Radoslav A. Yordanov - The Harvard Cold War Studies Book: The Soviet Union and the Horn of Africa During the Cold War : Between Ideology and Pragmatism download TXT, FB2, PDF
9781498529099 1498529097 At the height of the Cold War, Soviet ideologues, policymakers, diplomats, and military officers perceived the countries of Africa, Asia, and Latin America as the future reserve of socialism, holding the key to victory over Western forces. The zero-sum nature of East-West global competition induced the United States to try to thwart Soviet ambitions. The result was predictable: the two superpowers engaged in proxy struggles against each other in faraway, little-understood lands, often ending up entangled in protracted and highly destructive local fights that did little to serve their own agendas. Using a wealth of recently declassified sources, this book tells the complex story of Soviet involvement in the Horn of Africa, a narrowly defined geographic entity torn by the rivalry of two large countries (Ethiopia and Somalia), from the beginning of the Cold War until the demise of the Soviet Union. At different points in the twentieth century, this region arguably one of the poorest in the world attracted broad international interest and large quantities of advanced weaponry, making it a Cold War flashpoint. The external actors ultimately failed to achieve what they wanted from the local conflicts a lesson relevant for U.S. policymakers today as they ponder whether to use force abroad in the wake of the unhappy experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan.", In the height of the Cold War, Moscow ideologues, policy-makers, diplomats, and military-minded people perceived the less developed Global South as the future reserve of socialism, holding the key to the imminent victory over imperialist forces. The zero-sum game of global competition between East and West meant that Washington and its allies propagated diametrically opposite ideas to those shuttered behind the Kremlin s thick walls. The result was predictable: the then superpowers engaged in competitive coexistence in faraway, little-understood lands, often ending up entangled in protracted local fights that served everything else but their own agendas. Using previously unseen primary materials, this book tells the complex story of Soviet involvement in the Horn of Africa, a narrowly defined geographic entity torn by the rivalry of two Northeast African nations, from the beginning of the Cold War until the demise of the Soviet Union. At different times in the twentieth century, this region arguably one of the poorest in the world attracted broad international interest and advanced military technology, making it a true international hot spot. This story proves how vulnerable and unpredictable the world is, and its relevance today may prompt us revisit our most recent past and try to avoid repeating mistakes we swore to never make again."
9781498529099 1498529097 At the height of the Cold War, Soviet ideologues, policymakers, diplomats, and military officers perceived the countries of Africa, Asia, and Latin America as the future reserve of socialism, holding the key to victory over Western forces. The zero-sum nature of East-West global competition induced the United States to try to thwart Soviet ambitions. The result was predictable: the two superpowers engaged in proxy struggles against each other in faraway, little-understood lands, often ending up entangled in protracted and highly destructive local fights that did little to serve their own agendas. Using a wealth of recently declassified sources, this book tells the complex story of Soviet involvement in the Horn of Africa, a narrowly defined geographic entity torn by the rivalry of two large countries (Ethiopia and Somalia), from the beginning of the Cold War until the demise of the Soviet Union. At different points in the twentieth century, this region arguably one of the poorest in the world attracted broad international interest and large quantities of advanced weaponry, making it a Cold War flashpoint. The external actors ultimately failed to achieve what they wanted from the local conflicts a lesson relevant for U.S. policymakers today as they ponder whether to use force abroad in the wake of the unhappy experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan.", In the height of the Cold War, Moscow ideologues, policy-makers, diplomats, and military-minded people perceived the less developed Global South as the future reserve of socialism, holding the key to the imminent victory over imperialist forces. The zero-sum game of global competition between East and West meant that Washington and its allies propagated diametrically opposite ideas to those shuttered behind the Kremlin s thick walls. The result was predictable: the then superpowers engaged in competitive coexistence in faraway, little-understood lands, often ending up entangled in protracted local fights that served everything else but their own agendas. Using previously unseen primary materials, this book tells the complex story of Soviet involvement in the Horn of Africa, a narrowly defined geographic entity torn by the rivalry of two Northeast African nations, from the beginning of the Cold War until the demise of the Soviet Union. At different times in the twentieth century, this region arguably one of the poorest in the world attracted broad international interest and advanced military technology, making it a true international hot spot. This story proves how vulnerable and unpredictable the world is, and its relevance today may prompt us revisit our most recent past and try to avoid repeating mistakes we swore to never make again."