New Books in History Aaron Donaghy, "The Second Cold War: Carter, Reagan, and the Politics of Foreign Policy" (Cambridge UP, 2021)
Mar 1, 2026
Aaron Donaghy, an Associate Professor of History specializing in U.S. foreign relations and Cold War politics, discusses the tense 1979–1985 surge in U.S.-Soviet rivalry. He covers how domestic politics shaped Carter and Reagan’s risk-taking, the rise of the nuclear freeze movement, the 1983 nuclear scare, and why Reagan later pivoted toward negotiation.
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Domestic Politics Shaped Cold War Policy
- Domestic politics fundamentally shaped Carter and Reagan foreign policy reversals between 1977–1985.
- Donaghy shows presidents weigh polls, elections, and interest groups alongside Kremlin signals when calculating risk and credibility.
Defining The Second Cold War
- The 'Second Cold War' period is roughly 1979–1985, bookended by the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and Gorbachev's rise.
- Donaghy frames it as an acute spike in East-West tension between détente and the Cold War's end.
Carter's Moral Détente Contradiction
- Carter campaigned on moral leadership and human rights while also committing to détente and lower defense spending.
- These goals conflicted in practice, complicating arms talks and relations with the USSR.
