ABSTRACT
This chapter follows the transition from Nixon to Ford after the former’s resignation and examines its repercussions on Washington’s Eastern European policy. It is argued that through the further implementation of the policy of differentiation Ford and Kissinger aimed to take advantage of the dynamics of superpower détente in order to foster more diversity within the Soviet bloc in Europe. Ford’s willingness to pursue the project of the CSCE and sign the Helsinki Accords despite the tremendous opposition in the US show his commitment to the differentiated view on Eastern Europe and its potential future under the shadow of the hegemonic presence of Moscow. As this chapter illustrates, Eastern Europe was a pivotal issue in Gerald Ford’s presidential administration. Nonetheless, the demise of détente in the domestic front and the ever-present demand for a rhetoric of idealism within the American scene did not permit him to communicate efficiently the results of his eastern European policy to the American audience. Even though it would be an exaggeration to say that Eastern Europe costed him his re-election, nonetheless it was a crucial factor in undermining the successful completion of his campaign.
