From Détente to the End of the Cold War, c1963-1991

In this delivery, I'm asking you to consider how far the Carter years indicate a trapped Manichean mentality of the Cold War. Manichaeism, a religion from the 3rd century AD, breaks things down into good and bad, or black and white. By posing this question, I'm asking you to consider how far Carter and his administration were stuck in the Cold War rhetoric of a good USA versus an evil USSR. How much did this cause the US to overestimate the strengths of the USSR and highlight the weaknesses of the USA. Did this inevitable lead to the collapse of detente? Was Washington so preoccupied by signs of American weakness that they failed to see that the Soviet Union was facing its worst nightmares?

For ease, this delivery has been broken down into three parts, which should take approximately three lessons to cover.

Part 1: Carter – a policy review

Part 2: Ethiopia, Somalia and the Ogaden War

Part 3: Other case studies in the Carter years