Synopses & Reviews
Perestroika. Next to glasnost, no other term evokes as much excitement, conjecture, and concern in discussions on the Soviet Union. And, as perestroika moves forward, more questions will surface as to its effects, both internal and external, on the Soviet Union. How has Soviet society adjusted to changes brought about by perestroika? What impact has perestroika had on Soviet domestic and foreign policies? This provocative, timely volume examines the major dimensions of perestroika that have a direct bearing on the close and complex interaction between Soviet domestic and foreign policy. Assessing the revolutionary changes now taking place in the Soviet Union, the contributors focus on the roots, scope, depth, and dynamics of change. Topics addressed include perestroika and the Soviet military, de-Stalinization, the impact of perestroika on Soviet Asian and European policy, and Soviet resource options, to name but a few. Written in an accessible style with contributions by noted specialists on the Soviet Union, Perestroika will interest scholars and students in political science, international affairs, comparative politics, and history. The book which comes closest to recognizing the extent of the problem (the disintegrative tendencies unleashed by the reform process) is Perestroika: Soviet Domestic and Foreign Policies. Each chapter elaborates skillfully the connectedness of Soviet domestic and foreign policy. The book has the virtue of recognizing that perestroika has had unintended consequences. . . . --Living Marxism
Synopsis
Perestroika is the first to bring together European and Japanese specialists on the USSR to examine the revolutionary changes taking place in Soviet domestic and foreign policy. It focuses on assessing the roots, scope, depth and dynamics of change. The detailed analysis of foreign and domestic policy change is set against an examination of the historical context of perestroika and the headway made towards civil society and political democracy. It will offer the reader with a uniquely rich set of insights on the remarkable changes perestroika has brought to the USSR