Czechoslovakia played an important role within the Soviet bloc, yet its
history remains underresearched. This monograph blends historical
analysis of the superpowers' foreign policies with an assessment of
their impact on Czechoslovakia and its position within the Soviet bloc.
The book thereby places Czechoslovakia on the map of Cold War history,
i.e. the era of "mutually assured destruction" that lasted almost half a
century. It provides a lucid introduction to some milestones in
international Cold War history in their relation to Czecho-Slovak
history. The book's novel contribution is to explain Czechoslovakia's
domestic situation during the Cold War from the "outside." Drawing on
extensive source materials of Slovak, Czech, American, and Russian
provenance, it provides a more comprehensive understanding of postwar
Czecho-Slovak history while also contributing to general knowledge about
the nature and impact of the Cold War.