عنوان

The Soviet attitude to political and social change in Central America ; Case-studies on Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala

(Number (ISBN

0230289002

(Number (ISBN

9780230289000

Number

b536440

Title Proper

The Soviet attitude to political and social change in Central America ; Case-studies on Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala

General Material Designation

[Book]

First Statement of Responsibility

Danuta Paszyn.

Place of Publication, Distribution, etc.

Basingstoke

Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.

Palgrave Macmillan : [distributor] Not Avail

Date of Publication, Distribution, etc.

2000

Specific Material Designation and Extent of Item

176 pages.

Series Title

Studies in Russia and East Europe

Text of Note

Preface Acknowledgements Introduction Soviet Interest and Communist Tactics in Central America Prior to the Sandinista Victory of 1979 The Soviet Reaction to the Opportunities Created by the Nicaraguan Revolution The Extent of Soviet Military and Economic Assistance to the Sandinista Regime Leftist Regime Prior to Gorbachev Assuming Office The Impact of Gorbachev's Policy of Perestroika and 'New Thinking' on Soviet-Nicaraguan Relations The Soviet Attitude to the Struggle of the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) in El Salvador The Soviet Posture vis-a-vis the Guatemalan Revolutionary Process Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index.;Electronic book text.;Epublication based on: 9780333765005, 2000.

Text of Note

This study examines Soviet policy towards the Sandinista left-wing government in Nicaragua and towards the guerrillas fighting for political and social change in El Salvador and Guatemala. It covers the period from the Sandinista victory in July 1979 until the loss of power in February 1990. It focuses on the chief determinants which underlay the Soviet involvement in this geographically remote area within the US immediate sphere of influence, and assesses the extent of this involvement. The Soviet-Nicaraguan relationship is examined in the context of both parties' relations with the United States, which conditioned the evolution of Soviet-Nicaraguan links. It also stresses the leading role played by Cuba, which acted in its own right, not as a mere Soviet proxy. The author concludes that the Soviet Union had no intention of establishing another socialist regime in Nicaragua or a second 'Cuba', nor of promoting a revolution in El Salvador or Guatemala. Its limited involvement in the region was aimed at distracting the US at a time when Soviet foreign policy suffered many set-backs."The Soviet role in Central America was one of the most controversial aspects of international relations in the 1980s. Seen by Washington as the spearhead of a move onto the mainland of Latin America, and by local radicals as a potential source of military and economic support, the Soviet Union was in reality more pragmatic and cautious than either realised. Basing herself on a wide range of Russian and Western materials, and with the clarity of hindsight, Danuta Paszyn has made an original and valuable contribution to our understanding of this closing phase of the Cold War."--Professor F. Halliday, London School of Economics and Political Science ' ... provides useful background to the changing Soviet policies and attitudes towards radical social change in Central America ... ' - International History Review ' ... this study provides an interesting examination of the Soviet role vis-a-vis the Nicaraguan revolution, which challenges the basic rationale that sustained the US government's counterrevolutionary involvement in Central America. I would recommend this book for courses on US-Latin American relations and the politics of revolution in Latin America.' - Ariel C. Armony, Colby College, Latin American Studies.

Danuta Paszyn.

Danuta Paszyn

Electronic name

[Book]

Y