Stalin's death

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Stalin's death. How it influenced to the cold war and international relations

Introduction

To every person the historical figure of Stalin only reminds such terms as “dictator”, “brutality” and even “murderer”. The Stalin's violence could be compared only with Hitler's. However, after Stalin's death in 1953 all country mourned passing of the “great leader”. On his funeral party leaders pronounced eulogies and enlighten Stalin's figure even like a holly one. "Immortal Stalin's name will always live in our hearts, in the hearts of the Soviet people and all progressive mankind", - declared Vyacheslav Molotov, the Soviet Foreign Minister: "The glory of his great achievements in happiness and deeds of our people and workers all over the world, will live forever". He claimed to be the father of nation, “today's Lenin” and political genius.

In April 1953 Dwight David Eisenhower in his speech "Chance for Peace", called the USSR culprit of the Cold War. Eisenhower felt it necessary that the USSR must demonstrate its peaceful intentions through the end of the war in Korea, the signing of the agreement with Austria, release of prisoners of war, to begin serious negotiations on disarmament and arms control and to provide the nations of Eastern Europe the freedom to choose their governments. Two years later, only the last of these demands remained unfulfilled.

Was there an opportunity to complete the Cold War after the death of Stalin?

The beginning of cold war, backgrounds

Even though the Cold War started after 1947, the rift between Stalin and his partners in the Grand Alliance was in the process of development almost after the end of the war. At the time when series of diplomatic disputes with the West, the biggest concern Stalin had on the ideological front topic. During the war Soviet Union, the Red Army and Stalin's leadership received a positive and even laudatory coverage in the Western press.

Indeed the cult of Stalin in the Soviet Union found the development in Britain, the United States and other countries of the alliance. However, when the war was over, Stalin's propaganda replaced by anti-Soviet campaign in the media. The Council considered that the campaign was a linked as post-war anti-communist political direction in Britain, the US and Western Europe.

It predicted anti-Soviet turn in the Western foreign policy.

An early manifestation of this negative development was the speech of Winston Churchill's about Iron Curtain, uttered in Fulton, Missouri, in March 1946. Although Churchill spoke about the need of cooperation with the Soviet Union, its main topic still was the battle cry - call for the anti-communist crusade. At the beginning of the Fulton speech Churchill stated that now the United States are on the top of world power. ["This is - a solemn moment of American democracy"], but also a very responsible position. Two main enemies were opposed to them - the "war and tyranny.". The danger of Communism, Churchill said, is growing everywhere. Remembering the end of the First World War Churchill recalled that in those days there was the confidence and high hopes that the wars gone forever. But now he does not feel such confidence and such hopes. However, Churchill said, ["I reject the idea that a new war is inevitable ... I do not believe that Soviet Russia craves war. She wants the benefits of war and the indefinite expansion of their power and ideology " ]

In spite the fact that Churchill was no longer the prime minister of England, Stalin still felt the need to answer a detailed replica of the public, published on the front page of "Pravda", condemning Churchill as an ardent anti-communist and warmonger. In his speech Stalin even compared Churchill with Hitler and racist:

It should be noted that Mr. Churchill and his friends strikingly resemble in this sence Hitler and his friends. Hitler began from the unleashing of war with declaring racial theory, claiming that the only people who speak the German language are full-fledged nation. Stalin, responding correspondent of newspaper "Pravda"

As Albert Resis explained: "Although Stalin's crimes are numerous, one crime was attributed falsely to him - that he is the only responsible for the beginning of what is called Cold War.

It is a fact that he never planned and did not wanted it.".

Nevertheless, Stalin's actions and ambitions helped to begin the Cold War.

On the international arena Stalin's ideological slogan was the protection of national independence of European countries from the British and American domination. stalin war cold negotiation

Beginning of the war

The Cold War began in 1947 with the declaration of Truman in March about the global fight against Communist aggression and expansionism, and then in June the ceremonial start of the Marshall's Plan for political and economic reconstruction of post-war Europe. Stalin responded with the establishment communist and Soviet control in the Eastern Europe and announcing by Zhdanov speech in September 1947 that two conflicting steams in the post-war international politics strengthened in the split into two camps - the camp of imperialism, reaction and war, and the camp socialism, democracy and progress.

In 1946-1947 Soviet Union stepped up pressure on Greece and Turkey. In Greece civil war took place and from Turkey Soviet Union demanded territory for a military base in the Mediterranean, which could be the prelude for occupying country. In these circumstances Truman declared its readiness to implement the "containment" of the Soviet Union in the world. This position is called the "Truman Doctrine" and meant the termination of cooperation between the winners of fascism. Thus, "Cold War" began.

Actually, Cold War took place not in a usual way - between the countries, but inside them.

Under US pressure Communist got expelled from governments of France and Italy, and in April 1948 16 countries signed the Marshall Plan to provide them with $ 17 billion.

These events consolidated the division of Europe. In April 1949 the United States, Canada and most Western European countries have established a military alliance - the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). In 1955 Soviet Union and Eastern European countries responded by creating their own military alliance - the Warsaw Pact.

