The Soviet Threat: Is It Declining
Abstract
Soviet General Secretary and President Mikhail S. Gorbachev has captivated world attention with proposals for world peace and for sweeping systemic changes within the Soviet Union. It is the purpose of this paper to first examine what is occurring within the Soviet Union today in the context of past Soviet behavior. This analysis shows the striking similarities between the problems and proposed solutions existing today and those found in previous periods of Soviet history. The Soviets have a continuing pattern of peaceful coexistence, friendship, and detente-like policies which relax the tensions in interstate relations and allow the Soviet Union to regain the initiative and emerge from these periods with renewed strength and aggressiveness. The second part of this paper examines several areas where the United States and its European allies must remain alert as to the true intentions of the Soviet Union. This paper concludes that it is far too early to believe the Soviet Union has made a break with its past and, therefore, too early for the West to begin to back down from its vigilance and determination to meet the Soviet challenge from a position of military strength.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 28, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA208559
Entities
People
- William H. Campbell
Organizations
- United States Army War College