For the Soul of Mankind. The United States, the Soviet Union, and the Cold War

610 Pages·2008·33.058 MB·English

by  Melvyn P. Leffler

ALSO BY MELVYN P. LEFFLER
The Cold War: An International History
(co-edited with David Painter)
The Specter of Communism:
The United States and thè Origins of thè Cold War, 1917-1953
A Preponderance of Power: National Security,
thè Trtiman Administration, and thè Cold War
The Elusive Quest: America’s Pursuit
of European Stability and French Security, 1919-1933
For the Soul of
Mankind

For thè Soul of
Mankind
THE UNITED STATES,
THE SOVIET UNION, AND
THE COLD WAR
Melvyn P. Leffler
HILL AND WANG
A divisioni of Farrar, Straus and Giroux
New York
Hill and Wang
A division of Farrar, Straus and Giroux
18 West 18th Street, New York 10011
Copyright © 2007 by Melvyn P. Leffler
Maps copyright © 2007 by George Skoch
All rights reserved
Distributed in Canada by Douglas & Mclntyre Ltd.
Printed in thè United States of America
Published in 2007 by Hill and Wang
First paperback edition, 2008
The Library of Congress has cataloged thè hardcover edition as follows:
Leffler, Melvyn P., 1945-
For thè soul of mankind : thè United States, thè Soviet Union, and thè
Cold War / Melvyn P. Leffler.— lst ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8090-9717-3 (hardcover : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 0-8090-9717-6 (hardcover : alk. paper)
1. United States—Foreign relations—Soviet Union. 2. Soviet Union—
Foreign relations—United States. 3. Cold War. 4. World politics—
1945-1989. I. Title.
E183.8.S65L44 2007
327.7304709'045—dc22
2006102333
Paperback ISBN-13: 978-0-374-53142-3
Paperback ISBN-10: 0-374-53142-0
Designed by Maggie Goodman
www.fsgbooks.com
1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
For P.J.K.L.

CONTENTS
List of Illustrations ix
List of Maps xiii
Acknowledgments xv
INTRODUCTION 3
I: THE ORIGINS OF THE COLD WAR, 1945-48:
STALIN AND TRUMAN 11
Stalin thè Revolutionary 11 • Stalin in World War II 20
Truman 37 • Stalin and Truman 48 • International Anarchy 57
Politics at Home 70 • Allies and Clients 75
Ideology, Personalità and thè International System 79
II: THE CHANCE FOR PEACE, 1953-54:
MALENKOV AND E1SENHOWER 84
Stalin’s Death 84 • Eisenhower’s Response 95
Turmoil in thè Kremlin 114 • A Chance for Peace? 122
Arms Control, Germany, and Indochina 138 • Fear and Power 147
viii CONTENTS
III: RETREAT FROM ARMAGEDDON, 1962-65:
KHRUSHCHEV, KENNEDY, AND JOHNSON 151
AttheBrink 151 • Khrushchev’s Retreat 158
Kennedy Bides His Time 174 • Give Peace a Chance 182
Starting Anew and Ending Abruptly 192
Johnson’s Agonies and Choices 201
From Armageddon Back to Cold War 224
IV: THE EROSION OF DÉTENTE, 1975-80:
BREZHNEV AND CARTER 234
Brezhnev and Détentc 234
A New Face in Washington, an Old One in Moscow 259
Clients, Hegemons, and Allies 273 • The China Card 288
Iran and Afghanistan 299 • The Vienna Summit 311
Nicaragua and Afghanistan 319 • The End of Détente 334
V: THE END OF THE COLD WAR, 1985-90:
GORBACHEV, REAGAN, AND BUSH 338
Morning in America 339 • Twilight in Moscow 365
Arms Reductions 374 • The Troops Come Out 403
New Thinking, Old Thinking 414 • The Wall Comes Down 427
Two Countries Become One 439 • Gorbachev, Reagan, and Bush 448
CONCLUSION 451
Notes 469
Bibliography 545
Index 571