From Trust to Terror: The Onset of the Cold War

From Trust to Terror: The Onset of the Cold War examines the critical period between 1945-1950 when relations between the United States and Soviet Union transformed from wartime alliance to hostile rivalry. Herbert Feis draws on diplomatic records and government documents to trace the breakdown of cooperation between these two powers. The book follows the key events and decisions that shaped this pivotal transition, including the Potsdam Conference, atomic diplomacy, and the Marshall Plan. Through accounts of high-level meetings and exchanges between American and Soviet leaders, Feis reconstructs the mounting tensions and misunderstandings that emerged. Feis provides context for the strategies and policies adopted by both sides as they maneuvered for influence in postwar Europe and Asia. The narrative covers the formative events that established the framework for four decades of Cold War confrontation. The work stands as an examination of how international trust can erode through a combination of conflicting interests, ideological differences, and the pressures of geopolitical competition. Its insights remain relevant to understanding the dynamics between global powers.

Readers describe this as a detailed diplomatic history focused on US-Soviet relations between 1945-1948. Reviews note the author's background as a State Department advisor adds credibility to his analysis. Common praise: - Clear documentation of policy decisions and communications - Thorough coverage of negotiation failures and misunderstandings - Balance between US and Soviet viewpoints - Helpful context about key figures' perspectives Main criticisms: - Dense writing style with complex diplomatic language - Assumes prior knowledge of WWII outcomes - Some passages read more like government reports than narrative history - Limited coverage of events outside US-Soviet interactions Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (14 ratings) Amazon: 4.1/5 (6 ratings) "Feis provides meticulous research but the prose can be dry" - Goodreads reviewer "Important historical record but requires focused reading" - Amazon review Note: Limited online reviews available for this 1970 academic text.

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🔷 Herbert Feis served as a Special Consultant to three U.S. Secretaries of War between 1944-1946, giving him unique firsthand insights into the transition period he writes about in the book. 🔷 The book won the prestigious Bancroft Prize in American History in 1971, marking Feis's second time winning this award after previously receiving it for "Churchill-Roosevelt-Stalin" in 1957. 🔷 Before becoming a historian, Feis taught economics at the University of Kansas and worked as the Economic Advisor for International Affairs to the U.S. Department of State from 1931-1943. 🔷 The book challenges the then-common view that the Cold War's onset was inevitable, instead examining specific decisions and missed opportunities for cooperation between 1945-1948. 🔷 Feis was one of the first historians to extensively use the newly declassified American diplomatic documents from the immediate post-WWII period in his research for this book.