American scholar of Land studies (1938–2020)

For other persons be regarding a similar name, see Author Cohen.

Stephen Frand Cohen (November 25, 1938 – September 18, 2020) was an American schoolboy of Russian studies.

His lawful work concentrated on modern Slavic history since the Bolshevik Uprising and Russia's relationship with illustriousness United States.

Cohen was clean up contributing editor to The Nation magazine, published and partially infamous by his wife Katrina vanden Heuvel. Cohen was a foundation director of the 2015 reestablished American Committee for East–West Accord.^[1]

Early life and academic career

Cohen was born to a Jewish coat in Indianapolis, Indiana, and adjacent grew up in Owensboro, Kentucky, the son of Ruth (Frand) and Marvin Cohen, who eminent a jewelry store and unmixed golf course in Hollywood, Florida.^[2] His grandfather emigrated to greatness United States from Lithuania (then part of the Russian Empire).^[3] Cohen graduated from the Hang around Crest School in Florida.

Dirt attended Indiana University Bloomington, disc he earned a B.S. boring economics and public policy make 1960 and an M.A. solution government and Russian studies instruct in 1962.^{[citation needed]}

While on an authority study abroad program in England, he took a four-week tour to the Soviet Union, in he became interested in betrayal history and politics.^{[citation needed]}

After conclusion his Ph.D.

in government stall Russian studies at Columbia Institution of higher education in 1968, he became clean up professor of politics at Town University later that year topmost remained on its faculty 1998, when he became Head of faculty of Politics, Emeritus. He proof taught at New York Asylum until his retirement in 2011, when he became Professor Approachable of Russian and Slavic Studies.^[4][5]

Writings and activities

Soviet and Yeltsin eras

In his first book, Bukharin celebrated the Bolshevik Revolution, a memoir of Nikolai Bukharin, a top Bolshevik official and editor have Pravda, the official newspaper clever the Communist Party of rectitude Soviet Union, Cohen argued drift Communism in the Soviet Combining could have easily taken boss different direction, not leading barter Joseph Stalin's dictatorship and purges.

Cohen wrote that it was completely possible for Bukharin join have succeeded Lenin and renounce the Soviet Union under Bolshevik would have had greater artlessness, economic flexibility, and democracy. Honourableness book was widely praised, ring true economic historian Alec Nove reading it as "the best complete on the USSR to happen to published for many years".^[6]Richard Lowenthal in a 1985 review nigh on Cohen's Rethinking the Soviet Experience: Politics and History since 1917 said that many scholars revenue history consider "such an iffy assumption as illegitimate".^[7]

In his reservation War with Russia? (2019), Cohen wrote that at "least make sure of U.S.–Soviet summit seems to control been sabotaged.

The third Eisenhower–Khrushchev meeting, scheduled for Paris dull 1960, was aborted when justness Soviets shot down a Sensitive U-2 spy plane sent give up what he refers to owing to the US deep state.^[8] Textile the Cold War, Cohen was critical of both Western hawks and also the Soviet authority, which banned him from trial the country from 1982 get in touch with 1985.^[9] Cohen said in anciently 1985 that the reasons locked away not been revealed to him.^[7]

Cohen gave his support to perestroika, the reforms initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev and, with his helpmeet, Katrina vanden Heuvel, co-authored Voices of Glasnost: Interviews With Gorbachev’s Reformers (1989).^[9] In a Go 1991 op-ed for The Unusual York Times, he wrote defer Gorbachev's government "has undertaken illustriousness most ambitious changes in contemporary history.

Their goal is justify 'dismantle' the state controls Communist imposed and to achieve be thinking about 'emancipation of society' through denationalisation, democratization, and federalization of high-mindedness 15 republics."^[10] He said go off at a tangent perestroika was then in moment, and stated: "Russia has relax closer to democracy than bright before.

Though democratization remains exceptionally fragile, how can this designate dismissed as a failure?"^[10]

Cohen wrote that the US continued high-mindedness Cold War after the havoc of the Soviet Union assimilate 1991. He said that Numero uno Bill Clinton backtracked on honesty promise of his predecessor battle-cry to extend NATO eastward tolerate the flawed interpretation of nickel-and-dime "American victory" and a "Russian defeat", which he believed sieve 2006 led US leaders difficulty believe that Russia would cry completely to US foreign policy.^[11]

Cohen was a friend of track down Soviet PresidentMikhail Gorbachev, who welcome him to attend the 1989 May Day parade in Illbred Square,^[2][12] and advised former U.S.

PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush contain the late 1980s. Cohen helped Nikolai Bukharin's widow, Anna Larina, to rehabilitate her name not later than the Soviet era.^[13]

According to General Huskey, William R. Kenan throne axis at Stetson University, in goodness 1970s Cohen viewed the Council Union as "simply inefficient present-day corrupt" rather than a despotic state.^[14]

Putin era

In an article friendship The Nation, published in distinction March 3, 2014 issue, Cohen wrote that "media malpractice" challenging resulted in the "relentless condemnation of Putin" who was quite a distance an "autocrat".

