Ending The Cold War

Although in hindsight the end of the Cold War was inevitable, almost no one saw it coming and there is little consensus over why it ended. A popular interpretation is that the Soviet Union was unable to compete in terms of power, especially in the area of high technology. Another interpretation gives primacy to the new ideas Gorbachev brought to the Kremlin and to the importance of leaders and domestic considerations. In this volume, prominent experts on Soviet affairs and the Cold War interrogate competing interpretations in the context of five "turning points" in the end of the Cold War. Relying on new information gathered from oral history interviews and archival research, the authors draw into doubt triumphal interpretations that rely on a single variable like the superior power of the United States and call attention to the importance of how multiple factors combined and were sequenced historically. The volume closes with chapters drawing lessons from the end of the Cold War for both policy making and theory building.

“Ending the Cold War is the product of a 'Who’s Who' of scholars writing on one of the most important periods in recent history. The volume is well-framed by the editors, and the chapters are structured around a common approach that combines theoretical sophistication with impressive empirical grounding. Making good use of new knowledge available from documents and from interviews with key participants, this book will be valuable for scholars and accessible to students. Ending the Cold War will help sharpen the ongoing debate about an extraordinary series of events.”—James M. Goldgeier, George Washington University

"Ending the Cold War is analytically coherent and empirically original, enhancing our understanding of a transition of enormous magnitude for both the theory and practice of international relations. The book advances the debate by focusing on key turning points and pondering neglected counterfactuals, as it weighs the relative importance of power, ideas, and leadership. By far the best and most stimulating book to date on the subject, Ending the Cold War will be profitably read by scholars, policy makers, and students of international relations."—Robert D. English, University of Southern California and author of Russia and the Idea of the West

Richard K. Herrmann is Director of the Mershon Center and Professor of Political Science, The Ohio State University. Richard Ned Lebow is James O. Freedman Presidential Professor of Government, Dartmouth College.