The Effect of Khrushchev

Stalin died in 1953.   He was hated all over eastern Europe.   When they heard he was dead, people in East Berlin rioted.

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.

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.

3. In a speech (text) at the Twentieth Party Congress in 1956, Khrushchev attacked Stalin, saying that Stalin was a murderer and a tyrant.   Khrushchev began to ‘de-stalinise’ 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'.

Increasing Tension

If the rulers of the West hoped that Khrushchev would bring an end to the Cold War, they were disappointed:

‘De-stalinisation’ did not mean a change back to capitalism, or freedom from Russia.   When communist countries went too far in their reforms, Khrushchev sent in the Red Army to stop them.

By ‘peaceful co-existence’, Khrushchev really meant ‘peaceful competition’.   He started to build up Russian power: 

1. He visited countries like Afghanistan and Burma   and gave them economic aid if they would support Russia.  

2. Russia began the ‘space race’ with America.   In 1957 Russia launched Sputnik , the first satellite.   In 1961 Yuri Gagarin became the first astronaut to orbit the earth.

3. 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.

4. Russia began an ‘arms race’ with America.   In 1953, Russia got the hydrogen bomb.  

5. 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 (e.g. Charlie Chaplin was accused of being a Communist.)

2. There was a propaganda war against Communism.

3. America had an 'arms race' with Russia.   In 1955, NATO agreed to a West German Army of ½ million men (this led to the formation of the Warsaw Pact).    

4. America became determined to win the Space race .

5. 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

This 1961 cartoon shows America and Russia at loggerheads with each other.   Most people expected that a nuclear war would happen - the atom bomb affected modern life and culture   .   American children were trained what to do in the event of a nuclear strike - 'Duck and Cover'.