In his article “Conflict and Cooperation in Cold War” published in Journal of Contemporary History Mack Brown Distinguished Scholar Jeremi Suri reviews recent research on the Cold War.

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In his article “Conflict and Cooperation in Cold War” published in Journal of Contemporary History Mack Brown Distinguished Scholar Jeremi Suri reviews recent research on the Cold War. Suri argues there are few “triumphal” histories of the United States in the Cold War. The most revealing arguments from historians on the Cold War are from research on the complex and changing relationships between societies. Suri discusses recent work from authors who narrate Cold War leaders and citizens’ efforts as something in between conflict and cooperation.

Suri emphasizes many policies developing from the Cold War were not pre-determined in any of the major societies, but spawned from shaky negotiations, responses to pressures, and quick decisions. Finally, Suri emphasizes the importance for new research on the Cold War to challenge traditional categorizations and archetypes of Cold War history.