How Nikita Khrushchev Confused the Minds and Emotions of American People: Soviet Leader’s 1959 Trip to the US

• In Event: From Industrial Imagination to Cold War Realities: Soviet-American Encounters and Perceptions

Abstract

The announcement of Khrushchev’s visit to the U.S. caused a swirl of letters from American citizens, and it kept going throughout his visit. In a series of Cold War crises and fears of a possible nuclear war Americans saw an opportunity to turn their fears and hopes to Nikita Khrushchev, who presented himself as a fellow human being, a husband and father during that trip. In my paper, I will show the repertoire of Khrushchev’s images as they are present in the letters of ordinary American citizens, what emotions were generated by his visit to the US, and why those letters are important for the study of the Cold War.

Author

• Victoria A