Especially hard division of Europe has affected the German's fate - splitting line passed through the country. East Germany was occupied by the Soviet Union, the West - by the United States, Britain and France.

Opponents sought to achieve excellence specifically in the area of atomic and then nuclear weapons, as well as the means of their delivery.

Initially, leader in the "race" were the United States, which possessed nuclear weapons. USSR made a lot of efforts to create its own nuclear bomb.

In 1949 the Soviet Union tested its own atomic bomb. The presence of a bomb in the Soviet Union refrained the United States from using atomic weapons in Korea.

The first clash between the two systems occurred in China. But both sides were not confident in victory and instead of elections in China 1946-1949 civil war broke out.

The second major clash of the two systems took place in Asia, Korea. After the Second World War the country was split into two zones of occupation - the Soviet and American.

Despite the great sacrifices on both sides, the war ended almost at the same positions, with which it has began.

Cold War led to the fact that in both camps were developed repressions against dissidents people and people who spoke for cooperation and convergence between two systems.

In March 1953 Stalin died and the new Soviet leadership under Nikita Khrushchev began to seek ways to improve relations with the West.

War after Stalin's death

There are many conspiracy theories suggesting unnatural Stalin's death and involvement in it Stalin's entourage. According to one of them (the writer Eduard Radzinsky), Beria, Khrushchev and Malenkov contributed his death by not providing help E. Radzinsky Stalin // Radzinsky E. Collected Works: Vagrius,1998. -- Т. 2, p. 620. in time.

But after Khrushchev came to power in 1953 he started dispelleding the cult of personality and after promulgation of all acts of violence and mass assassinations Stalin's reputation was shaken. Stalin's body was removed from the mausoleum and buried near the Kremlin wall.

In my essay I want to take a precise look on the reasons why cold war started and their consequences, and which role such ambiguous historical figure as Stalin actually played in it.

In 1953-1954 he was stopped wars in Korea and Vietnam. In 1955 Soviet Union established equal relations with Yugoslavia and Germany. The Great Powers have also agreed to provide a neutral status of Austria occupied by them and to withdraw its troops from the country.

The most striking event in Khrushchev's career was XX Congress of the CPSU Central Committee, held in 1956. In his report to Congress he put forward the thesis that the war between capitalism and communism is not "fatally inevitable." At a closed meeting Khrushchev condemned Stalin, accusing him in mass destruction and misguided policy, almost ending with the liquidation of the Soviet Union in the war against Nazi Germany.

Nevertheless, "soft" policy toward the United States drew Khrushchev into a hidden ideological discussion with Chinese Communists, who condemned negotiations with Eisenhower and denying Khrushchev's proposed version of "Leninism". In June 1960 Khrushchev made a statement about the need for "further development" of Marxism-Leninism and accounting changed in theory some historical conditions. In November 1960 after three weeks of debate, Congress of Communist and Workers' Parties adopted a compromise solution which allowed Khrushchev conducting diplomatic negotiations on disarmament and peaceful coexistence.

In September 1960, Khrushchev was visited the United States the second time as head of the Soviet delegation at the UN General Assembly. In the Assembly he was able to carry out wide-ranging talks with the heads of a number of governments. In his report to the Assembly contained calls for universal disarmament, the immediate elimination of colonialism and the adoption of China in the UN.

These changes could show underlining by Khrushchev the importance of peaceful coexistence and the USSR readiness to cooperate and continue establishing relationships with the West.

Conclusion

The tragedy of the Cold War is claimed to be that Stalin again started to strengthen the consolidation of his personal dictatorship before studying the prospects of more pluralistic approach, flashed during the war. It is possible that Stalin was not able to make a different choice, but the flexibility and creativity demonstrated in a wartime advising the opposite.

On the other hand, Khrushchev's external policy was less warlike character than his predecessor Stalin. However, based on the following facts leadership change has not led to the end of the war. Consensus was not found and the Soviet Union more and more frustrated in his new leader. I can not exclude the possibility that further Stalin's foreign policy would lead to non-correctable consequences and even death of many people, which is typical: we may follow constant occurring of Stalin's brutal methods during all his ruling of Soviet government.

On the other hand, in spite of all the cruelty we can not be deny military merits of Stalin during World War II, as well as his devotion to the state.

Джефри Робертс закономерно упомянул в своем интервью Радио свобода: «В конце концов, стремление победившей стороны обладать сферой влияния - традиционная и естественная концепция».

Jeffrey Roberts Jeffrey Roberts - Professor of The Cork University (Ireland), the author of many history books dedicated to the Soviet Union and World War II naturally mentioned in his interview:

"In the end, the desire to have a winning hand sphere of influence - the traditional and natural conception." Jeffrey Roberts interview to Radio Svoboda

Bibliography

Radzinsky E. Collected Works: Vagrius,1998

Jeffrey Roberts “Stalin's Wars: From World War to Cold War, 1939-1953” 2006.

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