Berlin : From Symbol of Confrontation to Keystone of Stability

Sutterlin, James S.; Klein, David

ISBN 10: 0275932591 / ISBN 13: 9780275932596

Published by Praeger, 1989

Unread book in perfect condition. Seller Inventory # 652156

Synopsis:

This book meticulously follows the volatile and frequently threatening relationship between the Western powers and the Soviet Union with regard to Berlin. The authors begin their study at that point when the State Department first considered the fate of Berlin during World War II and take the reader through to the 1971 Four Power Agreement that governs the present operation of the city ending with their assessment of its implications for the future. The book provides an in-depth understanding of the 1971 agreement as well as the disputes and interests which defined the major powers' positions on Berlin and, to a large extent, determined the city's post-war fate. The authors examine in detail the negotiations that culminated in the Four Powers Agreement and include much heretofore unpublished information stemming from their personal roles in the negotiating process.

Sutterlin and Klein contend that after the extended period of dangerous tension and confrontation surrounding Berlin after World War II, the four powers have succeeded in defining a modus vivendi for Berlin that has substantially improved the conditions of life for the residents of West Berlin and removed the city as a serious hindrance to the normalization of East-West relations. The book also asserts that the agreement led to more constructive relations between the Soviet Union and the United States in dealing with other world problems. At the same time the authors view the sensitive areas of the quadripartite relationship from the perspective of the East and West Germans presenting a situation less than totally satisfactory. The book assesses the negotiations leading to the 1971 agreement as successful from the Western perspective, and probably from the Soviet Perspective as well. The authors contend that the particular negotiating procedure followed by Henry Kissinger and other U.S. representatives were needlessly deceptive and dangerous as a precedent.

About the Author: JAMES S. SUTTERLIN is a fellow at Yale University and Adjunct Professor of Political Science at Long Island University. After serving as Inspector General of the U.S. Foreign Service, Professor Sutterlin joined the UN Secretariat, where during the tenure of Secretary-General de Cuellar, he was Director of the Secretary General's office. He has written widely on UN affairs and is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Academic Council on the United Nations.

Bibliographic Details

Title: Berlin : From Symbol of Confrontation to ...
Publisher: Praeger
Publication Date: 1989
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: As New