Introduction

Soviet foreign policy is a field in which "theories" abound. Soviet foreign policy has undergone several spectacular twists and turns. This chapter provides the consideration of the relative importance of internal and external factors on Soviet foreign policy and international behavior. At the outset, it must be emphasized that one cannot discuss the impact of "domestic politics" on "Soviet foreign policy" without first stipulating which internal factors and which aspects of Soviet international behavior one is talking about. Observers of Soviet behavior have long been vexed by the question of the motivational role of Communist ideology. There is much disagreement about whether external factors significantly shape Soviet behavior, which factors exert influence under various circumstances, and in what manner they do so. Western, especially American, debates on the origins of the Cold War illustrate these disagreements. The chapter also presents an overview of this book.