During the Cold War, Sweden actively cultivated a reputation as the “conscience of the world,” working to build bridges between East and West and embracing a nominal commitment to international solidarity. This groundbreaking study explores the tension between realism and idealism in Swedish diplomacy during a key episode in Cold War history: the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, culminating in the 1975 Helsinki Accords. Through careful analysis of new evidence, it offers a compelling counternarrative of this period, showing that Sweden strategically ignored human rights violations in Eastern Europe and the nonaligned states in its pursuit of national interests.
| ISBN: | 9781789205176 |
| Publication date: | 12th December 2019 |
| Author: | Aryo Makko |
| Publisher: | Berghahn Books |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 300 pages |
| Series: | Studies in Contemporary European History |
| Genres: |
Cold wars and proxy conflicts Diplomacy |