ABSTRACT
In portraying Mikhail Gorbachev's policy toward the Third World as a turning point or watershed, one must recognize that Soviet foreign policy is closely connected to the underlying assumptions guiding Soviet domestic relations. By the time Gorbachev came to power in March 1985 the Soviet Union had been deeply involved in the Third World. Gorbachev has advanced numerous diplomatic initiatives designed to ease military competition with the United States and strengthen international cooperation. Soviet policy toward the Third World must be viewed in the context of perestroika and glasnost—the effort to reform the Soviet Union's political and economic structure. The epochal events of 1989 alone illustrate the transformation of Soviet politics and foreign policy. Materials studied include policy statements by Soviet and Third World leaders, official communiques, and relevant press commentary. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
