Origins of the Cold War: The Novikov, Kennan, and Roberts "Long" Telegrams of 1946

by Kenneth M. Jensen (Editor)

The telegram sent by Soviet Ambassador to the US, Novikov, to Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov (here published in English for the first time), and similar cables in 1946 from George Kennan, US Ambassador to Moscow, and from Frank Roberts, British Charge d'Affaires in Moscow, to their capitals provide insight into the beginnings of the Cold War. Published by United States Inst. of Peace, 1550 M. Street NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20005. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

Genres: Sociology

88 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1991

Reviews

[Owen Critchfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at the beginnings of the Cold War. The Novikov telegram offers the Soviet side in great clarity and proves that the actions of both sides were justified by perspective. Reading Kennan’s alongside it displays the many disconnects and points of escalation between the US and the USSR, these documents truly set the scene for the international policies of the Cold War. It is a shame that even though our world was profoundly changed by these documents they are not more commonly in circulation. Many lessons could be taken from these documents and applied to the current situation, specifically the importance of understanding one another and civil discussion.