This conference aims to explore how asymmetric/unequal relationships shaped the Cold War in bilateral, multilateral, regional or global frameworks. More specifically, it intends to discuss the relationship between small and weaker actors versus great and stronger international actors, both in theory and in practice.   

Confirmed keynote speakers

• Dr Laurien Crump, University of Utrecht
• Dr Angela Romano, University of Glasgow

Argument

This conference aims to explore how asymmetric/unequal relationships shaped the Cold War in bilateral, multilateral, regional or global frameworks.  More specifically, it intends to discuss the relationship between small and weaker actors versus great and stronger international actors, both in theory and in practice.   

During the last few decades, benefiting from the opening of a multitude of state and party archives from the ‘Eastern side’ of the Cold War, a flourishing scholarship on the role and policies of small powers has emerged. In many cases, it has shown that the weaker actor could impose its preferences on the stronger one or that the stronger actor could not always impose its preferences on the weaker one. Observing the imbalanced relationships between the small and the great powers, this scholarship usually focused on the interplay between the hegemons and their clients investigating how the hegemon struggled to maintain its dominance and control or how the client tried to break the hegemon’s hold or find more room for manoeuvre.

This conference, however, aims to explore Cold War asymmetric relationships beyond the traditional East-West divide, beyond the hegemon-client relationship, and beyond Europe. 

Main topics

The conference invites proposals from both established and young scholars of various fields (history, economics, political science, international relations, Cold War studies, etc.) addressing topics such as, but not limited to:

• Asymmetry in Cold War relations (bilateral, multilateral, regional, global);
• Managing asymmetric/unequal/imbalanced relationships (domestically and internationally);
• Asymmetric interplay involving international organizations (the European Economic Community, the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, GATT, IMF, UNCTAD, World Bank etc.);
• Theory of asymmetric international relations.

Submission guidelines

We invite proposals for:

• Individual papers (30 minutes, including discussions)
• Panels (90 minutes, including discussions)
• Roundtable discussions (research, teaching, projects, book presentations etc. – 90 minutes)

Paper proposals of no more than 300 words should be sent by 12 September 2021 to dragomir_elena2005(at)yahoo.com.

Successful applicants will be notified by 20 September 2021.

The Scientific Committee

• Dr Elena Dragomir, Dr Silviu Miloiu, University Valahia of Târgoviște (organizers)
• Dr Laurien Crump, University of Utrecht
• Dr Angela Romano, University of Glasgow
• Dr Cosmin Popa, ‘Nicolae Iorga’ Institute of History, the Romanian Academy
• Dr Ryan Issa Haddad, University of Maryland

Contact info/email: dragomir_elena2005 (at) yahoo.com

This conference is organized by the Valahia University of Târgoviște, Romania, as part of a research project financed by the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research, CNCS – UEFISCDI, Project number PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2019-0142, within PNCDI III.