A Policy of Misunderstanding Containment and Revolution by David Horowitz Review by: Philip G.

Altbach Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 3, No. 3 (Jan. 20, 1968), p. 192 Published by: Economic and Political Weekly Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4358153 . Accessed: 25/01/2013 17:33
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The final two essays are of particuilar relevance to current international problems and deal with the origins of Philip G Altbach China's foreign policy and the historical development of Vietnam's revolution, and Containment Revolution,edited by David Horowitz; Boston: Bea- respectively. John Gittings, in his essay con Press, 1967; pp 252; price $ 5.95. on China, shows that Mao Tse-tung attempted, during the struggle against TIlS volume, the first in a series of provoked into "self-defensive expansion the Japanese in the early 1940s, to "Studies in Imperialism and the Cold by the policies of the NATO powers"* make contact with the Americanis, and War" issued by the Bertrand Russell If Deutscher is proved correct, the cur- that these efforts proved abortive due rent division of Europe may well be to American loyalty to the Chiang KaiCentre for Social Research in London is a multi-faceted analysis of America's based on one of the greatest strategic shek regime. Gittings further argues role in the world in the twentieth and political misunderstandings in that Communist strategy in China during century. It is essentially a clear and history. the crucial period between 1940 and generally well-documented indictmetit In a perceptive essay on the "World 1950, was contrary to the wishes of of American foreign policy in such War and the Cold War", John Bag- Stalin, and that, while Mao's post-1947 diverse areas as post-revolutionary guley argues that British and French alliance with Stalin was a natural deveRussia, the Greek civil war, China iin policies in the period immediately lopment, it was helped by American the 1940s, and Vietnam. The theme before the outbreak of the Second ignorance of the nature of the situation is clear: the United States has played World War favoured a German thrust on the Chinese mainland. Richard a negative and reactionary role into Eastern Europe and the Soviet Morrock argues in a similar vein with throughout the present century. While Union, and that the USSR bore the relation to Vietnam that, Communistthe essays in this volume are basically brunt of the conflict. He states further led national liberation movenmentshad interested in analysing the negative that Hitler did not really wish to destroy substantial popular support in the cruaspects of United States policy, they England or the British Empire, and felt cial post-war period, and that the often fail to deal with the roles of his natural thrust was toward Russia. Americans (and the French) preferred at other powers which had an impact on Later Allied strategy, including postthis time to support an essentially unthe shaping of American policies and war policies, it is argued, were predicatpopular and backward regime. From the authors are not very much con- ed on the need to "contain" the Soviet these basic misunderstandings of the cerned with internal American politics. Union, and that these policies impelled nature of the developing areas during Nevertheless, the volume does present Stalin to intervene in Eastern Europe a period of anti-colonial struggle grew a number of themes in American following the war. many of America's policies in the Third foreign relations, and is rather conWorld today. vincing for the most part. CHINA'S FOREIGN POLICY While several of the essays in this The past several years have seen the The second half of the volume deais growth of a school of "revisionist histo- with American policies in the developinig volume do not provide much that is rians" who have attempted to explode areas. Todd Gitlin, in an essay on the new, they are generally well writtelnand the usual interpretation of the develop- civil war in Greece, compares the 1947 convincing. The thesis that post-war ment of the Cold War which has placed Greek civil war to the present conflict American foreign policies toward the major blame on Stalin for forcing in Vietnam, with the United States sup- Europe and Asia have been based on the United States into rearmament fol- porting a reactionary urban-based and misunderstandings and on a basically lowing the Second World War. The basically unpopular regime against reactionary view of the world, underessays in this volume by Isaac Deuts- rural revolutioniaryelements which had lies all of the essays. With this policher, William Appleman Williams, and only peripheral outside support from tical view in mind, there is naturally Henry Berger point out that American the Soviet Union. Gitlin argues that some one-sidedness in the analysis. Yet, policies, both before and after the the Greek experience, which "proved" the volumnen akes a valuable contribuSecond World War, contributed substan- that containment could work, was a key tion to rethinking the bases of many tially to the development of the Cold tiurningpoint in the development of Cold long-held notions concerning world War. Williams documents the active War strategies, and marked the expan- affairs, and may, one hopes, lead to a although ultimately unsuccessful, Ameri- sion of American power in what had reassessment of America's role in the can intervention in Russia following the previously been a British sphere of world and perhaps to chalnges in revolution of 1917, while Deutscher infuence. orientation and policy. argues that in fact American policies in Eastern Europe forced the Russians to Economic and Political Weekly protect their interests by intervening Subscriptions Rates there immediately following the war. He Inland: Annual Rs 45; Six Months Rs 24 Kennan, the architect of quotes George Foreign: Annual Rs 55 or $ 7.50 or ? 3 5s America's "containment" policy which Concessional Rates For Teachers and Students and ultiled to the founding of NATO Inland: Annual Rs 25; Six Months Rs 12 mately to the present conflict in VietForeign: Annual Rs 30 or $ 4 or ? 2 nam, as stating that this policy was based on erroneous Western concepts of Foreign air mail rates can be had on request from the Soviet expansionism. In other words, Circulation Manager Deutscher argues, the Soviet Union was

A Policy of Misunderstanding

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