Seminar paper from the year 2005 in the subject History of Germany - Postwar Period, Cold War, grade: Honors (Bestnote), Yale University (Yale University), language: English, abstract: In order to evaluate the influence of ideology on the foreign policy behaviour of the Soviet Union and its satellites during the phase of 1945-61, I will start with an overview of the specific functions that Marxist-Leninist ideology fulfilled in the context of Soviet foreign policy. This is critical for the understanding of the practical uses of ideology in the policy making process and for the Soviet cause as a whole. In a second step, I will set forth the role of ideology and its different functions during the Stalinist era (1945-53) and up to the building of the Berlin wall in 1961. Special emphasis will be laid on changes in the use of ideology as a foreign policy tool and their respective causes. This analysis is followed by an assessment of the implications on the responsibility for the Cold War in Europe.

This textbook examines Soviet thinking in the economic, political and military spheres, linking domestic and foreign policies. Part One describes the evolution of its foreign policy; Part Two, details the impact it had on the rest of the world (by region).

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.

En analyse af Soviets udenrigspolitik siden 2. verdenskrig og et forsøg på at forstå Sovjets holdning over for de kapitalistiske stormagter.

This book discerns Soviet leaders' views of the United States and sees them in relation to foreign policy statements and actions. Hermann first examines the subtle problem of analyzing perceptions and interpreting motives from the words and deeds of national leaders. He then turns to cases, measuring the dominant U.S. hypotheses about the USSR against Soviet behavior in Central Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, as well as Soviet participation in the arms race. Finally, he weighs his conclusions against a thematic study of speeches and publications by members of the Politburo.