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After Stalin

The death of Stalin in March 1953 marked a pivotal shift in the Cold War dynamics. As Dwight Eisenhower took office, the U.S. aimed for victory, while the USSR, burdened by Stalin's legacy, sought peaceful coexistence. The release of GULAG prisoners and the Korean War armistice signaled changes in Soviet foreign policy and system viability. The new leadership explored diverse strategies: military power, diplomacy, and connections with the Global Left. Khrushchev’s belief in communism's superiority underscored the USSR's quest for influence worldwide, navigating a complex post-Stalin landscape.

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After Stalin

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  1. After Stalin

  2. 1953: start of a new phase in the Cold War • January: Dwight Eisenhower enters the White House. The Republicans are committed to victory in the Cold War. The war in Korea continues. Stalin is bracing for a world war • March: Stalin dies, a new leadership emerges in the Kremlin. It proclaims the goal of peaceful coexistence • March: Release of GULAG prisoners begins • July: Armistice in Korea

  3. STALIN’S LEGACY • The USSR is a superpower: major resources which can be used in various ways: • to promote revolution • to seek peaceful coexistence with the West Did Moscow need to choose? • How viable is the Soviet system – in Russia and abroad? Issue of reform and liberalization • The Global Left and the USSR: what should be the Soviet role?

  4. The paradox of Stalin’s legacy. He left his successors: • Huge positions of strength - AND • An unviable system. BUT ALSO: • Traditions of Machiavellian pragmatism: the end justifies the means. But what is the end? Defence of the Motherland? Prevention of a new world war? Victory of communism worldwide? Making socialist societies livable? Interests of the state? Perpetuation of bureaucratic rule? All of the above?

  5. POST-STALIN RATIONALIZATION OF SOVIET FOREIGN POLICY • Dismantle some elements of the totalitarian system • Work to end the Korean War • Relaxation of tensions with the West • Steps toward arms control • Development of ties with newly independent states in the Third World • Expand influence with the Global Left

  6. A WIDE VARIETY OF MEANS AVAILABLE • Military power • Alliances with other communist states in Europe and Asia (Warsaw Pact, USSR-China) • Active diplomacy vis-a-vis the West, the Third World (including economic assistance), in the UN • Cultivation of ties with various left-wing forces and movements • Propaganda (more effective with de-Stalinization)

  7. Return of ideology • Khrushchev: a strong believer in communism as a system superior to capitalism: “We will bury you!” • How will communism win? By creating better conditions of life for working people: Peaceful competition, struggle for people’s minds and hearts • Meanwhile. the 2 systems can and must avoid war and promote mutual cooperation

  8. The issue of world revolution • A stronger commitment to the Global Left • Support of non-alignment • Issues in Eastern Europe • Relations with China

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