pter in relation to the theoretical rational underlying the conduct of international relations in the second half of the twentieth century. This theoretical rationale provides a basis for an examination of the conduct of international relations by the United States and the former Soviet Union during the Cold War era and by the United States and Russia in the post Cold War period.
The Concept of International Relations
International relations is most often thought in terms of relations among nations. International relations are largely associated with conflict resolution, as conflict and disagreement "are endemic" in the contemporary international environment. Cooperation may be considered as a foundation of human civilization; however, cooperation in transnational conflict resolution has traditionally been noticeably absent in the conduct of international relations. One need go no further back in time than the Gulf War in the late winter of 1
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