ABOUT THIS BOOK

This book presents pieces of evidence, which – taken together – lead to an argument that goes against the grain of the established Cold War narrative. The argument is that a “long détente” existed between East and West from the 1950s to the 1980s, that it existed and lasted for good (economic, national security, societal) reasons, and that it had a profound impact on the outcome of the conflict between East and West and the quintessentially peaceful framework in which this “endgame” was played. New, Euro-centered narratives are offered, including both West and East European perspectives. These contributions point to critical inconsistencies and inherent problems in the traditional U.S. dominated narrative of the “Victory in the Cold War.” The argument of a “long détente” does not need to replace the ruling American narrative. Rather, it can and needs to be augmented with European experiences and perceptions. After all, it was Europe – its peoples, societies, and states – that stood both at the ideological and military frontline of the conflict between East and West, and it was here that the struggle between liberalism and communism was eventually decided.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Poul Villaume is professor of contemporary history at the Saxo Institute, University of Copenhagen.

Oliver Bange is senior historian at the Centre for Military History and Social Sciences, German Armed Forces, in Potsdam and lecturer at the University of Mannheim.

REVIEWS

"The volume offers a corrective via a Eurocentric narrative that examines economic and political overtures dating to the early 1950s between European countries and the Eastern bloc. Chapters dealing with these matters are well researched and offer insight into episodes (like the Moscow International Economic Conference) that are little studied. As a volume on European diplomacy from the 1950s to the 1980s it is a fine contribution to the literature."
-- Choice

"Oliver Bange und Poul Villaume wollen zusammen mit anderen Autorinnen und Autoren ihres Sammelbandes das Bild des Ost-West-Konflikts nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg grundlegend verändern. Weit länger als nach bisheriger Ansicht habe Entspannung – die „antagonistische Zusammenarbeit“ zwischen den beiden ideologischen und gesellschaftlichen Lagern und das Bemühen um eine kooperative Form des Wettstreits – das Verhältnis bestimmt. Zudem sei der 'Kalte Krieg' – verstanden als 'politischer, wirtschaftlicher und kommunikativer Autismus' sowie als Konfrontation unter Einsatz auch wirtschaftlicher und militärischer Potenziale – weniger dauerhaft und wichtig gewesen als bisher behauptet. Beides habe schon immer parallel zueinander in einem je nach Zeit und Akteur unterschiedlichen Ausmaß existiert. Insgesamt bietet der Band dem kritischen und sachkundigen Leser eine Fülle wichtiger Informationen und Erklärungen zu zentralen Fragen des Ost-West-Konflikts nach Stalins Tod, der Entwicklung des militärischen Kräfteverhältnisses zwischen NATO und Warschauer Pakt in der Spätphase."
-- Jahrbücher für Geschichte Osteuropas

"Poul Villaume er en engasjert kritiker av den supermakts- og amerikansk-dominerte fremstillingen av den kalde krigen. Han mener den har gjort détente til 'something of a swearword and even, as it seems, a taboo topic in international and especially Anglo-American mainstream historiography of the Cold War... At worst, détente and with it an influential era of that momentous conflict between societal systems is hardly mentioned at all.' Villaume og Bange knytter det de finner er en systematisk neglisjering av detente, til triumfalistenes fortolkning av slutten på den kalde krigen. Bange og Villaume påpeker at dersom détente neglisjeres eller defineres ut av historien, gir det ikke mening å snakke om den andre kalde krigen. De følger opp med å spørre om hvordan det kunne ha seg, dersom détente brøt sammen på slutten av 1970-tallet og ble erstat-tet av en ny kald krig, at konfliktene mellom supennaktblokkene ledet til fredelig avslutning på konfliktene bare få år senere."
-- Helge Pharo Historisk Tidsskrift

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acronyms and Abbreviations
Introduction
Oliver Bange and Poul Villaume

PART I: Long Perspectives On Détente
1 East-West Conflict: Short Cold War and Long Détente
An Essay on Terminology and Periodization
Gottfried Niedhart
2 The Long Détente and the Soviet Bloc, 1953–1983
Csaba Békés

PART II: East-West Trade
1 Soviet Snowdrops in the Ice Age?
The Surprising Attempt of an Early Economic Détente in 1952
Mikhail Lipkin
2 European Long-Term Investments in Détente
The Implications of East-West Economic Cooperation
Werner Lippert

PART III: The Inextractability of External and Domestic Security
1 No End to “Political Ideological Diversion”
The Stasi Perspective as Circumstantial Evidence for a Long Détente
Oliver Bange
2 New Security Concepts and Transnational Party Networks, 1976–1983.
The Socialist International, Scandilux, and the Overcoming of the Crisis of Détente
Rasmus Mariager

PART IV: Détente in Europe: Change in Perceptions
1 Continuity and Transformation
Alternate Visions of Italy’s Three Decades of Détente
Laura Fasanaro
2 Perception of the Other: “Kremlinologists” and “Westerners”
East and West German Analysts and Their Mutual Perceptions, 1977–1985
Sabine Loewe-Hannatzsch

PART V: Détente in Europe: Change in Diplomatic Framings
1 Pathfinders and Perpetuators of Détente
Small States of NATO and the Long Détente: The Case of Denmark, 1969–1989
Poul Villaume
2 Overcoming the Crisis of Détente, 1979−1983
Coordinating Eastern Policies between Paris, Bonn, and London
Christian Wenkel

PART VI: The U.S. Story: from Cooperation to Confrontation and Back
1 Lyndon B. Johnson and the Building of East-West Bridges
Catching Up with Détente in Europe, 1963–1966
Gry Thomasen
2 Between Power Politics and Morality
The United States, the Long Détente, and the Transformation of Europe, 1969–1985
Stephan Kieninger

Select Bibliography
Index
About the Editors and Contributors