The Encyclopedia of the Cold War [5 Volumes]

The conflict that dominated world events for nearly five decades is now captured in a multivolume work of unprecedented magnitude—from a publisher widely acclaimed for its authoritative military and historical references. Under the direction of internationally known military historian Spencer Tucker, ABC-CLIO's The Encyclopedia of the Cold War: A Political, Social, and Military History offers the most current and comprehensive treatment ever published of the ideological conflict that not so long ago enveloped the globe.

From the Second World War to the collapse of the Soviet Union, The Encyclopedia of the Cold War provides authoritative information on all military conflicts, battlefield and surveillance technologies, diplomatic initiatives, important individuals and organizations, national histories, economic developments, societal and cultural events, and more. The nearly 1,300 entries, plus topical essays and an extraordinarily rich documents volume, draw heavily on recently opened Russian, Eastern European, and Chinese archives. The work is a definitive cornerstone reference on one of the most important historical topics of our time.

The confrontation of Western capitalism and Soviet and Chinese Communism shaped world affairs for almost the entire second half of the 20th century—a period defined by pervasive political tension, nuclear-fueled nightmares, intense diplomacy, and the transformation of regional/national disputes into test-case ideological battlefields where the superpowers squared off.

· The most comprehensive and up-to-date major reference ever published on the Cold War

· Informed by theintensive current research into the recently opened archives in former Communist countries

· Full coverage of all major wars in the Cold War era, including Korea, the Arab-Israeli Wars, and conflicts in Indochina

· Wide ranging coverage goes beyond military and political topics to encompass cultural events, such as art, music, and literature

· 1,299 entries covering all facets of the Cold War from its origins to its aftermath, including all political, diplomatic, military, social, economic, and cultural aspects of the conflict

· Over 200 internationally recognized contributors from around the world, many writing about events and issues from the perspective of their country of origin

· Over 175 original documents—a collection that draws heavily on recently opened files from archives in China, Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Union

· More than 470 powerful images and illustrations plus 47 maps detailing specific military conflicts and movements of various groups

· Indexes that are both alphabetically and categorically organized, covering people, places, events, weapons systems, and more