Publication: The Low Countries and Eastern Europe during the Cold War

In 2015 CWRN members Giles Scott-Smith and Frank Gerits functioned together with Kim Christiaens & Idesbald Goddeeris as guest editors for an issue of Dutch Crossing – Journal of Low Countries Studies. Existing scholarship on the Benelux nations has tended to emphasise the ‘loyal ally’ thesis, the uniqueness of small states among larger powers and the importance of traditional diplomacy. The introductory article critically assesses the main themes and issues that have dominated the historiography of the Low Countries and Eastern Europe during the Cold War. It reflects on the ways in which new archival sources and trends in international historical research can make the picture of East-West relations more diversified and complex in terms of actors, ideas, and directions.

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