Codrul Cosminului (Jul 2015)
The evolution of the “enemy image” in American-Soviet relations from 1979 to 1991
Abstract
The article presents the main changes in the political attitudes of the USA and the USSR, during 1979-1991, analyzing the evolution of the image of “the other superpower”. The author explores the role of the official rhetoric in the age of the Cold War, determining the stages of transformation of the rival-superpower’s appearances in the American and Soviet leaders’ public speeches. The article highlights similarities and differences in the official rhetoric of the superpowers, as well as the basic areas in which the image of “the rival” was depicted. Since the real change in the representation of the “Other” started in 1988, the author indicates how the rival superpowers’ image has evolved from «main external enemies» to «partners».
