Book Reviews : Russian History Atlas. Martin Gilbert. Weidenfeld & Nicholson. £3.25 (hard) £2.00 (paper). The Soviet Model and Underdeveloped Countries. Charles K. Wilber. North Carolina Press, Oxford University Press. £3.60. Religion and Soviet Foreign Policy, 1945-1970. William C. Fletcher. Oxford University Press. £3.50 U.K
| Published date | 01 August 1972 |
| Date | 01 August 1972 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/004711787200400314 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
318
more
explicit,
and
it
is
evident
that
the
French
attitude
of
scepticism
as
to
German
intentions
was,
in
fact,
fully
justified.
Chapter
II
ends
with
agree-
ment
as
to
the
terms
of
reference
of
the
Committee
of
Experts
on
Reparations.
Chapters
III
and
IV
cover
the
negotiation
of
the
Kellogg
Pact,
finally
signed
on
August
28th,
which
was
soon
to
prove
a
dead
letter,
and
the
unsuccessful
attempt
to
achieve
a
measure
of
disarmament
by
means
of
the
Anglo-French
naval
compromise
of
June-July.
The
American
reaction
was
scarcely
warm
and
it
became
incumbent
upon
us
to
mend
our
fences
as
far
as
Anglo-American
relations
were
concerned.
Meanwhile.
the
German
intention
to
repudiate
unilaterally
the
military
provisions
of
the
Treaty
of Versailles
was
obviously
hardening.
Volume
XII,
covering
the
nine
months
from
August
5
1934
to
April
18
1935,
deals
with
the
protracted
Anglo-French -
Italo-German
minuet
over
German
re-armament -
in
the
wider
context
of
European
security.
The
decisive
part
played
by
the
Foreign
Office
in
securing
the
peaceful
settlement
of
the
Saar
question
was
the
only
constructive
result
to
emerge
during
the
period.
For
the
rest,
the
attempts
to
launch
an
East
European
Pact
and
to
secure
a
limited
measure
of
German
rearmament
in
return
for
its
legalization,
thus
acknowledging
that
the
disarmament
clauses
of
the
Treaty
of
Versailles
were,
in
fact,
dead,
proved
equally
abortive.
Since
none
of the
statesmen
concerned
appeared
to
have
read
Mein
Kampf
or,
if
they
had,
taken
seriously
the
aims
set
out
by
Hitler,
Germany
kept
negotiations
going
by
a
show
of
willingness
to
compromise
while
at
the
same
time
making
adroit
use
of the
French
insistence
on
the
widest
guarantees
of
security,
counterpointed
by
their
own
reluctance
to
consider
anything
beyond
the
most
restricted
bi-lateral
agreements.
As
always,
there
are
many
rewarding
insights
into
human
humours
and
foibles
-
often
of
such
disproportionate
importance
-
along
the
way.
Not
the
least
of
these
was
the
verdict
of
Mr.
Seeds,
then
H.M.
High
Com-
missioner
in
the
Rhineland,
that
the
National
Socialists
were
&dquo;a
collection
of
unbalanced
extremists
undeserving
of
serious
consideration&dquo;
(document
No.
64).
Russian
History
Atlas.
Martin
Gilbert.
Weidenfeld &
Nicholson.
£3.25
(hard)
£2.00
(paper).
The
Soviet
Model
and
Underdeveloped
Countries.
Charles
K.
Wilber.
North
Carolina
Press,
Oxford
University
Press.
£3.60.
Religion
and
Soviet
Foreign
Policy,
1945-1970.
William
C.
Fletcher.
Oxford
University
Press.
£3.50
U.K.
In
Russian
History
Atlas
Martin
Gilbert
has
achieved
a
tour-de-force
and
has
put
everyone
remotely
interested
in
the Soviet
Union
in
his
debt.
Here,
admittedly
in
outlined,
is
the
whole
historical
development:
of the
area
from
600
B.C.
to
1970
A.D.
It
provides
a
valuable
framework
of
geographical-cum-social
facts
which
enables
anyone
not
conversant
with
Russian
history,
but
anxious
to
equip
himself
with
at
least
an
overall
picture,
to
do
so;
while
at
the
same
time
reinforcing
the
scholar’s
account
of
historical
evolution.
The
subjects
covered
are,
apart
from
the
wars
and
expansions
of the
country,
&dquo;the
earliest
migrations,
famine,
trade,
rebellion,
places
of
exile,
the
anarchists
of
Russia,
the
growth
of
revolutionary
activity
before
1917,
the
Revolution
itself,
Lenin’s
return
to
Russia,
the
early
years
of
Communism,
German
plans
for
Russia
during
the
second
world
war
and
the
war
itself,
the
Cuban
missile
crisis,
Soviet-Chinese
relations
and
Soviet
naval
strength
in
1970&dquo;.
This
is
an
absolutely
invaluable
reference
book,
a
must
for
all
those
interested
in
Eastern
Europe
and
the
Soviet
Union.
In
his
introduction
to
The
Soviet
Model
and
Underdeveloped
Countries,
the
author
writes
&dquo;This
book
is
about
economic
development,
that
is,
it
specifically
analyses
the
strategy
of
development
followed
by
the
Soviet
Union.
It
is
hoped
that
the
Soviet
experience
will
provide
some
useful
lessons,
both
negative
and
positive,
for
policy
makers
in
underdeveloped
countries.&dquo;
&dquo;
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