Asked by Ryu

Why did Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev promote easing tensions and engagement with the United States during the Cold War?


because the Soviet Union was losing control of its Eastern European satellites


because the Soviet Union was falling behind in the arms race with the United States


because the only options were engaging in nuclear war or peaceful coexistence


because the only options were economic collapse or loosening trade restrictions

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
Because the only options were engaging in nuclear war or peaceful coexistence.

Khrushchev embraced the doctrine of "peaceful coexistence"—recognizing that nuclear-armed superpowers could not risk direct military confrontation—so he sought to reduce tensions, manage crises diplomatically, and compete by political and economic means rather than all-out war. The other choices misstate his main motive (it wasn’t primarily about losing satellite control, immediate economic collapse, or simply falling behind in the arms race).