To what extent was the development of the post-Stalin thaw in superpower relations between 1953-62 the result of Khrushchev’s policy of peaceful coexistence?

1953 saw the death of Stalin and thus a change in leadership from a one-man dictatorship to a collective leadership composed of Malenkov, Khrushchev, Molotov, Bulganin and Beria. This occurred shortly after Eisenhower won the US presidential election in 1952. As a result, there was a change in leadership on both sides, which naturally had a large effect on the progress and course of the Cold War. The period that followed the death of Stalin and the election of Eisenhower was one of general improvement of superpower relations and therefore the period is named the ‘Thaw’. Some believe that this was due to Khrushchev’s policy of peaceful coexistence, which he brought about due to various factors such as mutual nuclear destruction and the fact that each superpower’s sphere of influence had effectively been officially consolidated giving relations a new degree of stability. Others say that it was Eisenhower’s New Look policy that brought about this development, while some simply believe that it was the general change in leadership on both sides that caused the newfound stability in superpower relations.

Khrushchev’s policy of peaceful coexistence can be seen to result in several developments that gave hope to the West that accommodation and agreement could be reached between the two superpowers and thus allowed for more relaxed meetings and discussions. One example is the Austrian State Treaty of 1955, which resulted in Austrian neutrality rather than the permanent division of Austria into zones like Germany. This was a concession made by Khrushchev in which he showed a more mature approach to international relations thus showing that the Soviets were serious about negotiations allowing further development of