Cold War Diplomacy 1945 – 1960

A concise and influential study of the formative years of the Cold War, this work examines American foreign policy from the end of World War II through 1960. Norman A. Graebner, a respected historian of U.S. diplomatic history associated with the “realist” school, analyzes the strategic assumptions, political pressures, and global power shifts that shaped relations between the United States and the Soviet Union. Focusing on containment, alliance systems, nuclear strategy, and key crises in Europe and Asia, he emphasizes the role of statesmen, national interests, and geopolitical calculation over ideological rhetoric. Clear and analytical, the book remains valuable for readers interested in the origins of Cold War tensions and the evolution of modern American diplomacy.