Cold War at Sea: High-Seas Confrontation Between the United States and the Soviet Union Review

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(More customer reviews)I found this book quite fascinating, as it touches on a facet of the Cold War very rarely mentioned in the mainstream of history -- the practices of limited (though still dangerous) engagement between the U.S. and Soviet high-seas fleets. Furthermore, it details not only the incidents, but the effect that seemingly remote occurences had on both the Soviet and U.S. leadership. That effect, ultimately led to the establishment of a number of agreements, also detailed in this volume. Interestingly enough, Winkler makes it quite apparent that many of the Soviet diplomats and military officials were quite mindful of the impending failure of the Soviet Union, even in the early 1970s. I would definitely reccomend it if you are interested in Naval or Cold War history, or if for some reason, you want a detailed history of collisions at sea, as found in one of the appendixes.

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Free to patrol the skies and surface of the high seas under international law, U.S. and Soviet naval and air forces made daily direct contact during the Cold War. Often confrontational and occasionally violent, air-to-air contacts alone killed over one hundred Soviet and American aviators during the Truman and Eisenhower years.Diplomacy to curtail the hostility produced mixed results. In the 1960s the Soviet Navy challenged worldwide U.S. naval dominance, and collisions and charges of harassment became common. In 1972 the two nations signed an Incidents at Sea Agreement (INCSEA) that established navy-to-navy channels to resolve issues. This agreement is the focus of David Winkler's study. He argues that in contrast to conventional diplomatic channels, Soviet and American naval officers, sharing bonds inherent in seamen, could put ideology aside and speak frankly.Working together, they limited incidents that could have had unfortunate consequences. Drawing on previously unavailable State Department files and recently declassified papers held at the Naval Historical Center as well as discussions with former top naval officials, diplomats, and others, Winkler details U.S.-Soviet incidents at sea, analyzes the changes in U.S. policy and naval strategy, and evaluates the effects of various events on U.S.-Soviet maritime relations, helping readers to fully appreciate the agreement's significance in establishing a direct military-to-military contact and as a venue to discuss other issues during the 1970s and 1980s.

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