This report presents the multiple issues raised at an international conference on "The Future of Soviet Policy Toward Western Europe," held in Ebenhausen, West Germany, October 26-28, 1984, under the auspices of The RAND Corporation, the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, and the Institut Francais des Relations Internationales. The ten papers presented at the conference consider the internal Soviet dimension (both political and economic) and its possible consequences for the future of Soviet policy toward Western Europe; the nature of present Soviet strategy toward Western Europe, both in general and with respect to West Germany in particular; the East European factor and its possible effects on European detente; Soviet behavior in the world arena and its possible consequences for Europe; and finally, overall prospects for Soviet policy, both in the near term and in the late 1980s.

The monumental events in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union must be understood, Jan Van Oudenaren argues, in the context of a process of East-West détente begun in 1953 in the aftermath of Stalin's death. Van Oudenaren's comprehensive and timely study examines the development of Soviet-Western détente from the death of Stalin to the unification of Germany. In redefining détente as a process, rather than a code of conduct, Van Oudenaren looks to its origins in Soviet policy earlier than previously identified and analyzes both its history and character. His study explores the restoration of four-power negotiations in Germany and Austria in the mid-1950s, their subsequent breakdown in the Berlin crisis, their unexpected revival in 1990 in the form of "two plus four" talks on German unity, and the future of the Soviet Union as a European power. Among the key elements of détente discussed are diplomacy, particularly the role of summit conferences; cooperation among parliaments, political parties, and trade unions; arms control; economic relations; and links among cultural institutions, churches, and peace movements.

This book assesses the evolution of the Soviet approach toward European security policy since the mid-1980s, as seen from the prism of assessments of and policy toward the Federal Republic of Germany, examining basic Soviet analyses of West Germany in the period prior to unification.

This book, first published in 1984, carefully examine the political debate surrounding nuclear weapons and superpower polices in Cold War Western Europe. It seeks to analyse a distinctly European view in Soviet policy, as opposed to a superpower view. It examines Soviet domestic and foreign policy, economic and military practice, with the aim of understanding and countering the Soviet threat to Western Europe.

In post-Soviet Russia, there is a persistent trend to repress, control, or even co-opt national history. By reshaping memory to suit a politically convenient narrative, Russia has fashioned a good future out of a "bad past." While Putin's regime has acquired nearly complete control over interpretations of the past, The Future of the Soviet Past reveals that Russia's inability to fully rewrite its Soviet history plays an essential part in its current political agenda. Diverse contributors consider the many ways in which public narrative shapes Russian culture—from cinema, television, and music to museums, legislature, and education—as well as how patriotism reflected in these forms of culture implies a casual acceptance of the valorization of Stalin and his role in World War II. The Future of the Soviet Past provides effective and nuanced examples of how Russia has reimagined its Soviet history as well as how that past still influences Russia's policymaking.

This book presents articles that provide a detailed account on the role of Gorbachev in Soviet's future, political reform, educational reform, economy, military, policy toward the United States and Western Europe, and relations with the developing world. .

This report analyzes the objectives, instruments, and achievements of Soviet policy toward Western Europe. It focuses on the mechanisms used by the Soviet Union to pursue its objectives in Europe, including diplomacy, military power, arms control, the West European Communist parties, ties with the non-Communist left, propaganda, and trade. The author concludes that the Soviet Union has achieved mixed results in its policy toward Western Europe. While it has succeeded in helping to consolidate postwar gains, Soviet policy has not yet made a dramatic breakthrough toward its stated objective of fostering a system of 'collective security' in Europe. Nevertheless, there is little evidence to suggest that failure to achieve these maximal goals has led the Soviets to rethink their objectives of lower their expectations. (Author).

This anthology provides readers with a broad overview of the sources, substance, and significance of Soviet foreign policy in the contemporary period. It covers both the legacies of the tsarist and Stalinist eras and the motivations and priorities of present-day Soviet leaders. Included are sizable sections on the policy-making process and military power, as well as Soviet relations with the U.S., Western and Eastern Europe, the Far East, and the Third World. Divergent viewpoints are expressed throughout; future prospects and directions for Soviet foreign policy are also discussed. The emphasis of this collection is practical and policy-oriented. The contributors are distinguished present and recent officials of the U.S. government, scholars, and full-time researchers in government advisory agencies. All are from the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Their essays are insightful and empirically grounded, some revised and tipdated specifically for this collection, while three (Goodson and Schultz, Herspring, and Leighton) are published here for the first time. The collection provides a comprehensive view of contemporary Soviet behavior in international affairs while reflecting the concerns of Americans both inside and outside of government who help formulate and implement U.S. policy toward the Soviet Union. As with its companion volumes--"The Sovief Polity in the Modern Era "(Aldine, 1984) and "The Conduct of Soviet Foreign Policy "(Aldine, 1980)--"Soviet Foreign Policy in a Changing World "will become an important text in Soviet studies, and will be of interest to government officials and the general reader with an interest in Soviet studies as well.