Word: westernness
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1960-1969
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Brezhnev and Kosygin are in agreement about liberalization in Russia, but Brezhnev takes ideology more into consideration and generally prefers a relatively tougher line. Kosygin is more practical and realistic and, though no liberal in the Western sense (both he and Brezhnev served time in Stalin's ca dres), is more or less looked to by the new intelligentsia as their best hope for further relaxation of party control. Suslov is more of a hardliner, while Podgorny has the strongest liberal tendencies of all. All four distrust the ambitious younger leaders, at whom they recently struck a blow...
Despite its menacing tone, the Kremlin seems anxious to avoid any serious confrontation with the U.S. Instead, it is working for the breakup of the Western Alliance and aiming at the eventual withdrawal of U.S. troops from Europe. It finds Charles de Gaulle an invaluable if unintentional ally in its endeavor, and is striving to divide the U.S. from its European allies, particularly the Germans. The Russians are also thinking more and more of establishing themselves as a Mediterranean power, an old dream of the Czars that shows how firmly Communism in Russia has become wedded to traditional national interests...
Probably launched from the Tyuratam Cosmodrome in central Kazakhstan, the first of the satellites, Cosmos 186, lifted off on Oct. 27. Western scientists immediately noted that it was traveling in an orbit remarkably similar to that of Soyuz 1, which crashed on landing last April, killing Soviet Cosmonaut Vladimir M. Komarov. Three days later, a cylindrical object called Cosmos 188 was rocketed aloft into the same orbital track, a scant 14.9 miles from Cosmos 186. The accuracy was remarkable, but it had to be. Western space experts have learned that Russian spacecraft radar lacks power for long-range precision...
...step toward the "creation in orbit of big scientific space stations capable of carrying out complex and multifaceted exploration of outer space and planets." Sir Bernard Lovell, Director of Britain's Jodrell Bank observatory, agreed that this was "a logical explanation." But Lovell, as well as other Western observers, believes that the space docking project could also be part of a Soviet effort toward orbiting the moon from a space platform circling the earth. All this is necessary because the Russians, so far, do not seem to have developed a vehicle-such as the U.S.'s Saturn...
...addition to the mellow overture, Keldysh insisted that "there will be no manned launchings before the holidays." But Western space officials were keenly aware that Cosmos 186 had probably solved the soft-landing problems that turned Soyuz 1 into a funeral pyre. And noting that the U.S.S.R. has reportedly asked India for permission to land a manned capsule on its territory in the future, they speculated at week's end that the eventual result of last week's rendezvous will be a circumlunar mission destined to end with a landing in-or near-India...