Scholars Refight the Cold War

Debates flare anew over the origins and politics of the superpower conflict

By Karen J. Winkler

Bruce Cumings didn't mince words in his recent article in the journal Diplomatic History: "This is an essay about how badly read and provincial are the keepers of the field," he fired off.

The field that concerned Mr. Cumings was the history of the cold war. His essay was but the latest salvo in a new round of cold-war battles being fought in the pages of academic books and journals.

For a funny thing has happened with the crumbling of the Communist bloc and the end of