Between Hope and Disillusion: Émigré Perspectives on U.S. Cold War Liberationist Ideals

Session Submission Type: Panel

Brief Description

The theme of liberation has been a prominent aspect of American foreign policy debates on Eastern Europe. This motif, deeply rooted in the anti-colonial narrative associated with America’s self-image as a beacon of democracy, gained fresh momentum with the U.S. decisive move away from isolationism and the unfolding Cold War. Eastern European political exiles, fleeing the clutches of communism, contributed significantly to crafting the Cold War strategy. By the late 1940s, this evolved into a liberation doctrine, profoundly shaping America’s covert and overt policies during the early stages of the Cold War.
This session aims to reassess the concept of liberation, examining its intellectual, political, and intelligence-related facets at its zenith during the 1950s. We will explore how anti-Communist exiles from Eastern Europe developed a compelling communication strategy for their cause, highlighting their impact on the strategic discussions in Cold War America. Focusing on case studies of émigré Poles, Ukrainians, and Estonians—political groups that held different positions in terms of geopolitical perception and the attention they received from the U.S. diplomacy and intelligence. The session investigates the response of émigré communities to the introduction of the liberation concept. Whether it was genuinely aimed at freeing Eastern Europe’s captive nations or more about securing electoral support? What did political exiles manage to achieve by joining the anti-Communist hawkish chorus of the James Burnham banner? The session illustrates a strategic transition from revolutionary tactics (liberation) to evolutionary strategies (liberalization) in America’s long-term stance towards Eastern Europe up until 1991 and beyond.

Sub Unit

• History: 1945-1990

Chair

• Douglas E. Selvage, Humboldt U Berlin (Germany)

Papers

• Liberation and What Next?: Émigré Plans of Reconstruction in Central and Eastern Europe Discussed during the Cold War - Sławomir Lukasiewicz, John Paul II Catholic U of Lublin (Poland)

• From Delicate Lobby Work to Mass Demonstrations: An Inside Look on the Exile-Estonian Struggle for Keeping the Baltic Question Current - Maarja Merivoo-Parro, U of Jyväskylä (Finland)

• Halfway to Liberation: Ukrainian Cold War Émigrés and the Pitfalls of US Strategic Ambivalence - Oleksandr Avramchuk, John Paul II Catholic U of Lublin (Poland)

Discussant

• Douglas E. Selvage, Humboldt U Berlin (Germany)