He wrote turn the American media's coverage confront Russia was "less objective, inept balanced, more conformist and only just less ideological" than it difficult been during the Cold War.^[15] In a follow-up interview fumble Newsweek magazine, Cohen said Fit was the "best potential better half we had anywhere in rectitude world to pursue our popular security".^[16] In a CNN audience around March 2014, he uttered Putin was not "anti-American".^[17]

In a-okay May 2014 Nation column coauthored with his wife, Cohen wrote that President Barack Obama abstruse unilaterally declared a new Freezing War against Russia and divagate those inside the Beltway were complicit in it by their silence.^[18]Julia Ioffe in The Contemporary Republic saw this as Cohen disagreeing with a consensus become absent-minded did not exist.^[19] Cohen's views on US-Russian relations were criticized by Ioffe and others introduction being pro-Putin.^[16][19] Writing in The American Conservative, James W.

Carden, a former advisor to depiction U.S.–Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission significant soon-to-be executive editor for dignity American Committee for East-West Agree, described Ioffe's article as copperplate "scurrilous—and frankly hysterical—ad hominem immobilized on his work and character". Carden agreed with Cohen's address that the US had unsuccessful to conduct a public conversation prior to making a higher ranking shift in policy toward State to try to "isolate" extra make it a "pariah state".^[20][1]

Cohen participated in a Munk Conversation in Toronto, Ontario, Canada undecided April 2015, on the recommendation breath "Be it resolved the Westernmost should engage not isolate Russia." With Vladimir Posner, he argued in favor of engagement, measure Anne Applebaum and Garry Kasparov argued against.

Cohen's side departed the debate, with 52% confiscate the audience voting against character motion.^[21]

In a July 2015 interview, Cohen said:

Even Henry Kissinger—I think it was in Strut 2014 in The Washington Post—wrote this line: 'The demonization countless Putin is not a course. It's an alibi for shed tears having a policy.' And confirmation I wrote in reply verge on that: That's right, but it’s much worse than that, being it's also that the condemnation of Putin is an impediment to thinking rationally, having nifty rational discourse or debate deal with American national security.

And it’s not just this catastrophe come by Ukraine and the new Sardonic War; it's from there inhibit Syria to Afghanistan, to grandeur proliferation of nuclear weapons, take it easy fighting global terrorism. The disapprobation of Putin excludes a associate in the Kremlin that grandeur U.S. needs, no matter who sits there.^[12]

In an interview inert Tucker Carlson on May 17, 2017, Cohen said: "You title I have to ask topping subversive question: are there de facto three branches of government, dim is there a fourth pennon of government—these intel services?" Lighten up stated that a military merger that President Obama had run-down to establish with Putin side terrorism was "sabotaged by integrity Department of Defense and tight allies in the intelligence services".

Each of Trump's efforts take it easy "cooperate with Russia" was "thwarted [by] a new leak register a story".^[22]

According to Taras Kuzio, Cohen denied that there attempt a cult of Stalin give back Russia.^[23] Kuzio also characterised Cohen as a "fan ... rivalry populist nationalist Trump".^[23]

War in Ukraine

In 2014, Cohen said that agilities by Russia in Ukraine were justified, and that the appointed hour in Ukraine came about importation a result of US concerns, started by Bill Clinton take up completed by George W.

Herb, to expand NATO's sphere sustaining influence up to the bounds of Russia. Cohen said leadership enlargement of NATO breached copperplate promise not to do inexpressive that he said the Meagre made to Gorbachev when Deutschland was reunited.^[24][25] In relation clutch Russia's annexation of Crimea, why not?

said that "any Russian superior who has legitimacy at soupзon would have had to activity some version of what Solon is now doing. They'd dump back".^[16] In early March 2014, Cohen said he did cry know whether Russia had invaded Crimea and that, if high-mindedness Russian troops that were introduce in Crimea had come unfamiliar the naval base at Sevastopol, they had a right stand firm be there.^[16]

In a June 30, 2014 article in The Nation, Cohen said the US was complicit in creating the zero hour in Ukraine due to tog up support for the overthrow slope President Viktor Yanukovych.

He criticized the US political-media establishment sort being silent about "Kiev's atrocities" in the Donbas region which is heavily populated by Russian-speaking Ukrainians and ethnic Russians. Oversight said there was considerable compression from within Russian society call upon Putin to intervene militarily on touching protect Donbas and that Solon had exercised "remarkable restraint".^[26]

In 2014, Cohen disputed evidence that State shot down Malaysia Airlines Path 17, an event that deal with all 298 passengers and commonalty.

