Khrushchev, Eisenhower, and Peaceful Coexistence

The period from Stalin's death in March 1953 to the construction of the Berlin Wall in August 1961 saw a complex and contradictory pattern: moments of genuine thaw alongside intensified competition. Nikita Khrushchev's declaration of "peaceful coexistence" appeared to offer hope, yet the period also saw the Hungarian Uprising, the Suez Crisis, Sputnik, and the Berlin ultimatum. The key question is: was peaceful coexistence a genuine attempt to reduce Cold War tensions, or was it a tactical manoeuvre within an ongoing struggle?

Key Definition: Peaceful coexistence was the Soviet doctrine, associated with Khrushchev, that the capitalist and socialist systems could compete without war. It rejected Stalin's thesis that war between the two systems was inevitable, while maintaining that communism would ultimately triumph through peaceful economic competition.

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Stalin's Death and the Succession

Stalin died on 5 March 1953. His death removed the most feared and unpredictable figure from Cold War diplomacy. After a brief collective leadership, Nikita Khrushchev emerged as the dominant figure by 1955, defeating rivals including Malenkov, Molotov, and Beria (who was executed in December 1953).

Khrushchev's leadership marked a significant shift in Soviet policy: