Peaceful Coexistence

-Stalin died in 1953 which led to changes under Krushchev with foreign policy

-Krushchev sought for redefining relationship between USSR and Eastern Europe

-Changes was mostly de-Stalinisation and most satellite states/countries saw this as a move away from totalitarian control

-Krushchev gave a speech at 20th Party Congress of Communist party Feb 1956 ‘Secret Speech’

-Focused on internal issues and changed relations with outside world

-Krushchev saw in an era of nuclear weapons the peaceful coexistence as an imperative for survival

• Another objective was strengthening the Soviet economy

• Viewed peaceful coexistence as a resumption of Leninist- era policies and to bring bring about peaceful revolution

The key elements of Peaceful Coexistence:

Willingness to reduce the size of the Soviet military

Political and economic relations based off equality and mutual benefit

Limit interfering with sovereignty of other states

Communist success guaranteed through peaceful revolution

Eliminate threat of war through diplomacy/negotiations with the USA

Limitations of achieving successful peaceful coexistence

• USSR determined to remain sole leader of communist world

• Arms reduced, but USSR committed to expand nuclear capability

• Allowed reforms but USSR wanted control over eastern bloc and satellite states