Who Influenced Whom? : Lessons from the Cold War

Who Influenced Whom? is an analysis of the global-strategic security concerns of the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. To that end, eight asymmetric relations between the Cold War superpowers and the Third World countries are analyzed in terms of strategic, political, and ideological relationships. Tatum maintains the amount of power a country possesses is not proportional to the influence it has in a given situation and, ultimately, diplomatic skill is the key to successful foreign policy. The author demonstrates how the ability to bargain is oftentimes more powerful than political influence.