The Cold War and Historian's Judgment

Abstract

During the Cold War, there have been such long-lasting debates as: when did the Cold War start? Who started it? Who is responsible for the Cold War? For a long period, Soviet historians maintained their "orthodox" point of view which condemned the US and its allies for having provoked the Cold War under the American traditional imperialism.

Recently, Russian historians have revised their point of view, thus no longer interpreted the Cold War in their former "orthodox" perspective which often accused the US the sole instigator. Instead, they also reviewed the Soviet's mistakes and missed opportunities. A new perspective by both Russian and American scholars on this complex theme is growing more flexible. Besides, more and more "confidential" papers are released which also contributes to highlight some mysterious part of the Cold War.