The Cold War and the Histography of the Soviet Union

The article engages with the dynamic nature of International History: the interplay between domestic and foreign policy, the role of technology, the link between political economy and international relations are only some examples of potential new subjects of enquiry for historians. The author raises three points of discussion for scholars of the Soviet Union and the Cold War. The first one is the legacy of the czarist empire on Soviet foreign relations, particularly with regard to the policies used to govern relations among various ethnic groups. The second one is on the dialogue between economic history and political economy and its impact on Soviet foreign policy. Third and last: the question of subjectivity, which is necessary to understand the political culture of who took and implemented foreign policy decisions.