The USSR and its Diplomatic Partners, 1917-91

Abstract

After its break with established diplomatic partners in 1917 the Soviet government moved slowly to reconstruct its relations with the outside world. Over the period up to 1991, the largest number of exchanges took place with Finland, and after the Second World War, with Bulgaria and the GDR. But the major capitalist countries steadily became more prominent, and the USA was the USSR's most important diplomatic partner during the 1970s. Similarly, the CMEA states were the USSR's main partners after the Second World War, but by the late 1980s it was NATO member states that predominated. Patterns of this kind are consistent with theories that have suggested the gradual 'socialization' of revolutionary states as they necessarily engage in patterns of interaction with the international community.