The Fifty Years War

by Richard Crockatt

This is an authoritative and comprehensive history of the Fifty Years' war and the relationship that dominated world politics in the second half of the twentieth century. For fifty years relations between the United States and the Soviet Union were deciding factors in international affairs. Available for the first time in paperback, Richard Crockatt's acclaimed book is an examination of this relationship in its global context. It breaks new ground in seeking a synthesis of historical narrative and analysis of the global structures within which superpower relations developed. Attention is given to economic as well as political and military factors.

Genres: Politics

440 pages, Paperback

First published February 8, 1996

Reviews

[Maisie · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the Cold War looking like it was finally over, Richard Crockatt decided to write a comprehensive history of the conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union, finishing the book in early 1994. As he notes in the preface, since completing the manuscript substantial developments have occurred and have altered and deepened our understanding of events that took place during the Cuban Missile Crisis, for instance. Despite this fact, Crockatt has produced the finest political overview of the Cold War, which should be read in conjunction with John Lewis Gaddis’ “We Now Know: Rethinking Cold War History” and Walter LaFeber’s “America, Russia and the Cold War 1945-2006”.

For his narrative, Crockatt primarily relies on the abundant secondary literature on the Cold War. This means that if you are a specialist or have come across some of these secondary sources before, you will not find much new information here. For instance, Mike Bowker’s and Phil Williams’ “Superpower détente” is constantly referenced in the chapter on détente. Despite this fact I still have a certain affinity towards this book. One of the reasons is that he does provide a clear and concise – but not one that lacks detail – explanation as to why the United States, the Soviet Union, etc., undertook certain action in this political struggle. Another reason is that he draws upon International Relations Theory, and uses it to deepen are understanding of the conflict and to provide an explanation that most historians would overlook.

He insists that the structure of the international system does not determine the behaviour of states (as some structural realist theorists would suggest), it modules, though, the opportunities and constraints present at any given time. Meaning that while a states ideology is a contributing factor to how particular events take place, a historian must analysis the structure of the international system to fully understand the decisions taken. As he argues, the friction experienced between the United States and the Soviet Union would have occurred “even had they possessed similar political systems and social values.” Over the course of the book Crockatt refers to other theoretical approaches, deepening our understanding of this time period. For instance, on the chapter on the Cuban Missile Crisis, he makes reference to Graham Allison and how he “employed the missile crisis as a means of studying decision-making processes.”

While I think “The Fifty Years War” is the best overview of the Cold War, I recommend that you read other general overviews in conjunction with this because on certain topics a false image, of sorts, is painted. For instance, Crockatt suggests that the Sino-Soviet relationship was never a warm one and was always destined to end in a clash due to a number of geopolitical and ideological reasons. However, as shown in another general overview of this time period, “We Know Now” by John Lewis Gaddis, while Stalin sent Molotov to welcome Mao and his entourage to the Soviet Union, this should not be used as evidence that Stalin did not like his Chinese counterparts – as Crockatt does – because on a number of occasions they did intermingle, had long and cordial conversations where Stalin referred to China as being the Soviet Union’s little brother (I think he used the term brother) who, with the assistance with the Soviet Union, would eventually overtake them in sheer economic and military power.

[Marius Stangeland]

È un libro conciso e ben scritto che si esplica la guerra fredda en una maniera facile di capire. Non fa qualcosa rivoluzionaria, ma tratta i momenti e le persone più importanti nella guerra fredda. Mi ha piaciuto di più il parte principio perché è il periodo che mi interessa di più nel periodo. C’è nel inizio più azione nella guerra fredda siccome è un periodo dopo la guerra più terribile nella storia della umanità in quel niente fu chiaro. Il equilibrio da forza, la sistema internazionale, i novi paesi e li sui confini, il futuro della Grande Alleanza, tutti oscillano in un periodo di cambio estraordinario. Interessante, no?

Questo libro è un buon inizio per qualcuno che bisogna imparare dalla guerra fredda. Lo ho letto come parte de un corso nella università.

[Tlazeni Citlalli · Rating 3 out of 5]

El autor ofrece un análisis interesante, o mejor dicho, un recuento de diversos análisis que teóricos de las relaciones internationales aplicaron a lo largo de la Guerra Fría debido a la compleja relación entre los Estados Unidos y la extinta Unión Soviética.
El autor hace énfasis en como múltiples factores marcaron la segunda mitad del siglo XX, entre ellos la expansión del capitalismo y el libre mercado entre las nuevas naciones emergentes y la lucha ideológica y cultural entre Estados Unidos y la Unión Soviética. También menciona como es importante analizar que ni la política internacional ni la política doméstica tanto estadounidenses como sovietica fue enteramente progresiva ni mucho menos paralela y en múltiples ocasiones un aspecto influyó en el otro.

[Andreas Haraldstad · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book as part of a university course and my opinion is influences by this. In general, this book aims to give a broad overview of the Cold War, its major events and the underlying structures and tendencies that affect them. In my opinion, it manages to so only partly. A book like this should give a clear and easy narrative as a stepping stone into the field and a framework to attach new knowledge unto. If not, it should, ideally, have a clear structure with important dates and events listed before each chapter. Instead, the book in many ways feel like a series of events, treaties and personalities without a coherent narrative. However, even though it is dense, the book is still quite interesting, especially the theories and explanations it provides for different events and periods. When it comes to age, the book was written in 1995. This means it lacks the research that has been done and the new sources that have become available in the subsequent 25 years. This is especially salient in the last chapters of the book, covering the end of The Cold War. All in all, though dense and at times a bit cumbersome, the book is still an interesting and enjoyable read which provides and introduction to an fascinating and important time period.