Ambassadors of Realpolitik

<p> During the Cold War Sweden actively cultivated a reputation as the conscience of the world working to build bridges between East and West and embracing a nominal commitment to international solidarity. This groundbreaking study explores the tension between realism and idealism in Swedish diplomacy during a key episode in Cold War history: the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe culminating in the 1975 Helsinki Accords. Through careful analysis of new evidence it offers a compelling counternarrative of this period showing that Sweden strategically ignored human rights violations in Eastern Europe and the nonaligned states in its pursuit of national interests.</p>