This open access book argues that high level summits and state visits between state leaders proved to be a useful means of pursuing geopolitical goals during the Cold War. Focusing on the relationship between communist Romania and democratic Britain and the USA, it shows how the Anglo-American allies sought to support Romania’s stance in foreign policy, in order to hinder Soviet influence and destabilise the communist bloc.Offering the first study to argue that this triangular relationship emerged during the 1970s through these high-level diplomatic meetings, it explores the substantive issues that arose from this connection. Highlighting the key intermediary role played by Romanian diplomacy in the Middle East and with North Korea, and pointing to the significance of trade in this relationship, it shows how Anglo-American leaders turned a blind eye to the dictatorial regime in Bucharest, in order to achieve their geopolitical goals. Capitalizing on this relationship, Ceausescu became the first communist leader to be courted in meetings at the highest level by Britain and the USA.Informed by recently declassified official documents, Top Diplomacy Amidst the Cold War takes a multi-lingual, multi-archival approach to provide a truly international history of Romania’s Cold War relationship with the US and Britain.The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by UKRI.
Mihai Hotea is ESRC Postdoctoral Fellow, Supervisor and Assessor in the Faculty of History, University of Cambridge, UK. A diplomatic and political historian of the Cold War, he has received thirty research grants and prizes for his work investigating Romania, the USA and Britain during the 1970s.
AbstractAcknowledgementsAbbreviationsIntroduction1.The triangular relationship’s establishment, 1974-19762.The triangular relationship’s consolidation, 1976-773.The triangular relationship at its peak, 1977-19794.The decline of the triangular relationship, 1979-1980ConclusionsBibliography
The book is a valuable addition to the existent literature on the History of Communism and Cold War. It is based on multiple sources and integrates different perspectives in interconnected chapters which explore the trajectory of Romania’s cooperation with the USA and Britain in the 1970s. The volume should be read by anyone interested in Cold War at the periphery, generally, and in Communist Romania, particularly.
