United States Security Interests in Eastern Europe: The Case of Poland,
Abstract
The importance of Poland derives from its role in the current relationship between the Soviet Union and the West which has been defined variously as 'detente' or 'coexistence'. The former term has come to have great appeal in the West because it seems to signify a longed-for relaxation of previous cold war tensions and implies a common effort to resolve East-West differences. The writer proceeds from a contrary assumption based on the Soviet definition of the term 'coexistence'. Although renouncing offensive general war as an instrument of state policy because of its potential cost to all parties in the nuclear age, Soviet authorities from Khrushchev on have emphasized the competitive, even antagonistic, aspect of coexistence. In this context, Soviet objectives in Europe, however defined and categorized by Western analysts, reduce themselves to the proposition of the growth of Soviet power vis-a-vis the West. A major element in that power is continued hegemony in Eastern Europe. Thus the growth of Soviet power must incorporate enhancement of Moscow's authority in the region in which Poland occupies the key strategic position.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1977
- Accession Number
- ADA050814
Entities
People
- Daniel M. Duffield Jr
Organizations
- National Defense University