The Reagan Reversal: Foreign Policy and the End of the Cold War (Volume 1)

Review "Fischer understands the realities of foreign policy and international politics. She has a political sense which enables her to connect domestic and world politics. I found it difficult to put down the book because of the unfolding story she narrates. She is a superb political analyst." Kenneth W. Thompson" About the Author Beth A. Fischer is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto and is coauthor of "The Constitution and American Foreign Policy."

it Is Often Assumed That Ronald Reagan's Administration Was Reactive In Bringing About The End Of The Cold War, That It Was Mikhail Gorbachev's "new Thinking" And Congenial Personality That Led The Administration To Abandon Its Hard- Line Approach Toward Moscow. In the Reagan Reversal, Now Available In Paperback, Beth A. Fischer Convincingly Demonstrates That President Reagan Actually Began Seeking A Rapprochement With The Kremlin Fifteen Months before Gorbachev Took Office. She Shows That Reagan, Known For His Long-standing Antipathy Toward Communism, Suddenly Began Calling For "dialogue, Cooperation, And Understanding" Between The Superpowers. This Well-written And Concise Study Challenges The Conventional Wisdom About The President Himself And Reveals That Reagan Was, At Times, The Driving Force Behind United States-soviet Policy.

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the Author Demonstrates That Reagan Actually Began Seeking A Rapproachment With The Kremlin 15 Months Before Gorbachev Took Office, Then Considers Three Possible Explanations For The Reversal: Public Opinion During An Election Year; New Personnel (namely George Shultz And Robert Mcfarlane); And Fear Of Nuclear War. Defending The Last Possibility As Most Significant, She Argues That It Explains Why The Us Policy Was Reversed, The Timing Of The Shift, And The Nature Of The Changes Made. Annotation C. By Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

It is often assumed that Ronald Reagan's administration was reactive in bringing about the end of the cold war, that it was Mikhail Gorbachev's "new thinking" and congenial personality that led the administration to abandon its hard-line approach toward Moscow. In The Reagan Reversal, Beth A. Fischer convincingly demonstrates that President Reagan actually began seeking a rapprochement with the Kremlin fifteen months before Gorbachev took office. She shows that Reagan, known for his longstanding antipathy toward communism, suddenly began calling for "dialogue, cooperation, and understanding" between the superpowers. What caused such a reversal in policy? Fischer considers three explanations for the reversal. First, she considers the possibility that the administration reversed course simply to cater to public opinion during an election year. Second, she investigates whether new personnel, namely Secretary of State George Shultz and National Security Adviser Robert McFarlane, took control of U.S. policy and made changes more in line with their personal views. Third, Fischer considers the possibility that Reagan himself redirected U.S. policy out of his fear of nuclear war. This is the explanation Fischer defends as most significant.