"Now that the Cold War is over, this book is especially timely: it analyzes and summarizes the events that ushered in an epoch of history nearly fifty years ago, and provides an analysis of the forces that were suppressed or strengthened during the Cold War - and some of which are now unleashed again." "Professor Maier begins his book by discussing the different interpretations of the Cold War among leading commentators. A selection of the most important essays on the origins of the Cold War by well-known politicians and scholars provides the critical spectrum of the debate on the acceleration of the Cold War." "These contributors investigate the events that led to a division of Europe into spheres of influence on both a global and regional basis. The roles of the giants of history, such as Churchill, Stalin, and Truman, as well as those of local leaders, are illuminated in these essays. Special emphasis is placed on the political economy of the Cold War, the Marshall Plan, the conditions for new labor movements, welfare capitalism, the European economies after the collapse of fascism, and the politics of productivity." "This edition includes new texts based on a trove of new sources from the archives of the former Warsaw Pact states. Key Soviet documents on decision-making during the Hungarian crisis of 1956 combined with a fresh examination of military strategy and the arms race indicate that disputes over Berlin did not lead to a war because of fears about nuclear escalation."--BOOK JACKET.