The first in-depth account of the historic diplomatic agreement that served as a blueprint for ending the Cold War The Helsinki Final Act was a watershed of the Cold War. Signed by thirty-five European and North American leaders at a summit in Finland in the summer of 1975, the agreement presented a vision for peace based on common principles and cooperation across the Iron Curtain. The Final Act is the first in-depth account of the diplomatic saga that produced this historic agreement. Drawing on research in eight countries and multiple languages, this gripping book explains the Final Act's emergence from the parallel crises of the Soviet bloc and the West during the 1960s, the strategies of the major players, and the conflicting designs for international order that animated the negotiations. Helsinki had originally been a Soviet idea. But after nearly three years of grinding negotiations, the Final Act reflected liberal democratic ideals more than communist ones. It rejected the Brezhnev Doctrine, provided for German reunification, endorsed human rights as a core principle of international security, committed countries to greater transparency in economic and military affairs, and promoted the freer movement of people and information across borders. Instead of restoring the legitimacy of the Soviet bloc, Helsinki established principles that undermined it. The definitive history of the origins and legacy of this important agreement, The Final Act shows how it served as a blueprint for ending the Cold War, and how, when that conflict finally came to a close, the great powers established a new international order based on Helsinki's enduring principles.

"Morgan . . . makes a convincing case that in terms of importance, Helsinki was on a par with Westphalia, Vienna, and Versailles. Highly recommended." - Choice

"A fine story of intrigue and manipulation worthy of the best writers. . . . An authoritative book that should be widely read." - Queensland Reviewers Collective

"Morgan has done a brilliant job. . . . The Final Act, a volume in the Princeton series ‘America in the World,’ is an essential read for anyone interested in the Cold War." - StrategyPage

"Morgan’s skillful synthesis of his manifold research findings and the cultural-historical analysis of the negotiations make the book extremely worth reading." - H-Soz-Kult

"Michael Cotey Morgan’s book greatly enriches the literature on international relations in the 1945-1991 period." - French Institute of International Relations

"The Helsinki Final Act, signed by 35 European and North American leaders in 1975, represented the signatories’ vision for a cooperative relationship between the two sides of the Cold War. This history explores the document’s origins and provisions, claiming that the act’s legacy was to establish the principles that would undermine the Soviet bloc and ultimately define the post-Cold War era." - Survival