Cold War - Nations - Historiography

Orthodox, Revisionist, Post-Revisioist for Economic in the US?

Orthodox – John Lewis Gaddis: US Cold War spending was a rational defence investment; military-industrial complex spurred prosperity.

Revisionist – Gabriel Kolko: Cold War entrenched corporate–state alliances; “militarised Keynesianism” distorted US economy.

Post-revisionist – Melvyn Leffler: Military spending was costly but provided stability; balance between security needs and economic health.

Orthodox, Revisionist, Post-Revisioist for Social in the US?

Orthodox – Arthur Schlesinger Jr.: Cold War consensus unified US society; civil rights progress improved America’s moral standing.

Revisionist – Ellen Schrecker: McCarthyism fostered repression; Cold War culture narrowed freedoms.

Post-revisionist – Walter LaFeber: Cold War social impact was contradictory — prosperity + education vs. inequality and protest.

Orthodox, Revisionist, Post-Revisioist for Cultral in the US?

Orthodox – Frank Ninkovich: Cultural diplomacy (jazz tours, exhibitions) successfully projected freedom and creativity.

Revisionist – Reinhold Wagnleitner: “Coca-Colonization” — consumer culture was cultural imperialism.

Post-revisionist – David Caute: Cold War culture mixed coercion and creativity; blacklists and cultural diplomacy coexisted.

Orthodox, Revisionist, Post-Revisioist for Economic in the USSR?

Orthodox – Richard Pipes: Command economy unsustainable; military burden crippled USSR.

Revisionist – Moshe Lewin: Economic stagnation not inevitable; leadership failures exacerbated systemic weaknesses.

Post-revisionist – Stephen Kotkin: USSR “overdetermined” collapse; Cold War pressures exposed deep inefficiencies.

Orthodox, Revisionist, Post-Revisioist for Social in the USSR?

Orthodox – Robert Conquest: Surveillance, repression, and stagnation dominated Soviet social life.

Revisionist – Sheila Fitzpatrick: Ordinary Soviets navigated Cold War hardships with resilience; “everyday Stalinism” persisted post-1953.

Post-revisionist – William Taubman: Soviet society a mix of modernisation (literacy, education) and deep malaise (alcoholism, shortages).

Orthodox, Revisionist, Post-Revisioist for Cultral in the USSR?

Orthodox – Adam Ulam: Cultural repression stifled creativity; Cold War propaganda dominated.

Revisionist – Richard Stites: Soviet culture vibrant in underground forms — samizdat, magnitizdat, unofficial art.

Post-revisionist – Juliane Fürst: Youth culture (stilyagi, rock) showed resilience within constraints; Cold War shaped generational identity.