"During the American Civil War, Secretary of State William Seward predicted that Russia and the United States would confront one another on the plains of Eastern Asia--and they did in the 1890s. The rivalry of these two great nation-states heightened when the Russian Revolution added a different ideological dimension to the struggle. The Cold War is the result of that past--and the dilemmas of Soviet and American foreign policies today have a half-century of history behind them. America, Russia, and the Cold War, 1945-1966 examines the foreign policies of both countries in this historical setting. Professor LeFeber concentrates on two key periods in the Cold War--the first is the period from 1944-1946 when the situation intensified and the second is the mid-50s when it assumed a new shape. In the events of 1945 and 1946, he finds the background for Stalin's later moves in Germany and Korea as well as for the American policies which resulted in the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, and NATO. In the mid-50s, both American and Russian foreign policies began to pivot away from their focus on Europe and became concerned with the newly-emerging nations. Professor LaFeber analyzes not only the policies of both the United States and Russia but also domestic sources for these policies. For the United States, he has used extensively the newly-opened papers of John Foster Dulles as well as the papers of Harry S. Truman, Bernard Baruch, William Clayton and others who were actively involved in U.S. policy decisions."--Dust jacket.

Covers the entire range of the history of U.S. foreign relations from the colonial period to the beginning of the 21st century. A Companion to U.S. Foreign Relations is an authoritative guide to past and present scholarship on the history of American diplomacy and foreign relations from its seventeenth century origins to the modern day. This two-volume reference work presents a collection of historiographical essays by prominent scholars. The essays explore three centuries of America’s global interactions and the ways U.S. foreign policies have been analyzed and interpreted over time. Scholars offer fresh perspectives on the history of U.S. foreign relations; analyze the causes, influences, and consequences of major foreign policy decisions; and address contemporary debates surrounding the practice of American power. The Companion covers a wide variety of methodologies, integrating political, military, economic, social and cultural history to explore the ideas and events that shaped U.S. diplomacy and foreign relations and continue to influence national identity. The essays discuss topics such as the links between U.S. foreign relations and the study of ideology, race, gender, and religion; Native American history, expansion, and imperialism; industrialization and modernization; domestic and international politics; and the United States’ role in decolonization, globalization, and the Cold War. A comprehensive approach to understanding the history, influences, and drivers of U.S. foreign relation, this indispensable resource: Examines significant foreign policy events and their subsequent interpretations Places key figures and policies in their historical, national, and international contexts Provides background on recent and current debates in U.S. foreign policy Explores the historiography and primary sources for each topic Covers the development of diverse themes and methodologies in histories of U.S. foreign policy Offering scholars, teachers, and students unmatched chronological breadth and analytical depth, A Companion to U.S. Foreign Relations: Colonial Era to the Present is an important contribution to scholarship on the history of America’s interactions with the world.

Canada and the Cold War is a fascinating historical overview of a key period in Canadian history. The focus is on how Canada and Canadians responded to the Soviet Union -- and to America's demands on its northern neighbour.