To what extent did the policy of peaceful co-existence improve superpower relations up to and including 1964?

The question requires that candidates consider the merits or otherwise of the suggestion that the policy of peaceful co-existence improved superpower relations to 1964. Consequences on superpower relations may extend beyond the timeframe of the world history topic but they must be clearly linked to the issue of peaceful co-existence. Candidates may offer equal coverage of improvements and deterioration in superpower relations, or they may emphasize their assessment of one of them; however, both aspects will be a feature of the response. Candidates may refer to Khrushchev’s reference to peaceful co-existence in 1956. Conversely, candidates may refer to Cold War crises during this period, such as Poland and Hungary (1956) or the U2 crisis in 1960 and the war in Congo (1961), and so argue that superpower relations deteriorated. The Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) may be discussed as both a crisis and a relaxation of tension. Do expect candidates to go up to 1964 and the forced retirement of Khrushchev. While other relevant factors, for example the roles of Eisenhower and Kennedy, may be referred to, the bulk of the response will remain on the issue raised in the question.

The question required candidates to consider the merits or otherwise of the suggestion that the policy of peaceful co-existence improved superpower relations up to 1964. This was a popular question although most responses demonstrated limited knowledge of the policy of peaceful co-existence as promoted by Malenkov, but more usually ascribed to Khrushchev. Some responses made relevant connections to the Hungarian Revolution and the Suez Crisis of 1956, the Berlin Crisis of 1958-1961 and the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 and used these to determine how far superpower relations improved up until the retirement in 1964 of Khrushchev. Often, however, where mention was made of the Cuban Missile Crisis relevance was more by chance than by design. Overall, the responses were disappointing as this policy is clearly mentioned in prescribed content for Topic 12.