Soviet Diplomacy And Negotiating Behavior

"The foreign affairs book of the season ... an absorbing review of the nitty-gritty of Soviet-American diplomacy over the years."—Stephen S. Rosenfeld, The Washington Post "Vast in its historical sweep. . . . Focusing on the period since the Bolshevik Revolution, Whelan stresses five themes: the nature of negotiating behavior, its principal characteristics, elements contributing to its formation, aspects of continuity and change during more than 60 years, and the implications of the record for U.S. foreign policy in the 1980s. "The bulk of the book traces Soviet diplomacy under Chicherin and Litvinov, the enormously complex and detailed wartime conferences with Stalin, the descent into the cold war, the transition to peaceful coexistence with Nikita Krushchev (including fascinating details on the Cuban Missile Crisis), peaceful coexistence with Leonid Brezhnev (including extensive chronological analysis of the SALT process) and finally, judgements about how U.S. policy should be informed in future un- dertakings with the Soviets."—Nish Jamgotch, Jr., The American Political Science Review

"Smith's book contains a wealth of insights into Soviet negotiating style... " -- Foreign Service Journal "Smith, a professional diplomat, has made a timely and substantial contribution to a well-explored area.... his prescription for a more 'bipartisan' American foreign policy is especially convincing." -- Library Journal ..". this is a surprisingly good monograph.... the writing is lively and open." -- World Affairs Report "Smith is on solid ground in pointing to the factors of authority, risk-avoidance and control as keys to understanding Soviet negotiating behavior. He does have something new to say, and American diplomats should be listening." -- Foreign Affairs "Raymond Smith's book, Negotiating with the Soviets, should be a required primer for new Foreign Service officers before their first negotiations with Soviet counterparts as well as mandatory reading for policymakers in the White House." -- The Russian Review ..". a wealth of insights into Soviet negotiating style... " -- Foreign Service Journal Drawing on his extensive experience "negotiating with the Soviets," Smith argues that a unique political culture and ideology have produced a Soviet approach to international negotiations often dramatically different from that of the West.

Whether bargaining for strategic arms reductions, rights to drill Siberian oil fields, or an apartment in Moscow, Americans are faced across the table by a distinct Russian negotiating style. What are its chief characteristics, and how can U.S. diplomats and businesspeople best deal with it as they pursue their own objectives? Jerrold Schecter explores these questions with a wealth of personal experience as a former government official, journalist, and corporate executive. His insights, deepened by his working knowledge of the Russian language, also draw on the testimony of U.S. and former Soviet diplomats and negotiators. As he examines the historical and cultural underpinnings of contemporary Russian negotiating behavior, Schecter finds that the Bolshevik legacy remains largely intact despite the Soviet Union's demise. A step-by-step examination of the negotiating process, based on unique inside accounts from retired Soviet officials, exposes the areas of greatest continuity in Russian interests and style, as well as areas of change. Russian Negotiating Behavior also identifies counterstrategies that western negotiators can use to protect their interests, and it outlines the requirements for doing business in Russia's nascent market economy.