East-West trade and technology transfer have always been linked to the issue of "national security". The author identifies many different Western doctrines on East-West trade, demonstrating that two basic belief systems underly these doctrines.

Part 1 Economic interdependence; the functionalist view on East-West economic relations - the origins of economic interdependence - a historical note on peace through trade; Lloyd George's option - trading the Soviets into civilization; creating trust and understanding - aid to the Soviet Union; economic convergence - "these things too shall pass away"; economic interdependence as a strategy - German Osptolitic since the late 1960s. Part 2 Economic Containment - the strategic view on East-West economic relations: the origins of economic containment - from "Cordon Sanitaire" to Iron Curtain; economic security and the Cold War - selective peace and prosperity; economic warfare - better safe than sorry; the strategic embargo - Western economic defence; economic linkage - what to link?; economic strategies of differentiation - evoking the Yalta myth.