This volume consists of a collection of essays written by Professor Byrnes between 1956 and 1988. The papers vary considerably in focus and include policy issues that were significant at the time, with the Cold War analyses around the post-war containment theory. In addition, there is a consistent viewpoint and argument in Byrnes reflections on East-West relations. A central theme throughout the collection is the essential correctness of U.S. foreign policy toward the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe between 1946 and 1988.

This authoritative volume analyzes decision-making in American foreign policy using Eastern Europe as a case study. It focuses on specific functional issues, such as the influence of the American-Eastern European ethnic population on policy, the economic relationship between the U.S. and Eastern Europe, and the effect American human rights policies have on its dealings with the region. While focusing on this one region, From Potsdam to Poland also considers the intellectual and moral dilemmas that confront the United States in formulating its foreign policy.