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Article: Eduard Shevardnadze: leading the Soviet Union out of the Cold War
- Article from:
- International Journal
- Article date:
- April 1, 1997
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright Canadian Institute of International Affairs Spring 1997. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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What is the relative importance of leadership when set against broad social, economic, and political trends? This is a difficult equation, made more so when the actions of the relevant actors are not clearly perceived and understood. Western commentators have tended to underestimate the role played by the Soviet leadership in ending the Cold War because they have focussed on the societal problems that precipitated the collapse of the Soviet Union, engaged in protracted debate about the contribution made by Western policies, and miscalculated the importance of Soviet policy changes. The ultimate dissolution of the Soviet empire may have been inevitable and the policies of the West important, ...