Sharing the Blame
History: Cambridge International GCSE The Twentieth Century (Option B), topic 4.5.4
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 ‘post-revisionist’ view.
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.
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.
Test yourself on Sharing the Blame
What was the 'post-revisionist' view on responsibility for the Cold War?
Who became criticised more heavily as a result of Soviet archives in Moscow becoming available in 1989?
Which of the following was a view on appeasement in the 20th century?