1. Peaceful Coexistence

2. Causes in the USSR 5th March 1953, Stalin died
Malenkov, Beria and Kruschev vied for the control of the USSR
Beria was tried as a British spy, and executed by firing squad on 23rd December 1953
Malenkov was became premier of the USSR until 1957, when he was forced to resign. In 1961, he was expelled from the Communist Party, and exiled to a hydro-electric plant in Kazakhstan
25th February 1956, Kruschev delivered ‘Secret Speech, and thereafter was known as the leader of the USSR

3. In his 1956 Secret Speech, Kruschev blamed the excesses of the Soviet Union on Stalin
Kruschev condemned the cult of personality that surrounded Stalin
The speech strengthened Kruschev’s standing in the USSR, but led many in the Eastern Bloc to believe that the Soviet Union was loosening its grip on the sattelite states

4. Causes in the US
30th January 1953, Eisenhower was sworn in as president
John Dulles, Secretary of State, was a staunch anti-communist
Eisenhower brought in the ‘New Look’ policy, marking a change from Dulles’ suggested policy of ‘rollback’

5. Evidence of Peaceful Coexistence
The ‘New Look’ policy stated that if the US stopped the spread of communism, then without any opportunity to expand, the USSR would collapse without the need for war
Peaceful Coexistence, taken by Kruschev from Malenkov’s Third Route policy, stated that capitalist countries would destroy each other if left alone, removing the need for war
The idea of Mutually Assured Destruction reduced the likelihood of nuclear war
In 1959, there was a Soviet exhibit in New York, and an American exhibit in Moscow
Vice-president Nixon visited the USSR, and had an impromptu argument with Kruschev in a model US kitchen, known as the ‘Kitchen Debate’

6. In April 1955, the USSR suggested a formal peace treaty with Austria
France, Britain, the US and the USSR withdrew their occupying forces from Austria
Austria became neutral, independent country
In July 1955, Geneva Summit took place
First meeting of the leaders of the ‘Great Powers’ since 1945

7. Evidence against Peaceful Coexistence
By and large, the Geneva Summit failed to solve any major issues
The USSR proposed the mutual dissolvement of NATO and the Warsaw Pact, a European Security Treay and free elections for a reunified Germany. These proposals were rejected by the US
The US proposed an ‘Open Skies’ policy, where both nations would exchange plans of military installations and allow the other nation to observe their current installations. The USSR was hostile to these proposals, refusing to even send a formal reply

8. 4th October 1957, the USSR launched Sputnik, the first artificial satellite, into space
Led to fears in the US that the USSR had overtaken them in the technology race
The US media promoted the idea of a ‘missile gap’, that the USSR had overtaken the US in the production of nuclear warheads, a concept that Kruschev constantly boasted
In response, Eisenhower supported the setting up of NASA in 1958, in order to have a more coherent plan for space exploration
Federal aid was given to schools, to promote the sciences

9. From October-November 1956, there was a revolt in Hungary against the communist government
Without aid from the West, the revolt was crushed when Soviet forces were sent into Hungary to protect the government, killing thousands
Simultaneously, France, Britain and Israel invaded Egypt to remove President Nasser
The USSR labelled the Suez Crisis imperialism
The US condemned both military actions