Editing Bolshevism (section)

===Peaceful coexistence===
{{Main|Peaceful coexistence}}
{{Quote box|width=25em|align=right|bgcolor=ivory|quote=The loss by imperialism of its dominating role in world affairs and the utmost expansion of the sphere in which the laws of socialist foreign policy operate are a distinctive feature of the present stage of social development. The main direction of this development is toward even greater changes in the correlation of forces in the world arena in favour of socialism."|source=—[[Nikolay Inozemtsev]], a Soviet foreign policy analyst, referring to series of events (which he believed) would lead to the ultimate victory of socialism.{{sfn|Evans|1993|p=72}}}}

"Peaceful coexistence" was an ideological concept introduced under Khrushchev's rule.{{sfn|Evans|1993|p=71}} While the concept has been interpreted by fellow communists as proposing an end to the conflict between the systems of capitalism and socialism, Khrushchev saw it instead as a continuation of the conflict in every area with the exception in the military field.{{sfn|Evans|1993|pp=71–72}} The concept claimed that the two systems were developed "by way of diametrically opposed laws", which led to "opposite principles in foreign policy."{{sfn|Evans|1993|p=72}}

The concept was steeped in Leninist and Stalinist thought.{{sfn|Evans|1993|p=72}} Lenin believed that international politics were dominated by [[class struggle]], and Stalin stressed in the 1940s the growing [[polarization (politics)|polarization]] which was occurring in the capitalist and socialist systems.{{sfn|Evans|1993|p=72}} Khrushchev's peaceful coexistence was based on practical changes which had occurred; he accused the old "two camp" theory of neglecting the [[non-aligned movement]] and the national [[liberation movement]]s.{{sfn|Evans|1993|p=72}} Khrushchev considered these "grey areas", in which the conflict between capitalism and socialism would be fought.{{sfn|Evans|1993|p=72}} He still stressed that the main contradiction in international relations were those of capitalism and socialism.{{sfn|Evans|1993|p=72}} The Soviet Government under Khrushchev stressed the importance of peaceful coexistence, claiming it had to form the basis of Soviet foreign policy.{{sfn|Evans|1993|p=72}} Failure to do, they believed, would lead to [[nuclear conflict]].{{sfn|Evans|1993|p=72}} Despite this, Soviet theorists still considered peaceful coexistence as a continuation of the class struggle between the capitalist and socialist worlds, just not one based on armed conflict.{{sfn|Evans|1993|p=72}} Khrushchev believed that the conflict, in its current phase, was mainly economical.{{sfn|Evans|1993|p=72}}

The emphasis on peaceful coexistence did not mean that the Soviet Union accepted a static world, with clear lines.{{sfn|Evans|1993|p=72}} They continued to uphold the creed that socialism was inevitable, and they sincerely believed that the world had reached a stage in which the "correlations of forces" were moving towards socialism.{{sfn|Evans|1993|p=72}} Also, with the establishment of socialist regimes in Eastern Europe and Asia, Soviet foreign policy-planners believed that capitalism had lost its dominance as an economic system.{{sfn|Evans|1993|p=72}}