How Relevant was U.S. Strategy in Winning the Cold War?
Abstract
The cold war and containment of Soviet expansion have been the defining events for strategists since World War II. In this address, Professor Gaddis examines the relevance of American cold war strategy to the collapse of European and Soviet communism. He describes three factors that were decisive to the success of containment as grand strategy. The first was the role of ideas. Western political and economic philosophers were vastly superior to state dominated, scientific socialism in mobilizing loyalty, productivity, and releasing the creativity of the human spirit. Second, the role of nuclear weapons, even though costly, deployed in excessive numbers, and responsible for prolonging the cold war, did stabilize the conflict, allowing time for the triumph of Western ideas and values. Finally, the role of leadership and strategic vision, even though often unrecognized, was decisive at critical periods.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 17, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA251475
Entities
People
- John L. Gaddis
Organizations
- United States Army War College