InkeepingwiththeothertitlesinRobertJ.McMahon’sIssuesintheHistoryofAmericanForeignRelationsseries,JussiM.Hanhim瓣kioffersstudentsandscholarsasurveyoftheevolutionofAmericanforeignpolicyduringakeyperiodinrecenthistory,theeraofsuperpowerd矇tenteandglobaltransformationinthe1960sand1970s.Describingd矇tenteasnotonlyanerabutalsoastrategyofwagingtheColdWar,Hanhim瓣kiexaminesthereasonsthatledtotheriseofd矇tente,exploresthehighlightsoftheera’sreducedEast-Westtensions,andexplainsthecausesofd矇tente’sdemise.Headdressesmanyquestions:Whatwerethelong-termandshort-termcausesofd矇tente?Wasitapolicy“invented“intheUnitedStatesoradoptedunderpressurefromabroad?Diditrepresentaradicalbreakwiththepast--amovefromidealismtorealism--orwasitsimplyanattempttoprolongtheColdWarbipolaritywithintheinternationalsystem?Wasd矇tenteapolicythatgrewfromweaknessanddoubt(causedparticularlybytheVietnamWar)?Whatwereitsmainachievementsandshortcomings?Whatledtoitsend?Inconclusion,heevaluatestheroleofd矇tenteinthedismantlingoftheColdWarinternationalsystem.
