Download Khrushchev and `Peaceful Co-existence`

Khrushchev and 'Peaceful Co-existence'
Assignment: Using class information and the following information, write two paragraphs
describing Khrushchev – the first detailing the positive elements of Stalin, the second his
troubling points - from the perspective of the West.
QUESTION:
New Words
Imagine a class with a really tough and nasty teacher. After a while, that teacher summit: meeting of the major
world powers.
leaves, and a more gentle, reasonable teacher takes over
destalinisation:
dismantling
Will behaviour in the class get better, or worse?
Stalin died in 1953. He was hated all over eastern Europe.
heard he was dead, people in East Berlin rioted
When they
Stalin’s tyranny.
co-existence: living together.
capitalism: western system of a
free economy.
economic aid: money given to a
country to help build up its
economy.
After a short struggle for power, Khrushchev became the new ruler in
Russia.
Peaceful Co-existence
At first, the western powers hoped that Khrushchev would be the start of
a ‘thaw’ in the Cold War.
1. Khrushchev often met western leaders at ‘summit’ meetings.
Did you know
2. Stalin had made all Communist countries do what he wanted –
and he had fallen out with President Tito of Yugoslavia. But in
1955 Khrushchev went to Yugoslavia, telling Tito that ‘there are
different roads to communism’<. > Western leaders thought he
would no longer insist that all communist countries take orders
from Russia.
Even though he was a poorlyeducated peasant, Khrushchev
had insight and a good turn of
phrase.
He once said that
Communism and capitalism wou
only agree ‘when shrimps learne
to whistle’.
3. In a speech at the Twentieth Party Congress in 1956,
Khrushchev attacked Stalin, saying that Stalin was a murderer
and a tyrant. Khrushchev began to de-Stalinize Russia political prisoners were set free and Beria (Stalin’s Chief of
Secret Police) was executed. In 1961 Khrushchev declared
that the period of 'the dictatorship of the proletariat' was at and
end, and that he would bring in instead: 'the state of the whole
people'.
Source D
Did you know
While denouncing Joseph Stalin in a speech one day, Khrushchev was interrupted by
a voice from the audience: "You were one of Stalin's colleagues," the man
declared. "Why didn't you stop him?"
"Who said that!?" Khrushchev roared. This was followed by a terrified silence - only
broken at last by Khrushchev himself.
"Now..." he said in a quiet voice, "Now you know why."
4. Khrushchev said that he wanted peaceful co-existence (see
Source A) with the West. Western leaders hoped this meant
the end of the Cold War.
Source A
You do not like Communism. We do not like capitalism. There is only
one way out – peaceful co-existence.
Khrushchev speaking on a visit to Britain in 1956.
Source B
This Russian cartoon shows Khrushche
destroying the snowman (representing
Cold War).
We may argue. The main thing is to argue without using weapons.
Khrushchev speaking in 1959.
Source C
The death of Stalin (1953) was probably the starting point of the 'thaw'
because it brought to the forefront leaders in Russia - for example
Khrushchev - who wanted to improve relations with the
west... Khrushchev explained the new policy in his famous speech
(February 1956) in which he criticized Stalin and said that 'peaceful coexistence' was not only possible but essential: 'there were only two ways either peaceful co-existence or the most destructive war in history. There
is no third way'...
Norman Lowe, Mastering Modern World History (1982)
Written as a GCSE revision book by a History teacher.
Increasing Tension
If the rulers of the West hoped that Khrushchev would bring an end to
the Cold War, they were disappointed. By ‘peaceful co-existence’,
Khrushchev really meant ‘peaceful competition’. He started to build up
Russian power:
1. 'De-Stalinization’ did not mean a change back to capitalism, or
freedom from Russian control.
2. When communist countries went too far in their reforms,
Khrushchev sent in the Red Army.
3. He visited countries like Afghanistan and Burma and gave them
economic aid if they would support Russia.
4. Russia began an 'arms race' and a ‘space race’ with America.
EIGHT Countries in the Warsaw
Pact:
• USSR
• Albania
• Bulgaria
• Czechoslovakia
• East Germany
• Hungary
• Poland
• Romania.
5. In 1955 Khrushchev set up the Warsaw Pact - a military
alliance of Communist countries – to rival NATO. Pact
countries had detailed plans of how to wage nuclear
war against NATO if there was a war.
6. Russia waged a propaganda war against America and Britain.
Faced by this, America became just as aggressive:
1. In America, Senator McCarthy led a ‘witch-hunt’ for
‘Communists’ in America.
There was a propaganda war against Communism.
2. America was determined to win the 'arms race' and 'space race'
with Russia.
3. The Americans used U2 planes to spy on Russia.
As a result, the period 1955–1963 was the time of GREATEST tension in
the Cold War.
Source E
Did you know
Although Khrushchev has been careful to pay lip service to the coexistence
theme, this has apparently meant for him little more than an absence of
armed conflict. In a speech in Prague in June 1954, he stressed Soviet
possession of the atom and hydrogen bombs, as well as the necessity for
maintaining and increasing Soviet armed strength. Several times he
referred to the West as ‘the enemy’ and spoke of capitalist encirclement…
On 10 August … he indicated that there could be trade and increased
diplomatic intercourse, but no change in ideology, thereby implying no
respite from political warfare. [When pressed] Khrushchev blurted, ‘In this
field there can be no coexistence’.
Analysis of Khrushchev's views in a top secret CIA briefing paper (September 1955)
Source G
In fact, however, the 'thaw' was only partial: Khrushchev's policy was a
curious mixture which western leaders often found difficult to understand
[and] he was quick to respond to anything which seemed to be a threat to
the east.
Norman Lowe, Mastering Modern World History (1982)
Written as a GCSE revision book by a History teacher.
Khrushchev was NOT a gentle
easy-going man; he had been
Stalin’s right-hand man – Stalin
had used him to run the terror
purges after World War II.
Khrushchev loved to argue. Th
often caused tension between
leaders.
Source F
He displayed a shocking
rigidity in his thinking about
the West – an apparent
willingness to swallow the
propaganda he himself has
helped create.
Marshall MacDuffie, quoted in a
secret CIA briefing paper (195
MacDuffie was the American UNR
representative. The CIA described him
the person who had ‘seen more
Khrushchev than any other western