starter activity

How did people react to Stalin’s death? Use this Russian cartoon from the 1950s to work out how people in the USSR responded to the news.

How did the policy How did the policy of ‘Peaceful of ‘Peaceful Coexistence’ Coexistence’

develop?develop?To understand the reasons To understand the reasons why relations between East why relations between East

and West improved after and West improved after Stalin’s deathStalin’s death

Aims

Your taskYour task

Watch the clip from ‘Cold War’ on Watch the clip from ‘Cold War’ on East-West relations in the aftermath East-West relations in the aftermath of Stalin’s death and answer the of Stalin’s death and answer the questions your teacher provides.questions your teacher provides.

Nikita Khrushev was eventually to emerge as leader of the Soviet Union. He spoke of ‘Peaceful Co-existence’ with the West. Why did he think this was necessary

Need for peaceful Need for peaceful coexistencecoexistence

Khrushchev thought downfall of Khrushchev thought downfall of capitalism was inevitable, but capitalism was inevitable, but ‘Peaceful Coexistence’ was best way ‘Peaceful Coexistence’ was best way of conducting relations in the interimof conducting relations in the interim

Alternative was nuclear warAlternative was nuclear war ““There are only two ways – either There are only two ways – either

Peaceful Coexistence or the most Peaceful Coexistence or the most destructive war in History. There is no destructive war in History. There is no Third Way” (Khrushchev)Third Way” (Khrushchev)

Your taskYour task

Read p.75-8 and list the reasons why Read p.75-8 and list the reasons why ‘peaceful co-existence’ emerged ‘peaceful co-existence’ emerged between the two superpowers. Take between the two superpowers. Take notes under these headings:notes under these headings:

Consolidation of positionsConsolidation of positions Military & economic contextMilitary & economic context Death of StalinDeath of Stalin BeriaBeria MalenkovMalenkov

ConsolidationConsolidation

By 1949 division of By 1949 division of Europe entrenchedEurope entrenched

Formation of Formation of NATO (1949) & NATO (1949) & Warsaw Pact Warsaw Pact (1953) made (1953) made divisions more divisions more evidentevident

Military & economic Military & economic contextcontext

By 1955 USA & USSR possessed hydrogen bombsBy 1955 USA & USSR possessed hydrogen bombs Arms race picking up speed, e.g 1950 US had 298 Arms race picking up speed, e.g 1950 US had 298

atomic bombs, in 1955 it had 2,422atomic bombs, in 1955 it had 2,422 1/3 of USSR spending went on military projects1/3 of USSR spending went on military projects

US Hydrogen bomb – one very similar was jettisoned in 1958 of coast of Georgia and remains there to this day!

Death of StalinDeath of Stalin

Power struggle between Beria (head Power struggle between Beria (head of secret police), Malenkov of secret police), Malenkov ((PolitburoPolitburo member) & Nikita member) & Nikita Khrushchev (Khrushchev (PolitburoPolitburo member) member)

Beria (with Svetlana) Malenkov Khrushchev

Read about Beria’s depraved sexual antics

Beria’s initiativesBeria’s initiatives

Beria: “All we want Beria: “All we want is a peaceful is a peaceful Germany, and it Germany, and it makes no difference makes no difference to us whether it is to us whether it is socialist or not”socialist or not”

BUT Berlin Uprising BUT Berlin Uprising (1953) dashed hopes (1953) dashed hopes of unified Germany – of unified Germany – 25,000 arrests, 400 25,000 arrests, 400 executionsexecutions

Malenkov’s ‘New Course’Malenkov’s ‘New Course’

New Course – war between New Course – war between capitalism and communism no capitalism and communism no longer inevitablelonger inevitable

Resources should be directed Resources should be directed towards improving living conditions towards improving living conditions in USSRin USSR

Khrushchev built on Malenkov’s Khrushchev built on Malenkov’s policy, developing ‘New Course’ into policy, developing ‘New Course’ into ‘Peaceful Co-existence’ & De-‘Peaceful Co-existence’ & De-StalinisationStalinisation

Extension taskExtension task

If you were going to ‘De-Stalinise’ the USSR and Eastern Bloc countries what would you do?

Your taskYour task

Study the information on p.80-1 Study the information on p.80-1 about the impact of Peaceful Co-about the impact of Peaceful Co-existence on Austria & Finland.existence on Austria & Finland.

What happened to each of these What happened to each of these countries after WWII?countries after WWII?

What evidence do the agreements What evidence do the agreements provide of Peaceful Co-existence?provide of Peaceful Co-existence?

