Peaceful Co-existence

Question 1

How does Stalins death show a thaw?

Answer 1

He was a key cause of early Cold War tensions

Question 2

What did khrushchevs secret speech say and why was this significant in relation to the thaw

Answer 2

He attacked Stalins personality cult and his use of purges and persecution consolidate his personal power
This was significant it was regarded as a real change within the USSR

Question 3

What did malenkovs ‘new course’ foreign policy consist of?

Answer 3

The belief that capitalist-communist conflict was inevitable so there no need to pursue conflict
The ussr could therefore devote more resources to raising living standards and consumer good

Question 4

Reasons for ussr to pursue peaceful co existence

Answer 4

• 1/3 of their economy devoted to defence
• ussr lacked consumer goods and there was social pressure for this to change
• having both achieved the h bomb by 1953, they realised that mad had been achieved and therefore wanted to avoid nuclear war

Question 5

What were the key features of eisenhowers ‘new look’ policy

Answer 5

• Massive retaliation: place greater use of nuclear threats and less on conventional weapons
• Brinkmanship: getting to the verge of war without getting into war. Example: threatened to nuke Korea and a armistice was agreed shortly afterwards
• Use of covert operations

Question 6

Reasons for USA to pursue better relations with the ussr

Answer 6

• Eisenhower was concerned military spending was too high (made up 12% of gdp), therefore reducing likelihood of nuclear meant military spending could reduce
• covert operations revealed USA ahead of ussr in nuclear technology so therefore could get upper hand in negotiations

Question 7

What happened in the 1953 Berlin rising? And what was the significance

Answer 7

400,000 workers took to the streets calling for free elections and a lifting of the tough quotas set by the communist government. The protest was crushed with force

Significant because highlighted unpopularity of communism and that their rule was based on force rather than consent

Question 8

What happened in Poland in 1956?

Answer 8

They were demonstrations for leader beriut to be removed and instead be replaced with moderate communist called gomulka. Khrushchev visited Poland and reluctantly replaced the beriut with gomulka. But economic reforms were made so that Poland stayed in the Warsaw Pact

Question 9

What happened in Hungary in 1956?

Answer 9

Nagy agreed to have a multi party democracy and withdraw from the Warsaw Pact. 1,000 Russian tanks rolled in crushed the uprising and replaced Nagy with new hardline kadar. 4,000 were killed

Question 10

How did Hungary in 1956 show a thaw?

Answer 10

US did not get involved- reducing tension and not threatening use of nuclear bombs
Despite saying they will pursue new policy of ‘rolling back’ communism, Hungary revealed they containment was the only possible us policy

Question 11

How did Hungary highlight there wasn’t a thaw?

Answer 11

shows ussr still trying to maintain a communist bloc against the west to avoid a possible attack from the west. If USSR were fully committed to peaceful co existence then they wouldn’t need to do this as they wouldn’t see west as a threat

Question 12

What happened at the Geneva conference of 1954?

Answer 12

Meeting between US, USSR, France and GB to resolve issues in indochina. France agreed to withdraw from the region. Dulles walks out over dispute over north Vietnam staying communist.

Question 13

What happened at the Geneva summit of 1955?

Answer 13

Reunification of Germany was discussed.

• Khrushchev was prepared to allow a united Germany as long as it was neutral
• Khrushchev suggested that nato+ Warsaw Pact dismantled and replaced with a collective security group (showing peaceful coexistence) but USA rejected but was willing to make an arms deal.
• Eisenhower called for open skies agreement in which spy planes could be flown over each other but K rejected
• only agreement made was on cultural exchanges

Question 14

What was the Austrian state treaty and in what year was it signed?

Answer 14

An agreement between USA and USSR in 1955 which agreed to both withdraw forces from Austria in return for agreeing its neutrality

Question 15

Why did Khrushchev decide to withdraw troops from Finland in 1956

Answer 15

As he saw no reason to retain influence in a non-communist country and the region which USSR troops had been in since ww2 was of little strategic importance to the USSR

Question 16

What was the significance of the camp David summit in 1959 and what happened?

Answer 16

It was significant as it was the first summit between just the us and USSR
Nothing was agreed but talks were positive and Khrushchev thought an arms deal could be reached

Question 17

Why was the Paris summit abandoned in 1960

Answer 17

13 days before the summit a u2 spy plane was shot down over Russia and Khrushchev demanded an apology

Question 18

When was the Vienna summit and what happened?

Answer 18

Meeting between Kennedy and Khrushchev on mainly the issue of Berlin. Khrushchev was threatening to sign a peace agreement with east Germany that might infringe on the rights of the west. Other than ensuring the neutrality of Loas, the leaders clashed.

Question 19

what year did the USSR acquire the nuclear bomb?

Answer 19

1949

Question 20

when did US successfully test the hydrogen bomb

Answer 20

1952

Question 21

when was USA first B52 bomber developed

Answer 21

1955

Question 22

who and when was the first ICBM developed

Answer 22

1957

Question 23

What was the gaither report?

Answer 23

a report form 1957 that revealed that USSR held a missile lead over the US and would develop a three to one missile gap over the USA.

Question 24

by 1955 how many atomic bombs did the USA have

Answer 24

2,400

Question 25

by 1960 how many how many ICBM did usa and ussr have

Answer 25

usa-20

ussr-30