Download or read book The Concept of Neutrality in Stalin's Foreign Policy, 1945–1953 written by Peter Ruggenthaler and published by Lexington Books. This book was released on 2015-07-02 with total page 443 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Drawing on recently declassified Soviet archival sources, this book sheds new light on how the division of Europe came about in the aftermath of World War II. The book contravenes the notion that a neutral zone of states, including Germany, could have been set up between East and West. The Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin was determined to preserve control over its own sphere of German territory. By tracing Stalin's attitude toward neutrality in international politics, the book provides important insights into the origins of the Cold War.