Table of Contents

Introduction: The United States and the Power of Dynamic Detente Policies Part I: The Evolution of America's Transformation Strategy, 1947-1968 Chapter 1: The Origins of America's Transformation Approach in the Cold War, 1947-1963 Chapter 2: "Thawing the Cold War": Lyndon Johnson, Bridge Building, and the Search for Detente, 1964-1966 Chapter 3: Peaceful Engagement and Plans for Europe's Transformation, 1966-1968 Part II: Setbacks and Survival: The Longevity of America's Transformation Policy during the Nixon and Ford Years, 1969-1976 Chapter 4: Power Politics: Richard Nixon's and Henry Kissinger's Concept for Detente Chapter 5: SALT: "Diverting the Arms Race into the Permitted Channels," 1969-1976 Chapter 6: "Do you want it done or do you want to have it talked about?": NATO's Policy on MBFR, 1970-1975 Chapter 7: Ostpolitik and the Idea for a European Security Conference: Catalysts for the Continuation of the Transformation Policy, 1969-1972 Chapter 8: Transformation or Status Quo?: CSCE, MBFR and European Security Part III: Silent Success for America's Transformation Policy: Transatlantic Networking in the CSCE Negotiations, 1973-1975 Chapter 9: Bridge Building after Richard Nixon's Reelection: The Multilateral Preparatory Talks for the CSCE, 1972-1973 Chapter 10: Transatlantic Networking and the Survival of the American Transformation Approach in the CSCE Negotiations, 1973-1974 Chapter 11: The Final Months of the CSCE Negotiations: The Codification of the Transformation Agenda in the Helsinki Final Act Conclusion: The Durability of America's Transformation Policy

About the Author

Stephan Kieninger is a historian at the Federal German Archives.

Reviews

Kieninger's account is persuasively argued and deeply researched.... Dynamic Detente is rooted in impressive archival and primary-source research in American state files and personal papers and a handful of German and North Atlantic Treaty Organization records.... [A] fine contribution to a growing body of work on U.S.-European relations and U.S. policy making that highlights the origins, complexities, and contradictions of detente * Journal of American History *
This book is a tremendous achievement. On the basis of a multi-archival approach, Kieninger shows the importance of continuity in U.S. foreign policy from the 1960s to the 1970s. The East-West 'bridge-builders' in Washington, DC, skillfully managed to survive the change of administration from Johnson to Nixon. Kieninger also demonstrates persuasively that detente was in fact a progressive and dynamic policy that decisively contributed to bringing about the end of the Cold War. The book is well-written and full of insights, and convincingly reinterprets the prevalent narrative of the Cold War in the 1970s and 1980s. -- Klaus Larres, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Through exhaustive and extraordinarily thorough research, Stephan Kieninger's Dynamic Detente demonstrates the persistence of a 'transformative strategy' of detente across three different American presidential administrations, and the importance of this approach in bringing about the end of the Cold War. His book is a masterful contribution to the understanding of the detente period and a significant addition to the historiography of the Cold War. It also holds implications for contemporary policymakers, as they weigh the balance between policies of detente and confrontation in confronting their adversaries. -- Thomas A. Schwartz, Vanderbilt University
In this comprehensive assessment of U.S.-European relations during the 1960s and 1970s, Stephan Kieninger reveals the long-term roots and transformational impact of the dynamic conception of detente embraced by the Johnson administration, 'bridge-builders' in the State Department, and several Western European allies of Washington. Deeply researched and solidly argued, Dynamic Detente offers a nuanced and original analysis of the origins, contradictions, and effects of superpower detente. This is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the Cold War and its final, peaceful demise. -- Mario Del Pero, Sciences Po
Dynamic Detente is an outstanding achievement of 'new Cold War history,' based on truly extensive multi-archival research. It offers a fresh and fascinating analysis of the complex process of formulating Western policies leading up to the signing of the Helsinki Final Act by attaching equal importance to the actors of an emerging triangle: the Nixon-Kissinger tandem, the bridge builders in the U.S. State Department, and the West European proponents of transformation strategy. -- Csaba Bekes, Corvinus University of Budapest