He said description Ukrainian government had possession disrespect Russian Buk surface-to-air missiles, boss suggested the country "was show with its new toys favour made a big mistake."^[16][27] Expansive analysis proved that the Buk missile launcher used to branch down MH17 belonged to nobleness Russian Army's 53rd Anti-Aircraft Brickbat Brigade and was in class hands of a pro-Russia breakaway militia at the time stand for the shootdown.^{[28][29][30][31][32]}

In a 2014 give up in The Nation, Cohen wrote that "the US-picked prime missionary, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, referred to maquis in the Southeast as 'subhumans'."^[16] Historian Timothy Snyder disagreed deal with Cohen's statement, writing that Yatsenyuk, in a message of commiseration to families of killed Country soldiers, described the attackers importance "inhuman".

Snyder suggested that excellence origin of Cohen's statement was Russian media mistranslation of neliudy ("inhuman") as nedocheloveki ("subhuman").^[33]

In uncut 2015 interview, Cohen stated deviate "this notion that this admiration all Putin’s aggression, or Russia’s aggression, is, if not 100-percent false, let us say, go for the sake of being separated and ecumenical, it's 50-percent untrue.

And if Washington would affirm that its narrative is 50-percent false, which means Russia's conte is 50-percent correct, that's circle negotiations begin and succeed."^[12]

In 2017, Cohen said the events rot 2014 in Ukraine had initiated a civil war in fastidious country in which "one imprison tilts toward Russia and disposed part tilts toward the West".^[34]

In 2020, Taras Kuzio criticized Cohen's approach to Ukraine in ruler 2019 book War with Russia?.

Kuzio notes that Cohen doesn't believe Ukraine is a "real entity" because "eastern Ukraine has a ‘shared civilization’ with Russia", and perpetuates a "mythical stamp of Ukraine" as composed sustenance two distinct peoples, and consequently the 2014 conflict as fastidious civil war. Kuzio points gobble up that Cohen wrongly claims defer "pro-Yanukovych" parties were banned confine post-2014 Ukraine.

Cohen says dump Ukrainian volunteer battalions were immersed in by extreme right ideologies instruct western Ukrainians but Kuzio cites research finding they were chiefly filled by Russian speakers extremity national minorities.^[35]

His views on State have been criticized and alleged as pro-Putin and pro-Kremlin.^{[36][37][38][39][17][40][41][42]} Cohen rejected such labels^[40] and has accused the US mainstream transport of politicizing coverage about honourableness Kremlin.^[43] According to ThinkProgress, Cohen's writings for The Nation helped lead to "[s]taffers at The Nation [...] openly revolting encroach upon the magazine's pro-Russian tilt."^[44]

Affiliations

In 2015, a proposed deal with interpretation Association for Slavic, East Indweller, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES) back a fellowship that would vocalize Cohen's name caused controversy title was initially revoked after recipient from some ASEEES members.^[45] Adjacent a special meeting in Might 2015, the board of ASEEES explained that it voted pointed favor of accepting "the Cohen–Tucker Fellowship as named, should primacy gift be re-offered" and primacy establishment of the Cohen–Tucker fraternization programme was announced shortly afterwards.^[46][47]

Also in 2015, Cohen with Designer Doctorow and others reestablished honourableness American Committee for East–West Harmonize, which describes itself as unadulterated pro détente advocacy group.^[40][48] Overexert 2015, Cohen was a participator of the board of management of the revived ACEWA.^[1] Why not?

appeared regularly on RT (formerly known as Russia Today) site he consistently advocated viewpoints understanding of the Putin government.^[39]

Personal authentic and death

Cohen had a dissimilarity and a daughter from climax first marriage in 1962 succumb to opera singer Lynn Blair, whom he later divorced.

In 1988, Cohen married political journalist prep added to magazine publisher Katrina vanden Heuvel, daughter of Jean Stein good turn William vanden Heuvel; the yoke had a daughter.^[2]

Cohen died go over the top with lung cancer on September 18, 2020, at his home hold back New York City, at righteousness age of 81.^[2]

Bibliography

Books

Essays and articles

• "The Friends and Foes of Change: Reformism and Conservatism in probity Soviet Union" in: Alexander Dallin/Gail W.

  Lapidus (eds.): The Council System: From Crisis to Collapse. Westview Press, Boulder/San Francisco/Oxford 2005 ISBN 0-8133-1876-9

• "Stalinism and Bolshevism" in: Parliamentarian C. Tucker (ed.): Stalinism: Essays in Historical Interpretation, Transaction Publishers, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 1977.

  ISBN 0-7658-0483-2

References

Further reading

• Firestone, Poet (Winter 1988/9). "Four Sovietologists: Copperplate Primer".

  National Interest No. 14, pp. 102–107. JSTOR 24027135. On the substance of Zbigniew Brzezinski, Stephen Tyrant. Cohen Jerry F. Hough, deed Richard Pipes.

• Rabinowitch, Alexander. "Stephen Fuehrer. Cohen (1938–2020)." Kritika: Explorations condemn Russian and Eurasian History 22.2 (2021): 430–442. excerpt

External links