Gorbachev, Reform, and the Brezhnev Doctrine - (Penology; 40) by Glenn R Chafetz (Hardcover)

About the Book

The collapse of Soviet power in Eastern Europe was relatively quick, peaceful, and unforeseen. In this important new study of Soviet policy in the region, Chafetz provides a fresh analysis of why Moscow redefined Soviet interests in Eastern Europe and an explanation of the decision not to use military force to shore up the disintegrating bloc. Particular attention is devoted to the interaction of domestic and international factors in the policy process; the causes and impact of ideological revision within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and the role of Gorbachev's perceptions in his decisions.

Most people will admit that in 1985 they could not imagine that during their lifetime the Soviet Union would permit the Berlin Wall to fall, would allow democratic elections in Eastern Europe, and would withdraw its troops from the region, ending the Cold War. Yet, between 1985 and 1990, the Soviet Union reoriented its foreign policy rapidly, decisively, and peacefully. This book explains why the Soviet Union abandoned its long-term policy toward Eastern Europe: specifically, why the Gorbachev regime abandoned the Brezhnev Doctrine.

This study of the decisions that resulted in the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe helps us understand the factors and forces behind not only Gorbachev's Eastern European policy but also Moscow's foreign policy in general, Soviet internal democratization, and the large-scale historical change in the 20th century. This book is important reading for those concerned with contemporary international and military relations and Eastern European studies.

Book Synopsis

The collapse of Soviet power in Eastern Europe was relatively quick, peaceful, and unforeseen. In this important new study of Soviet policy in the region, Chafetz provides a fresh analysis of why Moscow redefined Soviet interests in Eastern Europe and an explanation of the decision not to use military force to shore up the disintegrating bloc. Particular attention is devoted to the interaction of domestic and international factors in the policy process; the causes and impact of ideological revision within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and the role of Gorbachev's perceptions in his decisions.

Most people will admit that in 1985 they could not imagine that during their lifetime the Soviet Union would permit the Berlin Wall to fall, would allow democratic elections in Eastern Europe, and would withdraw its troops from the region, ending the Cold War. Yet, between 1985 and 1990, the Soviet Union reoriented its foreign policy rapidly, decisively, and peacefully. This book explains why the Soviet Union abandoned its long-term policy toward Eastern Europe: specifically, why the Gorbachev regime abandoned the Brezhnev Doctrine.

This study of the decisions that resulted in the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe helps us understand the factors and forces behind not only Gorbachev's Eastern European policy but also Moscow's foreign policy in general, Soviet internal democratization, and the large-scale historical change in the 20th century. This book is important reading for those concerned with contemporary international and military relations and Eastern European studies.

Review Quotes

?Chafetz describes the erosion of Soviet ideology which ultimately washed away the last meager claims to the legitimacy of the empire. . . . This is a most useful summarization of events.?-Journal of Baltic Studies

?Glenn Chafetz has done a first-rate job of weaving together a wealth of complex domestic and foreign policy interactions. His clear explanations of his own methodology make the book particularly useful for graduate seminars. It is also a must for those of us struggling to teach undergraduate courses on post-Soviet Russian foreign policy.?-The Russian Review

?This is a very well documented and thoughtful analysis of the political transformations taking place in Eastern Europe, mainly in the former Soviet Union. The author is well read in the pertinent political literature, Western and Soviet. . . . He is well versed in the methods and tools of his profession and uses them to the utmost. . . . Advanced undergraduate; graduate.?-Choice

"Chafetz describes the erosion of Soviet ideology which ultimately washed away the last meager claims to the legitimacy of the empire. . . . This is a most useful summarization of events."-Journal of Baltic Studies

"Glenn Chafetz has done a first-rate job of weaving together a wealth of complex domestic and foreign policy interactions. His clear explanations of his own methodology make the book particularly useful for graduate seminars. It is also a must for those of us struggling to teach undergraduate courses on post-Soviet Russian foreign policy."-The Russian Review

"This is a very well documented and thoughtful analysis of the political transformations taking place in Eastern Europe, mainly in the former Soviet Union. The author is well read in the pertinent political literature, Western and Soviet. . . . He is well versed in the methods and tools of his profession and uses them to the utmost. . . . Advanced undergraduate; graduate."-Choice

About the Author

GLENN R. CHAFETZ, former Acting Assistant Director of the Center for Russian and East European Studies, University of Virginia, is Assistant Professor of Political Science, Memphis State University. A specialist in theories of international relations and Russian foreign policy, he has published in International Relations.