ABSTRACT
The superpower relationship since 1945 has been an area of considerable academic debate. This essay will concentrate on two areas which have elicited most attention: namely the course and causes of the US-Soviet rivalry. To do this, the following analysis has been divided into three sections: the Cold War, 1945–62; competitive co-existence, 1962–89; and co-operative co-existence, 1989 to the present day. The aim of this subdivision is to emphasize the progression—albeit, very unsteady—towards an improved US-Soviet relationship.
