Diplomatic Efforts of the Soviet Union in Seeking a Path to Conflict Resolution and Organizing the Geneva Conference (1954) – An Approach Through the Notes of the Soviet Delegation

Abstract

The 1954 Geneva Conference was one of the most notable international conferences during the Cold War, addressing the end of war and restoration of peace in three Indochina countries and the Korean Peninsula. Major powers, including the United Kingdom, France, the United States, the Soviet Union, and China, represented the two blocs of socialism and capitalism, and played significant roles in this conference. The Soviet Union, as a major power and representative of the Warsaw Pact, was pivotal in balancing the power between the two international superpowers at the time (the Soviet Union and the United States). This paper presents the Soviet Union's diplomatic efforts in seeking ways to resolve conflicts in Indochina and the Korean Peninsula. From the notes of Soviet diplomats, both secret and public meetings of foreign ministers and embassies reflect the challenging path to holding the conference according to the principles of an international peace conference. The Soviet Union, in its role, consistently acted as a conference designer, crafting a front for a known "battle" full of challenges.