Soviet Foreign Policy in the Brezhnev Years

303 Pages·5.639 MB·English

by  Robin Edmonds

SO VIET FOREIGN POLICY
THE BREZHNEV YEARS
V
Soviet Foreign Policy
The Brezhnev Years
★
ROBIN EDMONDS
Oxford New York
OXFORD U N IV ERSITY PRESS
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Oxford is a trade mark of Oxford University Press
© Robin Edmonds 1983
First published 1983 as an Oxford University Press paperback
Previous publication of the first half of this book as part of
Soviet Foreign Policy 1962-1973
is acknowledged on page vii
Reprinted 1984
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Edmonds, Robin
Soviet foreign policy— the Brezhnev years.—
(Chronology of internationaievents 1956-82)
1. Soviet Union— Foreign relations—1953-1974
2. Soviet Union— Foreign relations—1975-
I. Title II. Series
327.47 DK274
ISBN 0-19-285125yX Pbk
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
EdmondSs Robin
Soviet foreign policy— the Brezhnev years.
Bibliography: p. Includes index.
1. Soviet Union— Foreign relations—1953-1975-
2. Soviet Union— Foreign relations—1975-
3. Brezhnev, Leonid Ilich, 1906- . 4. Detente.
I. Title.
DK274.E31383 327.47 83-4223
ISBS 0-19-283123-X (pbk.)
Printed in Great Britain by
Richard Clay (The Chaucer Press) Ltd.
Bungay, Suffolk
For Enid

Preface
book is indebted to many people: to Sir Duncan Wilson, Dr
T his
Stephen White, and my wife, all of whom read the whole
typescript; to Dr Gregory Treverton, who read most of the second
half; to Professor Alec Nove, Miss Edwina Moreton, and Mr
Richard Samuel, who read individual chapters; to Mr Raymond
Hyatt, for the maps; to Sir Edgar Williams for reading the proofs;
to Mrs Jacqueline Simms (Oxford University Press) for invalu­
able editorial help; and to Miss Diane Loryman for both
decyphering and typing my manuscript. I am deeply grateful to
all of them. My especial thanks go to Dr White, who read my
typescript in its initial draft form as well as in its final stage, and
also greatly facilitated the task of verifying references in Soviet
sources.
The views expressed in the book are my own. But I hope that
those who have read all or part of the typescript will find, in the
book, a reflection of their kind but unsparing criticisms. I am also
grateful to the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs for
inviting me to visit China. If this book shows a clearer
understanding of China than its predecessor (Soviet Foreign Policy
ig62-ig/j), this is in large measure the result of long talks in
Peking and Shanghai on three visits during the past two years.
Readers of both books will find that although the first half of the
present book retains the narrative chapters of the earlier one,
substantially in the form in which they first appeared, they have
been given a fresh perspective and revised to take account of
subsequent developments. All the rest—the Introduction,
Chapters 14—25, and the Appendix—is new material. The
chronological cut-off date is 31 December 1982.
Monte Verita
Ascona

Contents
List of Maps xi
Selective Chronology of International Events 1956—82 xii
Abbreviations xvi
Introduction 1
1. Paradox 7
Kh ru sh ch ev ’s yea r s of adventure
2. The Theory 14
3. The Cuban Missile Crisis 23
YEARS OF CONSOLIDATION
4. Defence Policy 38
5. Asia 43
6. The Third World 51
7. Europe 61
years of negotiation: The First Phase
8. The Turning Point 74
9. The State of the Union 80
10. The Year 1970 88
11. The Year 1971 99
12. The Year 1972 106
13. The Year 1973 117
yea r s of negotiation: The Second Phase
14. The Concept of the Super-Power Relationship 137
15. High Noon 141
16. Drift 150
17. Nuclear Weapons Negotiations 160
X Contents
DEFENCE OF THE PERIMETER
18. The Far East
■7°
19. The Arc
>77
CRISIS
20. Afghanistan 189
21. Poland
!95
22. The Economic Dimension 203
23. The Succession Accomplished 212
THE PROSPECT AFTER BREZHNEV
24. Soviet Options 218
25. An Option for Europe 223
Appendix 231
Notes
233
Select Bibliography 267
Index 271