I’m not a subscriber to the Great Man Theory of history. It’s entirely too simple a look at the complexities of life. Force of personality doesn’t alter history alone. Circumstances – economic, political, physical – set the stage on which leaders shine or falter. Studying these leaders, though, helps understand the circumstances better. Studying relationships between leaders gives insight to the people and their time in history. The Human Factor by Archie Brown describes the relationships that brought about the end of the Cold War. Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, and Mikhail Gorbachev led the United States of America (USA), the United Kingdom (UK), and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), respectively, during the final, dynamic upheaval of the world order. The Cold War ended because of the work that these three leaders did. Mr. Brown examines these three leaders and wonders if they ended the Cold War or if they were just in the right place at the right time. Did the Cold War end because of these great leaders?
DISCLAIMER: I received a free eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
TL;DR
The Human Factor examines the relationship between three heads of state at the end of the Cold War. Archie Brown shows how foreign policy matters. Highly recommended.
From the Publisher
In this penetrating analysis of the role of political leadership in the Cold War’s ending, Archie Brown shows why the popular view that Western economic and military strength left the Soviet Union with no alternative but to admit defeat is wrong. To understand the significance of the parts played by Mikhail Gorbachev, Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher in East-West relations in the second half of the 1980s, Brown addresses several specific questions: What were the values and assumptions of these leaders, and how did their perceptions evolve? What were the major influences on them? To what extent were they reflecting the views of their own political establishment or challenging them? How important for ending the East-West standoff were their interrelations? Would any of the realistically alternative leaders of their countries at that time have pursued approximately the same policies?
The Cold War got colder in the early 1980s and the relationship between the two military superpowers, the USA and the Soviet Union, each of whom had the capacity to annihilate the other, was tense. By the end of the decade, East-West relations had been utterly transformed, with most of the dividing lines – including the division of Europe – removed. Engagement between Gorbachev and Reagan was a crucial part of that process of change. More surprising was Thatcher’s role. Regarded by Reagan as his ideological and political soulmate, she formed also a strong and supportive relationship with Gorbachev (beginning three months before he came to power). Promoting Gorbachev in Washington as ‘a man to do business with’, she became, in the words of her foreign policy adviser Sir Percy Cradock, ‘an agent of influence in both directions’.
Review: The Human Factor
The Human Factor by Archie Brown starts off with a quick overview of the Cold War. Thankfully, he even includes Stanislav Petrov’s story. The world came close to nuclear war, but his quick thinking averted monumental disaster. Part one also includes quick biographies of Gorbachev, Reagan, and Thatcher. These chapters found the appropriate balance between too much and just the right amount of information. I knew a bit about Reagan but nothing about Gorbachev or Thatcher. So, these sections helped me, and they set up the reasons why the leaders were who they were.They setup part two very nicely.
Part two covers the timeline from 1985 to 1991. This section looks at the challenges to the relationships that the three eventually formed. The history here is one that I lived through but didn’t pay attention to at the time. Brown’s use of each leaders support staff or cabinet’s thoughts to describe another leader works so well. The reader gets to see each leader through the eyes of others at the time. It gives a sense of how they worked together and how they developed trust.
The final chapter summarizes the book but also provides a look at the effects of the Cold War ending. What lasted? What didn’t? Whose legacy lasted? Whose crumbled? This section is a clear example for anyone who wonders why studying history is pertinent to understanding today. I have to wonder what would have happened if the U.S. and Russian leadership had maintained the same relationship that Gorbachev, Thatcher, and Reagan had. The world might have been a different place. The author also highlights how the expansion of NATO was viewed b the Russians.
Gorbachev
Indispensable?
Readability
The Human Factor is a dense book. It’s filled with detail, with analysis, with quotes, and it covers a pivotal moment in history. I loved it but it’s a slow read. Archie Brown writes well, and he constructed his arguments well. There’s a lot to learn here about historical writing, and I’ll have to admit that I didn’t get everything out of the book on my one read. A reread will be necessary for me to get the most out of it, and I plan to reread this book.
Conclusion
Archie Brown’s The Human Factor is a study of historical leadership and the possibilities that trust between nations can achieve. It’s detailed, well argued, and makes me nostalgic for a U.S. where diplomacy mattered. The Human Factor shows three people who rose to the occasion, took advantage of favorable circumstances, and changed the world for the better. Highly recommended.
The Human Factor by Archie Brown from Oxford University Press is available 31 March, 2020.