Peace Impossible War Unlikely the Cold War Between the United States and the Soviet Union

We are entering the fifth decade of the gnawing conflict between the Soviet Union and the United States known as the Cold War. This important book from two leading scholars of American and Soviet foreign policy examines the nature and causes of that crucial conflict, and its prospects. As long as the central problem of our time continues--and the forces that pit the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. against each other are multiple and enduring--Professors Nogee and Spanier believe that it must be continuously and thoughtfully examined in the light of changing events. Here is an up-to-date, balanced study that does just that, with equal attention paid to both nations' perceptions and policies. Their careful examination of the Cold War is historical, analytical, critical, and theoretical. It covers in depth such key topics as nuclear arms, deterrence, nuclear strategy, the impact of China on the Cold War, and superpower rivalry and conflict in the Third World. The conclusion? The Soviet State and its leaders bear primary responsibility for the Cold War, and until there is a change in the Soviet regime the Cold War will continue in some form. To the charge of undue pessimism the authors reply--realistically, they believe--that the Soviet system will change in time, though how and when cannot be forseen.