PlenaryPlenary

Which of these factors most explains Which of these factors most explains why ‘Peaceful-Co-existence’ why ‘Peaceful-Co-existence’ emerged between East and West in emerged between East and West in the 1950s:the 1950s:

Death of StalinDeath of Stalin Military & economic contextMilitary & economic context Power-struggle among Soviet Power-struggle among Soviet

leadersleaders

HomeworkHomework

Create factoids on these key players Create factoids on these key players in the rise of ‘peaceful coexistence’ in the rise of ‘peaceful coexistence’ using the information on p.78-9 and using the information on p.78-9 and your own research:your own research:

Lavrenti BeriaLavrenti Beria Georgi MalenkovGeorgi Malenkov Nikita KhrushchevNikita Khrushchev

Who was Who was responsible for responsible for the post-Stalin the post-Stalin

thaw? thaw? To identify evidence that suggests To identify evidence that suggests the Thaw saw improvements in the Thaw saw improvements in relations and also an increase in relations and also an increase in

tensionstensionsTo plan an answer to an essay To plan an answer to an essay

questionquestion

Aims

Your taskYour task Try to find 5 pieces of Try to find 5 pieces of

evidence which would evidence which would suggest there was an suggest there was an improvement in improvement in relations between the relations between the superpowers & 5 superpowers & 5 pieces of evidence that pieces of evidence that tensions increased tensions increased during the ‘Thaw’. during the ‘Thaw’. Look through your Look through your notes and discuss with notes and discuss with your partner and then your partner and then make your list. make your list.

Improvements in Improvements in relationsrelations

Death of StalinDeath of Stalin Khrushchev’s new policy of ‘Peaceful Co-Khrushchev’s new policy of ‘Peaceful Co-

existence’existence’ Attempts by Politburo members to improve Attempts by Politburo members to improve

relations, e.g. Malenkov’s ‘New Course’relations, e.g. Malenkov’s ‘New Course’ Treaties, e.g. Austrian State Treaty (1955)Treaties, e.g. Austrian State Treaty (1955) Changes in US leadership – Eisenhower, Changes in US leadership – Eisenhower,

KennedyKennedy Summit talks resumed, e.g. Geneva Summit Summit talks resumed, e.g. Geneva Summit

(July 1955)(July 1955)

Continued tensionsContinued tensions Nuclear arms race – e.g. USA had 2,422 Nuclear arms race – e.g. USA had 2,422

warheads by 1955warheads by 1955 Power struggle in Kremlin – increased Power struggle in Kremlin – increased

uncertainty over Soviet leadership & uncertainty over Soviet leadership & directiondirection

Continued influence over non-Communist Continued influence over non-Communist countries, e.g. Finlandcountries, e.g. Finland

New Look policyNew Look policy Political crises, e.g. Hungary (1956), Berlin Political crises, e.g. Hungary (1956), Berlin

(1961), U2 Spy plane (1961)(1961), U2 Spy plane (1961) Formation of Warsaw Pact (1955)Formation of Warsaw Pact (1955)

Your taskYour task

‘‘To what extent was the To what extent was the development of the post-Stalin thaw development of the post-Stalin thaw in superpower relations between in superpower relations between 1953 and 1962 the result of 1953 and 1962 the result of Khrushchev’s policy of ‘Peaceful Khrushchev’s policy of ‘Peaceful Coexistence’?Coexistence’?

Apply the Apply the KITKIT principle to this principle to this question to identify what you will question to identify what you will include in your introduction.include in your introduction.

Your taskYour task

Who was responsible for the Thaw? Who was responsible for the Thaw? Work in pairs and prepare points / Work in pairs and prepare points / evidence to support the following:evidence to support the following:

KhrushchevKhrushchev US presidents, e.g. Eisenhower & US presidents, e.g. Eisenhower &

KennedyKennedy Other members of PolitburoOther members of Politburo Circumstances, e.g. arms race, Circumstances, e.g. arms race,

economic pressures, death of Stalineconomic pressures, death of Stalin

PlenaryPlenary

Which of the four factors explains Which of the four factors explains why the Thaw emerged? Do you why the Thaw emerged? Do you have an alternative view?have an alternative view?

Write a judgement paragraph, using Write a judgement paragraph, using at least 3 pieces of evidence to at least 3 pieces of evidence to support your view.support your view.

HomeworkHomework

Write an essay discussing the question Write an essay discussing the question below: ‘To what extent was the below: ‘To what extent was the development of the post-Stalin thaw in development of the post-Stalin thaw in superpower relations between 1953 superpower relations between 1953 and 1962 the result of Khrushchev’s and 1962 the result of Khrushchev’s policy of ‘Peaceful Coexistence’? policy of ‘Peaceful Coexistence’?

ExtensionExtension You will find further evidence of You will find further evidence of

Khrushchev’s part in events by Khrushchev’s part in events by studying Isaacs, ‘Cold War’, p.140-203studying Isaacs, ‘Cold War’, p.140-203