1961-1972 Flashcards
Brinkmanship
Due to MAD, both sides knew that they couldn’t use nuclear bombs. They therefore pushed every situation to benefit from it as much as possible as they knew that the other side could do nothing.
Berlin wall construction date
13 August 1961
The Brain Drain
Many people were fleeing to the west through Berlin. Many of those who left were highly skilled or educated.
Lure of the west
Before the Berlin Wall, east germans could travel to W Berlin. Better housing, shops full of goods.
Stand off at Checkpoint Charlie
The Yalta conference agreed that diplomats and soldiers from both sides of the wall could enter the other half of the city. On 27 October 1961, Red Army tanks pulled up to Checkpoint Charlie to prevent the Americans from being able to enter. An 18 hour stand-off between USSR & US ensued
Leadership of Cuba before CAstro
Right wing dictator Batista
Cuban revolution
1959 Fidel Castro. Castro offered an alliance with the US but was declined. USSR improved relations and in 1960 Castro decided to go socialist. Nationalised all US companies in cuba.
Trade emargo from US
Backfired as now the Cubans looked to the USSR for trade.
Bay of Pigs
April 1961. 2000 Cuban exiles land in Cuba but crushed by 20’000 Cuban troops. All killed or captured,
Discovery of missiles
14 October 1962. US spy plane found missile launch sites in Cuba and another found 20 USSR ships containing missiles headed for Cuba.
Why did Khrushchev install these?
Missiles in Turkey, Bargaining tool for Berlin, To protect Cuba
Naval blockade
22nd October
U2 Plane shot down, US U2 plane violated soviet airspace
27th October
Vasili Arkhipov votes not to lauch a torpedo
27th October
Agreement
28th October. Soviet Union remove missiles, US pledge never to invade Cuba, Secret agreement that US would remove missiles from Turkey
Test Ban Treaty
1963
Prague Spring people
Novotny -> Dubcek
Novotny dismissed
1968
Prague spring policies
MARCH & APRIL. Freedom of speech, removed censorship, freedom to create ones own business, PLEDGED TO REMAIN IN WARSAW PACT.
Lack of soviet response
JUNE. Opens borders to west.
Societ reaction
August 20 1968. Soviets enter Prague and arrest Dubcek.
Brezhnev doctrine
NOVEMBER 1968 USSR would not allow any Eastern European countries to reject communism even if it meant WW3
Sino-soviet split
due to Brezhnev doctrine. Allowed Nixon to boost relations with China and made a symbolically important visit to Beijing in FEBRUARY 1972. USA then viewed China as a country. Made USSR anxious to improve realtions with both superpowers.
Nixon visits Moscow
May 1972. Symbolically important. SALT 1 signed. Restricted number of ICBMs each side could have
