s ending: (1) The Cold War ended with the breakup of the Soviet Union in December 1991; (2) The Reagan Administration’s military build-up forced the Soviet Union to concede defeat in the Cold War; (3) The Soviet Union’s inability to compete with the West economically left it with no option but to reform; (4) A Western ideological offensive against Communism, led by Ronald Reagan with important help from Margaret Thatcher, forced the Soviet Union to change its thinking; (5) If Mikhail Gorbachev had not been chosen as Soviet leader in March 1985, some other Soviet leader would have had to pursue similar policies and the Cold War would still have ended largely on Western terms.
목차
Introduction
Misinterpretation One: Conflating the Cold War's ending with the Soviet Union's demise
Misinterpretation Two: A Triumphalist Explanation – The Reagan Military Build-Up
Misinterpretation Three: The Soviet Union was forced to reform because it could not compete with the West economically
Misinterpretation Four: A Western ideological offensive forced the change in Soviet thinking
Misinterpretation Five: Any Soviet leader would have had to do what Gorbachev did
Conclusion