ABSTRACT
The recovery from the war was generally thought to be complete by 1953. Many other reasons point to 1953 as a milestone year in the postwar era. Its key events included:
The arrival in January of Eisenhower in the White House and Dulles in the State Department.
The death of Stalin in March.
The first popular uprising in a Soviet bloc country, East Berlin, in June.
The end of De Gasperi's political career after the failure of an electoral reform manoeuvre in the June general election in Italy.
A permanent ceasefire in the Korean War in July, followed by the establishment of a dividing line (still existing) between North and South Korea.
The nomination of Nikita Krushchev as First Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party.
The first US—Spanish accord, in September, for the construction of military bases and the granting of military aid to Franco. This agreement signalled the beginning of Spain's re-entry into the international system.
The substantial victory of the CDU in the German elections of November.
