Roosevelt's Lost Alliances

Roosevelt's Lost Alliances Book Description

In the spring of 1945, as the Allied victory in Europe was approaching, the shape of the postwar world hinged on the personal politics and flawed personalities of Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin. This book shows how FDR crafted a winning coalition by overcoming the differences among the three leaders. In particular, Roosevelt trained his famous charm on Stalin, rendering him more amenable to compromise. Yet, even as he pursued a lasting peace, FDR was alienating his own intimate circle of advisers. After his death, postwar cooperation depended on Harry Truman, who, with very different sensibilities, heeded the embittered "Soviet experts" his predecessor had kept distant. A Grand Alliance was painstakingly built and carelessly lost--the Cold War was by no means inevitable. This landmark study brings to light key overlooked documents, highlighting the interplay between national interests and more contingent factors, such as the personalities cultural differences of leaders. Foreign relations flowed from personal politics--a lesson pertinent to historians, diplomats, and citizens alike.--From publisher description.