The Second Cold War: Carter, Reagan, and the Politics of Foreign Policy

The Second Cold War, by Aaron Donaghy, examines the complex history of America's largest peacetime military buildup and how it was challenged by the largest peacetime peace movement. It focuses on the critical period between 1977 and 1985, when domestic politics shaped foreign policy reversals by Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. It challenges the accepted notion of how the end of the Cold War began and provides a compelling and controversial account.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 404 pages
Publication date: 16 February 2023
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Towards the conclusion of the Cold War, the final significant conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union signaled the end of détente and escalated into the most perilous phase of the conflict since the Cuban Missile Crisis. Aaron Donaghy delves into the intricate history of America's largest peacetime military buildup, which was then challenged by the largest peacetime peace movement. Donaghy focuses on the critical period between 1977 and 1985, demonstrating how domestic politics shaped dramatic foreign policy reversals by Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. He explains why the Cold War intensified so rapidly and how, contrary to all expectations, US-Soviet relations were repaired. Drawing on recently declassified archival material, The Second Cold War traces how each administration evolved in response to crises and events at home and abroad. This compelling and controversial account challenges the accepted notion of how the end of the Cold War began.

ISBN-13: 9781108947688