Perforating the Iron Curtain: European Détente, Transatlantic Relations, and the Cold War, 1965-1985Poul Villaume, Odd Arne Westad The relaxation of the Cold War Bloc tensions in the 1970s ? the so-called - détente process ?- was a watershed in the history of the Cold War. Recent research suggests that this process is far more significant than previously believed for understanding and explaining the developments that brought about the peaceful end of the Cold War in the late 1980s. The present collection of essays provides a rich and detailed account of many important yet neglected aspects of these processes. The contributions elucidate the European détente process from NGO grass-root as well as top diplomatic level perspectives, including the Helsinki Conference and the Helsinki Final Act of 1975, and in particular its stipulations on respect of human rights and human contacts across the Iron Curtain. The contributions are original research based on recently opened and not previously used state and private archives in Western and Eastern Europe and in the United States. Together, they shed new and fascination light on a defining chapter in recent European history. |
Contents
Polish Reactions to the West German Ostpolitik | 35 |
The Brandt Government and | 79 |
The Survival of | 101 |
Transatlantic Relations Human Rights and Power | 195 |
French Support for Eastern European Dissidence | 215 |
| 257 | |
Common terms and phrases
accept According activities Affairs agreement allies American approach Archives Basket Belgrade Berlin bloc Bonn Cold Communist Community concerning conference contacts continued cooperation coordination countries CSCE deal December delegation Department détente discussion dissidents document early East East-West Eastern Eastern Europe Eastern European economic effect established Europe European Security February Files follow-up force Foreign Foreign Minister France French German groups Helsinki Final Act Henry Kissinger History human rights ideas important influence initiative interest issue Italy January Kissinger Left Madrid March MBFR meeting Memorandum Moscow Moscow Helsinki Group movement NARA negotiations neutral Nixon Note November Ostpolitik Paris peace Poland Polish political position possible preparations presented President principles proposal question relations role side situation social Soviet Union strategy talks tion Ulbricht United wanted Warsaw Pact Washington West Western