Book Description

This anthology provides readers with a broad overview of the sources, substance, and significance of Soviet foreign policy in the contemporary period. It covers both the legacies of the tsarist and Stalinist eras and the motivations and priorities of present-day Soviet leaders. Included are sizable sections on the policy-making process and military power, as well as Soviet relations with the U.S., Western and Eastern Europe, the Far East, and the Third World. Divergent viewpoints are expressed throughout; future prospects and directions for Soviet foreign policy are also discussed. The emphasis of this collection is practical and policy-oriented. The contributors are distinguished present and recent officials of the U.S. government, scholars, and full-time researchers in government advisory agencies. All are from the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Their essays are insightful and empirically grounded, some revised and tipdated specifically for this collection, while three (Goodson and Schultz, Herspring, and Leighton) are published here for the first time. The collection provides a comprehensive view of contemporary Soviet behavior in international affairs while reflecting the concerns of Americans both inside and outside of government who help formulate and implement U.S. policy toward the Soviet Union. As with its companion volumes--"The Sovief Polity in the Modern Era "(Aldine, 1984) and "The Conduct of Soviet Foreign Policy "(Aldine, 1980)--"Soviet Foreign Policy in a Changing World "will become an important text in Soviet studies, and will be of interest to government officials and the general reader with an interest in Soviet studies as well.