4.5.6

Sharing the Blame

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Sharing the Blame for the Cold War

Historians from the 1970s until 1989, such as John Lewis Gaddis, advocated a hybrid of the first two interpretations ('orthodox' and 'revisionist'), known as the ‘counter-revisionist’ view.

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Even-handed

  • This school of thought was more even-handed in the way it apportioned responsibility.
  • This was a trend across history as an academic subject at this time.
Illustrative background for After 1989Illustrative background for After 1989 ?? "content

After 1989

  • From 1989 onwards, given the availability of new Soviet archives in Moscow and the fall of the communist regime, new interpretations of the Cold War have emerged.
  • In spite of the extra evidence, historians do not agree entirely.
  • But, there was a shift towards criticising the Soviet Union more heavily again, as historians like John Lewis Gaddis have done.

Jump to other topics

1Was the Treaty of Versailles Fair?

2Was the League of Nations a Success?

3How did Hitler's Foreign Policy Impact the War?

4Who was to Blame for the Cold War?

5Did the US Contain the Spread of Communism?

6How was USSR's Control Over Eastern Europe?

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