[Deb Palmieri on Russia Table of Contents]

This summary is of the book Dynamics of Soviet Foreign Policy co-authored by Jonathan R. Adelman and Deborah Anne Palmieri and published by Harper & Row, Publishers Inc.in 1989.
Dynamics of Soviet Foreign Policy
Harper & Row, Publishers Inc., 1989

Jonathan R. Adelman, University of Denver
(Ph.D. Columbia University)

Deborah Anne Palmieri, University of Southern California
(Ph.D. Columbia University)

Description

For introductory courses, this text provides a broad and detailed overview of the historical development and functioning of Soviet foreign policy from its inception in 1917 to today. The material is divided into three sections: historical development; crisis decision-making under Stalin, Khrushchev, and Brezhnev; and a section on the substantive issues providing students with a guide to alternative approaches to Soviet foreign policy, and an introduction on methodology and research in the field. Emphasis throughout is on developing an understanding of both Soviet perceptions and actions in critical foreign policy issue areas.

    Features

  • Historical overview provides a sense of change and continuity throughout time (Chs. 1-14).

  • Case studies of crisis decision-making under Stalin, Khrushchev, and Brezhnev highlight key events (Chs. 15-17).

  • Emphasis on military and security efforts (including coverage of the role of the Red Army in World War II) provides a deeper understanding of the Soviet-American relationship (Ch. 6).

  • Stress on domestic context and historical development of Soviet foreign policy from 1917 through 1988 provides students with the necessary background and linkages for understanding foreign policy (throughout).

  • Chapter on alternative approaches reviews the major different theoretical approaches to understanding the Soviet Union and the kinds of models that have been developed for studying these divergent viewpoints (Ch. 18).

  • Chapter on how to do research on the Soviet foreign policy provides a guide to the major sources a student can use (journals, books, surveys) for writing papers or for doing further study on the Soviet Union (Ch. 20).

  • Up-to-date coverage of Gorbachev - including the summit of December 1987, the signing of the INF treaty, and Gorbachev's speech on the 70th anniversary of the October Revolution in November 1987 - keeps students abreast of current issues (Ch. 14).

  • "Resource information" boxes on the key leaders and events offer important and detailed background information on leaders such as Lenin, Stalin, and Hitler, events such as the Stalin-Trotsky Debate over China, and many interesting topics including travel and educational tours to the U.S.S.R. (throughout).

    Contents

    Part I
    The History of Soviet Foreign Policy
    1. Introduction to Soviet Foreign Policy Studies
    2. The Tsarist legacy
    3. The October Revolution and Lenin's Foreign Policy
    4. Soviet Foreign Policy in the 1920's
    5. Soviet Foreign Policy in the 1930's
    6. The Soviet Union in World War II
    7. Cold War and Reconstruction
    8. Soviet Regional Policy, 1945-1953
    9. Khrushchev's Foreign Policy
    10. Khrushchev's Regional Policy, 1953-1955
    11. Brezhnev's Foreign Policy
    12. Brezhnev's Regional Policy: The Vital Areas
    13. Third World Policy in the Brezhnev Years
    14. The Gorbachev Era

    Part II
    Case Studies of Soviet Crisis Decision Making
    15. Stalin's Crises
    16. Khrushchev's Crises
    17. Brezhnev 's Crises

    Part III
    18. Alternative Approaches to Soviet Foreign Policy
    19. Methodology and Soviet Foreign Policy Studies
    20. Researching Soviet Foreign Policy

Jonathan R. Adelman
Deborah Anne Palmieri
Dynamics of Soviet Foreign Policy
Harper & Row, Publishers Inc., 1989

Copyright 1999 The Russian-American Chamber of Commerce®