The Essential Speeches Of The Cold War

This book is a primary source collection of 30 speeches of the Cold War from 1917 to 1991, representing a cross section of leaders on all sides of the conflict from North America, the Caribbean, Europe and Asia. As ideological conflict between superpowers returns to the world, it is more essential than ever to understand the superpower conflict which dominated the second half of the previous century. The Cold War was fought with rhetoric and propaganda as much as economic or military strength. The Essential Speeches of the Cold War explores all stages of the Cold War from its origins after the Russian Revolution to its conclusion with the collapse of the Soviet Union seven decades later, offering a clear understanding of its history and turning points as told through its public diplomacy. Each speech has a historical introduction written by the author, as well as extensive historical footnotes discussing its significance and historical context. This useful guide to how the rhetoric used during the Cold War helped shape our modern world will be a valuable resource for undergraduate and graduate scholars of the conflict, as well as for students of modern political rhetoric in international relations.

“A creative, carefully researched, and incisive analysis of U.S. strategy during the long struggle against the Soviet Union.” —Stephen M. Walt, Foreign Policy “Craig and Logevall remind us that American foreign policy is decided as much by domestic pressures as external threats. America’s Cold War is history at its provocative best.” —Mark Atwood Lawrence, author of The Vietnam War The Cold War dominated world affairs during the half century following World War II. America prevailed, but only after fifty years of grim international struggle, costly wars in Korea and Vietnam, trillions of dollars in military spending, and decades of nuclear showdowns. Was all of that necessary? In this new edition of their landmark history, Campbell Craig and Fredrik Logevall engage with recent scholarship on the late Cold War, including the Reagan and Bush administrations and the collapse of the Soviet regime, and expand their discussion of the nuclear revolution and origins of the Vietnam War. Yet they maintain their original argument: that America’s response to a very real Soviet threat gave rise to a military and political system in Washington that is addicted to insecurity and the endless pursuit of enemies to destroy. America’s Cold War speaks vividly to debates about forever wars and threat inflation at the center of American politics today.

Provides the dramatic history of Winston Churchill's 1946 trip to Fulton, Missouri, where he delivered his Iron Curtain Speech--a speech which served to fundamentally define the dangers of Soviet totalitarian Communism.

Although no war was officially declared, for at least forty-three years, Communist nations of the East and democratic nations of the West waged an ideological battle that at times carried the threat of nuclear war. In this anthology of speeches, those who shaped the cold war declare their ideological perspectives as East and West moved from confrontation to cooperation.

From the time he arrived on the political scene in 1964 – throughout his presidency and beyond, Ronald Reagan – used his speeches to inspire and reinvigorate America. When he spoke, Reagan, said, he was “preaching a sermon.” The American people saw his vision of America and his dreams for the future and they overwhelmingly responded; he was re-elected in 984 by the largest number of electoral votes in the nation’s history. Here in this collection of twenty-eight speeches spanning the Reagan era, readers can find inspiration in Reagan’s “sermons.” From his first speech in the political arena in 1964 to his Last Letter to America, informing Americans of his Alzheimer’s disease, Ronald Regan’s words show a profound belief in God, freedom, individualism, limited government, and his great love for his country. In addition to an introduction by Reagan’s son, Michael Reagan, each speech features an informative introduction which puts the speech into historical context, making The Last Best Hope the perfect entrée into the influence of one of the major figures of the 20th century.

This volume examines crucial moments in the rhetoric of the Cold War, beginning with an exploration of American neutrality and the debate over entering World War II. Other topics include the long-distance debate carried on over international radio between Hitler and Franklin D. Roosevelt; understanding and interpreting World War II propaganda; domestic radio following the war and the use of Abraham Lincoln narratives as vehicles for American propaganda; the influence of foreign policy agents Dean Acheson, Paul Nitze, and George Kennan; and the rhetoric of former presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. Ultimately, this volume offers a broad-based look at the rhetoric framing the Cold War and in doing so offers insight into the political climate of today.

SCOTT (copy 1) From the John Holmes Library collection.