Anatomy of Mistrust: U.S.-Soviet Relations during the Cold War

Anatomy of Mistrust: U.S.-Soviet Relations during the Cold War

by Deborah Welch Larson
Anatomy of Mistrust: U.S.-Soviet Relations during the Cold War

Anatomy of Mistrust: U.S.-Soviet Relations during the Cold War

by Deborah Welch Larson

Hardcover

$56.95 
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Overview

The United States and the Soviet Union missed numerous diplomatic opportunities to resolve differences and control the arms race because neither state trusted the other, according to Deborah Welch Larson. In Anatomy of Mistrust, She shows that the goals of Soviet and U.S. leaders were frequently complementary, and an agreement should have been attainable. Lost opportunities contributed to bankruptcy for the Soviet Union, serious damage to the economy of the United States, decreased public support for internationalist policies, and a proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Synthesizing different understandings of trust and mistrust from the theoretical traditions of economics, psychology, and game theory, Larson analyzes five cases that might have been turning points in U.S.-Soviet relations: the two-year period following Stalin's death in 1953; Khrushchev's peace offensive from the launching of Sputnik until the U-2 incident; the Kennedy administration; the Nixon-Brezhnev detente; and the Gorbachev period. Larson concludes that leaders in the United States often refused to accept Soviet offers to negotiate because they feared a trap. Mutual trust is necessary, she concludes, although it may not be sufficient, for states to cooperate in managing their security.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780801433023
Publisher: Cornell University Press
Publication date: 04/24/1997
Series: Cornell Studies in Security Affairs
Pages: 352
Product dimensions: 6.12(w) x 9.25(h) x 1.12(d)
Lexile: 1620L (what's this?)
Age Range: 18 Years

About the Author

Deborah Welch Larson is professor of political science at the University of California, Los Angeles.

What People are Saying About This

Raymond L. Garthoff

Larson's book offers original and insightful interpretation and analysis of a number of case studies of episodes from Cold War relations between the United States and the Soviet Union. It succeeds well in showing the problem of mistrust, and the author seeks to elaborate strategies for overcoming mistrust, a creditable and useful contribution toward dealing with the problem.
—(Raymond L. Garthoff, The Brookings Institute)

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