Historians often focus on the beginnings and ends of events, as seen in works like Edward Gibbon’s The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. This tradition includes studying the rise and fall of empires, such as the Mongol, Ottoman, British, and American “Empires.” The Cold War’s history is similarly analyzed for its start and end, but intermediate phases like détente receive less attention. Détente, from the mid-1960s to the late 1970s, marked the end of the classical Cold War and hastened its conclusion. Despite its importance, it is underexplored in research. Détente, meaning to reduce tension, describes a relaxation of strained relations. U.S. President Richard Nixon and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev aimed to reduce Cold War costs through diplomacy. The 1970s détente included key events like the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT), opening relations with China, ending the Vietnam War, shifts in monetary policies, inflation, advancements in communication technology, the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Middle East War (Yom Kippur War), and the oil embargo. These developments significantly impacted the Cold War era.
Despite the significance of détente, academic scrutiny of this period was limited for a long time. Recently, interest has surged, resulting in numerous studies. Key works include Raymond L. Garthoff ’s Détente and Confrontation (1985), Richard W. Stevenson’s The Rise and Fall of Détente (1985), and Keith L. Nelson’s The Making of Détente (2019), which provide general overviews of the developments during this period. Additionally, Niall Ferguson’s The Shock of the Global (2010), Daniel Sargent’s A Superpower Transformed (2015), and Bruce J. Schulman’s The Seventies (2001) emphasize the importance of the 1970s in world history and the Cold War. Recent studies like Milorad Lazić’s Unmaking Détente (2022), Craig Daigle’s The Limits of Détente (2012), and Galen Jackson’s “Who Killed Détente?” (2019) highlight the impact of détente on third-world countries and their interactions with superpowers, underscoring the need for a nuanced understanding of this critical period.
Building on these foundational works, Détente: The Chance to End the Cold War by Richard Crowder, published in 2021, offers a comprehensive addition to the literature, distinguished by the unique qualifications of its author, the variety of sources used, and its compelling narrative style. Crowder, a diplomat and independent historian, boasts an educational background from Oxford and Harvard Universities. Crowder served in the British Foreign Office for over two decades, with assignments in Moscow, Brussels, and Islamabad. His earlier work, Aftermath: Makers of the Postwar World (2015), focused on the 1940s and 1950s –the formative years of the Cold War. Crowder’s extensive diplomatic experience enriches his analysis, allowing him to vividly convey the language and nuances of international negotiations, as well as the behaviors and strategies of key negotiators. This perspective adds depth and authenticity to his exploration of détente. His ability to blend historical scholarship with insights from his diplomatic career makes Détente: The Chance to End the Cold War particularly valuable. Crowder’s work not only synthesizes previous research but also provides a fresh and nuanced understanding of the détente era, making it a significant contribution to Cold War historiography.
Treating the détente years as a pivotal era in world politics, Richard Crowder structures his work as an introduction followed by 12 chapters. He begins with the Soviet intervention in Czechoslovakia in 1968 and Nixon’s election as U.S. President –events he deems critical to the onset of détente– and concludes with the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam in 1975 and the culmination of the Helsinki process. Crowder selects this seven-year period because it encapsulates both the emergence and the beginning of the decline of détente. He focuses on détente because it was a period when the foundations of the Cold War and global politics were intensely scrutinized, and traditional values were redefined. In each chapter, Crowder details the formation of détente and the significant events that influenced it. These include the 1968 Soviet intervention in Czechoslovakia, Nixon’s presidency, Henry Kissinger’s role as National Security Advisor, the Vietnam War, the Soviet power struggle, the Middle East events of 1970, the opening to China in 1971, the SALT, the Berlin status negotiations, the First Détente Summit between Nixon and Brezhnev in Moscow in 1972, the 1973 Vietnam Peace Agreement, the Second Nixon-Brezhnev Summit in San Clemente, the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and subsequent peace process, the Watergate scandal and Nixon’s resignation in 1974, the signing of the Helsinki Final Act in 1975, and the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam.
Through this chronological narrative, Crowder effectively illustrates how Nixon and Kissinger collaborated on a “linkage” policy to establish a new world order. He emphasizes the importance of understanding how evolving global affairs, shifting public priorities, generational criticisms of established traditions (particularly from the ‘68 generation), and new technological and economic expectations drove the superpower leaders toward détente. Despite the Cold War’s dichotomy, the 1970s saw both superpowers pursue détente due to developments that created or threatened resource scarcities vital for maintaining their societal, economic, and governmental structures. Détente represented a strategy of rapprochement, even with international rivals, in hopes of limiting or narrowing the scope of competition –an indication of the breakdown of classical Cold War logic. Crowder’s work underscores the significance of intermediate periods such as détente in both global politics and Cold War history. It highlights the inadequacy of interpreting and explaining the Cold War through a strictly linear historical lens. His comprehensive approach reveals the importance of these transitional periods and contributes to a deeper understanding of the dynamics that shaped the latter half of the 20th century.
In his book, Richard Crowder aims to provide a detailed account of the events during the détente period, organizing his chapters to cover six-month intervals between 1968 and 1975. The first 6 chapters focus on the formation of détente and the events leading up to the Moscow-San Clemente Summits of 1972-1973, while the remaining 6 chapters examine the limitations of détente until 1975. Crowder aims to bring the past to life, which he achieves through vivid narrative techniques. He bases each chapter on the primary figures and his own sources, utilizing a wealth of documented records. During a time when official records were exceptionally well-preserved –such as the Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) series– and through memoirs from key figures like Anatoly Dobrynin, Alexander Dubcek, Andrei Gromyko, Alexander Haig, Henry Kissinger, Richard Nixon, Golda Meir, Moshe Dayan, and Yitzhak Rabin, Crowder reconstructs historical events down to the nuances of individual speeches and moods.
Crowder’s background as a diplomat afforded him access to numerous politicians, enabling him to portray events with remarkable accuracy and to weave a narrative that includes politicians, diplomats, soldiers, and activists from around the world. This unique approach differentiates Crowder’s work from other academic studies. By focusing on direct narratives and using a rich tapestry of sources, he creates a detailed and engaging portrayal of the détente period. His ability to recreate scenes and dialogues provides readers with an immersive experience, making the book both informative and compelling. Overall, Crowder’s work is a significant contribution that illustrates how détente transformed world history and politics, with effects that continue to influence global affairs today. It underscores the importance of giving special attention to this period and topic, highlighting the complexity and impact of détente in a way that sets it apart from traditional academic works.
The book is presented as an alternative approach not only for the general reader but especially for those with a specific interest in the subject. Its simplicity of language and richness of explanations make it accessible to the academic community. While the book utilizes a wide array of documents, it also reflects the influence of American-centered archival sources and literature. However, the author’s reliance solely on English-language sources constrains the work’s perspective within a specific framework. Adopting a more inclusive approach by incorporating archives and materials in different languages could broaden the book’s viewpoint and provide a more global perspective. Such diversity would enrich the discussions within the work, contributing to a more balanced and comprehensive analysis. Including sources beyond English would significantly enhance the book’s academic value and global relevance.
