Realism and the End of the Cold War | William C. Wohlfort §

Created Time: September 20, 2021 4:57 PM Database: Evergreen Database Last Edited Time: October 11, 2021 2:38 PM Tags:#Article,#Cold-War,#Realism Type: Literature Notes URL: https://sci-hub.se/10.2307/2539080

Realism and the End of the Cold War | WilliamC. Wohlfort §

the outcome of the Cold War’s end has never occurred before and are exceedingly unlikely ever to recur

• Therefore cannot be simply explained using if this then thats of IRTs

  • So many new/strange things that happened

• It’s necessary to specify the event. If its too big it can be easily generalized and explained

dramatic change in Soviet security policy

the emergence of a deep detente between the superpowers after 1987;

Moscow’s peaceful acquiescence in regime changes in East-Central Europe

the subsequent collapse of its alliance and the reunification of Germany in 1989 and 1990

• These events are chosen for analysis based on one independent variable ‘balance of power’

If realism can be shown to have nothing to say about the Cold War’s end, its relevance to the postwar world can be called into doubt.

• Why its important to discus? $\uparrow$

The Cold War was caused by the rise of Soviet power and the fear this caused in the West.

• The Cold War only continues when both parties feels the possibility of winning
  • It ended when the Soviet reduced in power
• The Cold War can be explained as a failed challenge from the Soviet to the US
• Classical realism explained it like
  • Soviet had domination over Eurasia
  • It was a new and strange thing in the end of the cold war
• 3 keys to understanding the peculiarities of the Cold War’s end
  1. The state is represented by people who are prone to influence
     • Balance of power theories cannot 100% predict events is because subjective assessments of power by people