Soviet “New Thinking” and the Central American Crisis

Abstract

A revolution can only be legitimate if it is capable of defending itself(Lenin, Sochinenia).While it is Still too Early to draw decisive conclusions about the ongoing process of reform in the USSR, there are some observations that might safely be made. Glasnost has generally come to be viewed as a profound attempt to re-evaluate a number of time-honored principles of Marxism-Leninism before the actual undertaking of perestroika (policy reform) itself. If the scope and potential success of perestroika are the subject of heated scholarly debate in the West, a consensus holds that, thus far, a process of rethinking, re-evaluating, and transforming approaches to domestic policies in the USSR lie at its core. In light of the importance of the reform for the evolution of the Soviet domestic system, its influence upon the conduct of Soviet foreign policy represents an intriguing area for examination.