The end of the Cold War left many IR scholars puzzled: how could, after 40 years, the Cold War end that peacefully? Why did Soviet foreign policy change so drastically within a few years? How come US perception of the Soviet Union (SU) changed within a decade from the "evil empire" to an allied partner? Neither realism nor liberalism could have predicted or fully explained this event. Realism failed - firstly, because rivalry between the US and the SU ended peacefully; secondly, moving from a bipolar to a unipolar system clearly contradicted realist expectations on balance of power and power equilibrium (Risse-Kappen, 1994). Instead, the end of the Cold War proved the "unbashed victory of economic and political liberalism" (Fukuyama, 1989). SU's move toward liberal order brough forward the end of the Cold War, but this does not answer why the SU chose to adopt liberal order, why to such an extent and why around the mid 1980s. Hence, domestic factors, having been excluded from the analysis so far, must have played a key role.
After a theoretical review on domestic variables in IR, I will analyze how domestic factors influenced Soviet foreign policy, especially Soviet "new thinkers", economic factors and domestic political infrastructure. To provide a complete analysis, I will also shed light on the influence of US5 domestic variables.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Theoretical Review: Domestic Variables in IR
3. Analysis of Soviet Domestic Factors
3.1 Soviet "New Thinkers"
3.2 Commercial Liberalism and Economic Factors
3.3 Domestic Political Infrastructure
4. Domestic Factors in the US
5. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Key Themes
The primary objective of this work is to examine the influence of domestic political and economic factors on the conclusion of the Cold War, addressing why traditional realist and liberal theories struggle to fully explain this historic shift in international relations.
- The role of Soviet "new thinkers" and transnational liberal communities in shaping foreign policy.
- The impact of Soviet economic stagnation and the transition toward a liberal market order.
- The significance of domestic political infrastructure and leadership styles (specifically Gorbachev).
- The influence of US domestic variables, including economic policy (Reaganomics) and non-state actors.
Excerpt from the Book
Regarding commercial liberalism, Soviet economic growth declined steeply since the mid 1970s, economic stagnation prevailed from the mid 1980s. A continuing need to subsidize Eastern Europe countries, a more cost- and time-intensive exploitation of raw material in these countries, low quality of Soviet goods, sky rocketing military expenses and a weak economic market within the Eastern bloc let the SU slide into an economic downward spiral. In contrast, world economy was booming: open trade, international use of national comparative advantages, increasing FDIs, multinational cooperation and technological advances in communication and transport strengthened especially US economy and capitalist liberal order, while leaving its Soviet Communist rival behind, hence, proofing the Communist economic model to be wrong. The SU especially missed out on the technological advances with regards to military equipment, making SU even less competitive militarily over its US rival. Gorbachev tried to turn the tide with his five-year plan (1986-1990), however, unsuccessfully. Inflation, budget deficit and internal debt kept rising (Brooks and Wohlforth, 2000). This increasing "material pressure" made Soviet politicians highly receptive to the new road maps offered by the "new thinkers". More importantly, however, this also led to the opening of Soviet economy to the world market: a liberal economic order was adopted, making the SU move closer to the West. Along with perestroika and glasnost reforms, this led to a change in Western perception of SU from an enemy to an economic partner. Furthermore, increasing Soviet economic engagement and open economy demanded a change in Soviet foreign policy towards a more cooperative relationship with the West, hence consolidating the requested shift of Soviet foreign policy by Soviet "new thinkers".
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: Outlines the historical puzzle of the peaceful end of the Cold War and introduces the necessity of analyzing domestic variables.
2. Theoretical Review: Domestic Variables in IR: Discusses the transition from viewing states as "black boxes" to acknowledging the influence of domestic politics and state-society relations.
3. Analysis of Soviet Domestic Factors: Examines the internal transformations within the Soviet Union that facilitated a shift in international behavior.
3.1 Soviet "New Thinkers": Details how transnational liberal ideas influenced Soviet decision-makers toward bilateral military concessions.
3.2 Commercial Liberalism and Economic Factors: Analyzes how economic stagnation and the failure of the Communist model necessitated a shift toward a globalized, liberal economy.
3.3 Domestic Political Infrastructure: Explores the role of centralization and Gorbachev's leadership style in executing political and democratic reforms.
4. Domestic Factors in the US: Evaluates how internal US economic success and political pressures contributed to the changed relationship with the Soviet Union.
5. Conclusion: Summarizes that domestic factors were essential, arguing that different internal conditions would have drastically altered the outcome of the Cold War.
Keywords
Cold War, Soviet Union, Domestic Factors, International Relations Theory, Liberalism, Realism, Mikhail Gorbachev, Glasnost, Perestroika, New Thinkers, Reaganomics, Foreign Policy, Economic Stagnation, Transnationalism, Political Reform
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper explores the role of domestic factors within the Soviet Union and the United States in facilitating the end of the Cold War, challenging traditional international relations theories that primarily focus on external, systemic pressures.
What are the primary themes analyzed?
The central themes include the influence of transnational liberal ideas, the impact of economic decline, the structure of domestic political institutions, and the specific role of leadership and non-state actors.
What is the main research question?
The research asks what role domestic factors played in the peaceful conclusion of the Cold War and why these factors led to a drastic shift in Soviet foreign policy during the mid-1980s.
Which scientific methods are applied?
The author employs a theoretical review of IR concepts (specifically liberalism) to analyze historical events, state-society interactions, and domestic decision-making processes.
What does the main body cover?
It covers the influence of "new thinkers" in the USSR, the economic decay of the Soviet bloc, the political reforms under Gorbachev, and the reinforcing effects of US economic strength and domestic policy.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Key terms include Cold War, domestic factors, liberalism, economic stagnation, Gorbachev, and transnationalism.
How did "new thinkers" influence the Cold War?
They acted as a bridge to Western liberal ideas, influencing Soviet leadership to adopt concepts like Common Security, which paved the way for arms reduction and cooperation.
What was the impact of US domestic factors?
US economic success through reaganomics and the pressure from internal non-state actors like the American Peace movement influenced the US stance toward the Soviet Union.
- Quote paper
- Magdalena Zettl (Author), 2012, The role of domestic factors in ending the Cold War, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/266409
