Professor Dr. Sandrine Kott

Modern European History Professor (Université de Genève)

”In my view, it is crucial to “unpack” the Cold War and even to question its centrality to the period. Without denying the importance of the ideological and political conflicts between the United States and the Soviet Union, they cannot explain all the imbalances and conflicts in the world at the time. Most of them can be explained by other analytical frameworks, such as the question of global inequality, which is central at a time of intense debate on development issues. To do this, we need to look at the period through the sources and perspectives of other countries and actors (not just the West, as is too often the case).
1/ The point of view of the “Eastern Bloc” is important, and not only that of the Soviet Union. From this point of view, it becomes clear that the conflict between East and West is also – perhaps primarily – a question of economic imbalance.
2/ More generally, the specific position of medium-sized and small countries such as France, West Germany, and England in the West, or Czechoslovakia and Poland in the East, must be taken into account. Political and economic actors from these countries pursued a specific agenda during the period and were able to play an important bridging role between the two Cold War blocs. This is particularly true of actors in neutral countries such as Austria, Finland, and Switzerland.
3/ Looking at the period from the perspective of what we now call the Global South, the Cold War, as it is generally defined as a political and ideological conflict between two superpowers, appears to be of secondary importance. The question of decolonization and the transition of newly independent countries to real economic and political independence becomes a key issue. It is influenced by Cold War divisions, but cannot be reduced to Cold War logic.
To sum up, it is essential to go beyond the ideological discourse produced by one bloc in order to understand what is really at stake in the conflicts that are taking place. ”