Covering the transition from the Cold War to an uncertain post-Cold War era, this volume shows policy makers and political leaders grappling with the loss of a paradigm that provided intellectual stability for 50 years. It examines changes in the security landscape, institutions, weapons, and U.S. military actions. The volume includes U.S. government documents from 1987 to 1994 covering national security institutions, changing visions of the international security landscape, post-Cold War East-West relations, nuclear strategy and arms control, and U.S. involvement in Central America, the Persian Gulf, Somalia, and Haiti. Each chapter begins with an introduction to frame the issues, events, and policy proposals. An introductory chapter establishes a framework for the study of U.S. national security. The concluding chapter is a note on primary research sources on the subject.

This volume establishes a sense of history and perspective in the study and teaching of contemporary national security. A careful reading of these documents should bring insights into the policy process along with the meaning of American values, interests, and national strategy—at least from the perspective of U.S. government officials. In this respect, the primary documents speak for themselves.