Abstract At the end of the 20th century, the Soviet Union dissolved its Communist Empire and East and West Germany reunited. These dramatic events were preceded by Soviet consolidation of the world socialist and peace movements with assistance from the European Left, especially in West Germany. On the other side of the Iron Curtain, newly emerged independent peace groups, such as Charter 77, also played a significant role. In the process, West Germany realigned itself with the Soviet Union, diminishing the role of the United States and Great Britain in Europe. This shift was a direct result of the Soviet long-term peace offensive policy, which was originally devised by V. I. Lenin to defeat capitalism worldwide. The Soviet peace offensive sought the creation of a common security system, disarmament, and the withdrawal of U.S. troops and weapons from Europe. As soon as the communist facade disappeared and the image of the enemy faded, many Western policymakers and analysts stopped paying attention to the fact that Russia continued to pursue the same strategic objectives in Europe after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Russia's long-term strategic and geopolitical interests remained the same. Could Russia, some twenty years later, be closer to fulfilling these goals?
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:577772 |
| Date | January 2013 |
| Creators | Miller, Romana |
| Publisher | University of Reading |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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