18. The U2 Crisis and Berlin tensions Flashcards
What things did west Germany make Krushcev anxious before 1961
1) 1955 joined nato
2) 1957 joined European eco mind community
3) in general was growing stronger economically and seen as a MILITARY THREAT, meaning the Su fear if another German invasion wasn’t going away .
What did Krushcev try to persuade to the allies before 1961
Why (3 reasons)
To leave West Berlin voluntarily
- because capitalist prosperity was on display for east Berliners and communists (giving them incentive to leave)
- claimed that USA used it for espionage
- wanted a solution to REFUGEE PROBLEM
What refuge problem
How many leaving per month
Who were these people specifically
Why was this a problem for East Germany
Finally what was Berlin like to Krushcev
1) between 1949 and 196 , 4 million East Germans fled to the west through Berlin because dissatisfied with economic and political conditions at home.
- for example collectivisation of agriculture was not popular and CONSUMER goods shortage in east but cheap in west
2) by jan 1961 number of refugees leaving east was 20000 a month.
3) these were skilled professionals such as u iversity of Leipzig maths department defecting .
4) - the drain of labour and economic output threatened the economic collapse for east Germany
5) a “fish one stuck in his throat”- a gap in the iron curtain
What and when did Krushcev issue the Berlin ultimatum ?
1) 1958
2) accused allies of breaking Potsdam agreement telling they should leave Berlin within 6 months and become a neutral state.
- Eisenhower wanted to negotiate and not risk a war. Krushcev visited America and hoped a summit could happen the year after…
Who was Gary powers?
A US pilot whose mission was to collect military intelligence for the CIA by taking photographs of soviet bases
When and what was the Paris summit
What happened though
What did kruschev demand and what did Eisenhower give
What did this lead to then, and what about the summit ?
1960, 14th May
B) were supposed to meet, yet 9 days prior Su announced it had shot down an American u2 spy plane near Sverdlovsk. Pilot was captured and put onto trial, film seized etc.
C) demanded flights to stop and apology, flights stopped but no USA apology
D) This then lead to bitter exchanges between Krushcev and Eisenhower at a meeting, which needed with Krushcev storming out of the session.
- as a result Eisenhower cancelled his visit to Su and the April summit never happened…
When did powers take of on a U2 plane?
1st May 1960 from a US air base in Pakistan
What happened to powers?
Was shot down near Sverdlovsk over the Ural Mountains and he ejected from his plain and was captured by the soviets on the ground
How does the U2 affairs link back to the arms race?
As America thought they were more wdvsnced and get away with it
How did the USA respond to the U2 crisis?
- Eisenhower accepted the U2 was a spy plane but he refused to apologise or say it wouldn’t happen again
- Americans claimed the U2 plans was getting weather data and had accidentally strayed into soviet territory
What was the soviets action against the U2 crisis
- soviets found a camera and a suicide pill proving the U2 wasn’t a weather plane
- Khrushchev was angry at the lack of apology and refused to continue the Paris Peace Summit
- the soviets paraded Powers of soviet TV and put him on trial as a spy
- Eisenhower was no longer welcome to visit the SU which was due on June 1960
- Khrushchev demanded an apology and a promise they wouldn’t fly into soviet air space without permission
What were the U2 spy planes?
The USA’s most effective method of gathering intelligence. They flew at 23,000 meters and could photograph weapons development without detection
What and when was Vienna summit ?
What did kruschev think he could do with Kennedy
What did kruschev say he would do with east Germany
What did Kennedy do in retaliation and similarly SU?
1) 1961 June
2) Krushcev sought another conference for a sulotuin but he though he could push the young KENNEDY around this time. However, failed to see he re-asserted Truman doctrine in inauguration speech .
- here he demanded west leave West Berlin. He said he would make a treaty with eats Germany which would end all occupation rights, including western access into Berlin.
- KENNEDY refused and increased spending by 3.5$ billion
- Soviet also announced later they would too by 30%
- this increased tensions
