Peaceful Coexistence and Detente: The Soviet Quest for Security in the Post-War Era.
Abstract
The cyclical nature of Soviet interest in peaceful coexistence and detente is demonstrated by the 1955 Geneva summit, the 1959 'spirit of Camp David,' the 1963 Moscow accords, the detente of the SALT I period, and the renewed Soviet interest in detente as a prelude to the signing of the SALT II agreement. The Soviet Union's continual return to detente with the West results from the confluence of such factors as: the strategic balance, concerns for European security, the Sino-Soviet conflict, economic problems, and bureaucratic politics. Two common elements thread their way through each of the detente periods: Soviet security concerns and opportunism. Each period of detente countered a number of threats to Soviet security, lessened the free world's perception of the Soviet threat, allowed Soviet access to western technology, and permitted the Soviet Union to improve her 'image' through peace propaganda. U.S. policymakers must be aware of the factors influencing the Soviet Union to pursue a policy of detente, and manipulate them as needed.(Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1979
- Accession Number
- ADA072586
Entities
People
- Paul John Ryan
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School