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Formulating a policy towards Eastern Europe on the eve of Détente: The USA, the Allies and Bridge Building, 1961–1964

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Abstract

This article attempts to reconstruct the formulation of US policy towards Eastern Europe on the eve of détente drawing from archival material not available or not utilised by earlier contributions. The central argument of this paper is that the USA, as détente progressed, were finally able to formulate, along with their allies, a policy of expanded contacts with Soviet Union’s East European satellites and that this policy of ‘bridge building’ could not, but in the most indirect manner, question the post-war division of Europe. Moreover, this policy did not consider Moscow’s allies autonomously but subjected the issue of Eastern Europe to the German question.

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Notes

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  1. Modern Greek History Research Centre, Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Sotiris Rizas

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Sotiris Rizas completed his doctorate at the Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences (Athens) in 1992. He is director of research at the Academy of Athens Modern Greek History Research Centre. During 2012–2013, he taught a graduate seminar (jointly National Research Foundation, University of Athens, Panteion University) on US policy towards the Greek military regime (1967–1974) and American and British policy towards Cyprus (1963–1974).

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Rizas, S. Formulating a policy towards Eastern Europe on the eve of Détente: The USA, the Allies and Bridge Building, 1961–1964. J Transatl Stud 12, 18–40 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1080/14794012.2014.871430

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