Soviet policy towards Japan : an analysis of trends in the 1970s and 1980s

Abstract

This thesis is concerned with providing an analysis of Soviet policy towards Japan in the recent years of the late 1970s and in the 1980s. Inputs in Soviet policy from the ideological , political, military and economic perspectives have all been examined in detail. It is argued in many places that much of the comment in Western sources on this subject is misleading thus many of the f indings seek to mitigate this situation. The criticism that has been levelled at the Soviets by Western analysts that they lack what can be defined as a 'policy' on Japan has been considered and found to be misplaced. Questions of to what degree the Soviets 'understand' Japan and the Japanese, as well as to what degree they have successfully integrated differing approaches (ideological, military, economic, political ) into a coherent policy have been investigated and shown, by and large, to have been of mixed nature in the first case, and of overall successful coordination in the second.