Cold War Historiography

About the lecture

In this lecture, we look at the Cold War as a whole and also explore how the Cold War has been viewed by historians over the years. In particular, we will focus on: (i) the various periods of the Cold War, including its origins and escalation from 1945 to 1963, the period of detente from 1963 to 1979, the period of renewed escalation from 1979 to 1984, and then the period of genuine detente from 1984 to 1989; (ii) why it is important to learn about the origins of the Cold War in order to study it; (iii) the global nature of the Cold War; (iv) what the Cold War can't explain in this period; and (v) how the historiography of the Cold War has developed, including mention of the Orthodox, Revisionist and Post-Revision schools of thought.

About the lecturer

Professor Andrew Preston is Professor of American History at the University of Cambridge. He specialises in the history of American foreign relations, primarily since 1898. He has published widely on this subject, including his books The War Council: McGeorge Bundy, the NSC, and Vietnam, Sword of the Spirit; Shield of Faith: Religion in American War and Diplomacy; and American Foreign Relations: A Very Short Introduction.