Lesson Objectives
To evaluate how developments during the 1950s led to both a reduction and rise in tensions To identify the causes, key features and consequences of the Berlin Crisis To identify and explain the reasons for the key turning points in Sino-Soviet Relations To identify the causes of Sino-American hostility and to examine the reasons for détente in the 1970s To identify the reasons for détente and evaluate the successes/failures in reducing Cold War tensions |
Peaceful Coexistence
Eisenhower and Dulles in the United States: rollback, brinkmanship and New Look
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Textbook ActivitesActivity 2: The changed international situation after 1953 has led historians to call this period a 'thaw' in the Cold War. Identify the factors that set the scene of improved relations- or a 'thaw'- between the superpowers after 1953.
Activity 3: The Eisenhower Doctrine What message did this Doctrine send to a) the Soviet Union and b) Arab states about American intentions in the Middle East?
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Khrushchev and co-existence
Factors causing the change in international relations
East-West relations in 1950
Geneva Summit
Technology Race
The U-2 Incident
- 1953: Death of Joseph Stalin, removal of Stalin's chief of secret police, Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria
- Collective leadership: Georgy Malenkov, Nikita Khrushchev and Nikolai Bulganin
- Malenkov formulated the idea of a 'New Course' with the West
- Khrushchev- won the struggle for leadership, renaming the idea 'peaceful co-existence'
- Move from the Leninist doctrine- inevitability of war
- 'Peaceful co-existence' meant Capitalism and Communism should accept the continuing existence of one another rather than use force to destroy each other
- Khrushchev believed that Capitalism would die out due to its own inherent weaknesses, no need to risk nuclear war
Factors causing the change in international relations
- Both sides wanted to avoid a nuclear holocaust
- Economic factors also played a role in pushing the two superpowers into a friendlier relationship
- In USSR, one third of the economy was directed towards the military- while consumer goods were scarce and living standards low
- US economy was in better shape than the USSR economy- 12% of CNP was spent on the military
- Improved relations could lead to a decrease in military spending, this would be good news for both countries economies
- 1954: Korean War ended, removing a major source of conflict between the US and USSR
East-West relations in 1950
- April 1955: the Soviet Union proposed a formal peace treaty in Austria, Austrian State Treaty ended the four-power occupation of Austria, creating a independent and neutral country
- July 1955: Geneva Summit
- First meeting of the heads of government of the major powers since 1945
- Little substance was achieved at this meeting, proposals concerning the arms race, issue of Germany, got nowhere
Geneva Summit
- Summit led to better relations in terms of trade exhibitions, exchanging of certain scientific information and cultural exchanges
- 'Spirit of Geneva'
- February 1956: Khrushchev gave his de-Stalinization speech, which led to challenges to Soviet control throughout the Eastern bloc
- At the same time as Khrushchev faced problems in Hungary, the West was involved in the Suez Crisis
- Both of these crises helped to dissipate the good feeling achieved at Geneva
- Suez Crisis- raised fears of growing Soviet influence in the Middle East
- January 1957: Eisenhower Doctrine- clearly started that the US would help any country in the Middle East to fight against Communism
Technology Race
- Tensions between the East and West, the Americans now became increasingly worried about a Soviet threat against the United States
- 4 October 1957: the Soviets launched the world's first artificial satellite, Sputnik, 'travelling companion'
- Month later, followed by Sputnik II
- Sent the Americans into a state of panic, became convinced of Soviet superiority in missile technology
- Impression was reinforced by Khrushchev, made the most of the situation: 'The Sputniks prove that socialism has won the competition between socialist and capitalist counties... that the economy, science, culture and the creative genius of people in all spheres of life develop better and faster under socialism'
- US Congress and the media promoted the idea of a 'missile gap', this scenario was confirmed by the Gaither Report- the findings of a top-secret investigating committee:
- A vast increase in offensive defense power, especially missile development
- A build-up of conventional forces capable of fighting a limited war
- A massive building program of fallout shelters to protect US citizens from nuclear attacks
- US Air Force U-2 spy planes flying over the Soviet Union revealed that despite Khrushchev's threats there was no missile gap- the Soviet Union did not have more missiles than the US
- Eisenhower had to do something to alleviate public anxiety
- 1958: Eisenhower supported the establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), promoted missile development and space exploration, provided federal aid to promote science education in schools
The U-2 Incident
- The meeting between Eisenhower and Khrushchev in the United States produced few concrete results, the talks were a success in terms of generating a positive atmosphere, led people to talk of the 'spirit of Camp David' (Eisenhower's presidential retreat in Maryland)
- Optimism was short-lived, few days before the summit meeting convened in Paris
- 1 May 1960: Soviets announced that an America plane had been shot down over the Soviet Union
- Americans tried to claim it was only a weather plane, which had gone off course, the Soviets was able to reveal that the aircraft was a high-altitude photo-reconnaissance plane
- The pilot, Gary Powers, who had been captured, confessed to the 'spy' nature of his task
- Eisenhower then admitted the truth about the U-2 spy planes and took personal responsibility for the incident
- Paris Summit- Eisenhower refused to apologize for the U-2 incident or to condemn U-S flights, saying that aerial surveillance was 'a distasteful, but vital necessity'
- Khrushchev then cancelled Eisenhower's planned visit to the USSR, meeting broke up with no further progress being made on a settlement for Berlin or a test-ban treaty
- 1962: any 'thaw' that might have been achieved was shown to be quite definitely at an end when the USA and USSR had their most intense and dangerous conflict, over Cuba