The Diplomacy of Détente: Cooperative Security from Schmidt to Shultz
Stephan Kieninger's book looks into Helmut Schmidt's and George Shultz's statecraft and into their contributions to the longevity of détente in Europe amidst international crisis. Kieninger argues that Schmidt and Shultz managed to maintain cooperatives security policies towards the Soviet Union finding a delicate balance between détente and deterrence against the backdrop of the Euromissile Crisis. Détente survived, it blossomed under Reagan and Gorbachev, and it had a substantial stake in the peaceful demise of the Soviet Union.
Overview
Stephan Kieninger's book looks into Helmut Schmidt's and George Shultz's statecraft and into their contributions to the longevity of détente in Europe amidst international crisis. Kieninger argues that Schmidt and Shultz managed to maintain cooperatives security policies towards the Soviet Union finding a delicate balance between détente and deterrence against the backdrop of the Euromissile Crisis. Détente survived, it blossomed under Reagan and Gorbachev, and it had a substantial stake in the peaceful demise of the Soviet Union.
Stephan Kieninger is a post-doctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins SAIS. He obtained his PhD from Mannheim University. Kieninger's current research investigates the role of Western financial aid for the Soviet Union and its impact for the emergence of the new global order. He published two books: The Diplomacy of Détente. Cooperative Security Policies from Helmut Schmidt to George Shultz (London: Routledge, 2018) and Dynamic Détente. The United States and Europe, 1964-1975 (Lanham (MD), Rowman & Littlefield, 2016).
The Washington History Seminar is co-chaired by Eric Arnesen (George Washington University) and Christian Ostermann (Woodrow Wilson Center) and is sponsored jointly by the National History Center of the American Historical Association and the Wilson Center's History and Public Policy Program. It meets weekly during the academic year. The seminar thanks the Lepage Center for History in the Public Interest and the George Washington University History Department for their support.
Moderators
Christian F. Ostermann
Woodrow Wilson Center
Eric Arnesen
Professor of History, The George Washington University. Director, National History Center of the American Historical Association.
Hosted By
History and Public Policy Program
The History and Public Policy Program makes public the primary source record of 20th and 21st century international history from repositories around the world, facilitates scholarship based on those records, and uses these materials to provide context for classroom, public, and policy debates on global affairs. Read more
Cold War International History Project
The Cold War International History Project supports the full and prompt release of historical materials by governments on all sides of the Cold War. Through an award winning Digital Archive, the Project allows scholars, journalists, students, and the interested public to reassess the Cold War and its many contemporary legacies. It is part of the Wilson Center's History and Public Policy Program. Read more
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