The Cold War in 1950sNew Leaders, New Ideas?

The Cold War

• 1945 – 1949: Centred around Europe• 1949: China• 1949: USSR developed atomic weapons• 1950 – 1953: Korean War• 1953 (March): Death of Stalin

Stalin’s Successors?• Stalin died March 1953• Beria removed June 1953• Malenkov

▫ Seen as ‘Stalin’s Man’▫ But eased Soviet grip on Eastern Europe Berlin

riots▫ Developed ‘New Course’ with the west

• Khrushchev unquestioned leader by 1956 -7

Activity:Refer to ‘Kremlin Power Struggle’ by Bruce KennedyPrediction Activity: The ‘Secret Speech’

Activity:Refer to ‘Kremlin Power Struggle’ by Bruce KennedyPrediction Activity: The ‘Secret Speech’

Peaceful Coexistence

• Following on from Malenkov’s ‘New Course’, Khrushchev developed the idea of ‘peaceful co-existence’.▫ Move away from Leninist theory that war was

inevitable▫ Capitalism and Communism should accept

each other▫ Capitalism will die out because of its own

inherent weaknesses.

The Eisenhower Era 1953 - 1961

•Nicknamed ‘Ike’•World War II background•Former NATO Commander•Promised to end the war in Korea

•Vice-President: Richard Nixon•Secretary of State: John Foster Dulles

The Election of 1952

• Dulles talked about ‘Roll Back’: liberating the countries of Eastern Europe from the USSR

• Between 1953 and 1956 although the USA quietly encouraged rebellions in Eastern Europe, little else happened.

The ‘New Look’

• Rather than roll-back, containment policy continued

• Belief Communism would collapse.• Alliances were set up to encircle the USSR:

SEATO• Assist forces fighting communism (e.g: Vietnam)• CIA (Iran, Guatemala)• Nuclear deterrent

Influence of DullesDulles believed in brinkmanship, the diplomatic art of going to the brink of war without actually getting into war. To this end he advocated building more nuclear weapons.

Dulles also believed in the concept of massive retaliation. This was the promise that the United States would use overwhelming force against the Soviet Union to settle conflicts.