Argument: In pursuing a policy that ignored many of the realities and emphasized many personal convictions and fears, the US provoked the countermeasures taken by the Soviet Union and instigated a volatile, although never violently conflicting, arms race.
Leffler's argument passes the classical test. Both major and minor premises can be agreed upon with little argument and persuasion and make a very interesting and very controversial point.
He also provides adequate background and explanation, with complimentary resources and full introductions and conclusions.
