2.1 The Berlin Crisis 1958-1963

Question 1

When is Khrushchev’s ultimatum?

Answer 1

Nov 58

Question 2

When was the Geneva summit?

Answer 2

May 59

Question 3

When does Khrushchev visit the USA

Answer 3

Sep 59

Question 4

When is the U2 crisis?

Answer 4

May 1960

Question 5

When was the Vienna summit and what happened there?

Answer 5

June 61-berlin ultimatum renewed

Question 6

When does Kennedy become president?

Answer 6

Jan 61

Question 7

When is the construction of the Berlin wall.

Answer 7

Aug 61

Question 8

When does Kennedy visit Berlin?

Answer 8

June 63

Question 9

What caused Khrushchev to issue the Berlin ultimatum?

Answer 9

The East German refugee crisis :

by 1958 3 million East German (including skilled workers) had crossed the border into The west

Question 10

What had caused the refugee crisis?

Answer 10

• West Germany had received Marshall aid, the East had only received comiform which was unsuccessful-the west had a better standard of life
• the west was democratic so there was more rights and freedoms, the East had extreme restrictions ans the secret police- democracy

Question 11

What did Khrushchev’s Berlin ultimatum state?

Answer 11

• Berlin should be demilitarised and western troops should be withdrawn
• Berlin should be a free city
• the west had 6 months to do this or Khrushchev would hand all routes into Berlin to the East German goverment- this would force the USA to view the East German goverment as legitamate and therefore end their aim of uniting Germany

Question 12

What was the USA’s reaction the the ultimatum?

Answer 12

They were outraged but decided to take a more peaceful approach because both sides had large amounts of nuclear bombs at this time.

-the USA were not prepared to go to war over this but they did see as this as an attempt to spread communism which went against their containment policy

Question 13

What and when was the first summit about the crisis and what happened?

Answer 13

Geneva: : May 1959

-no agreement made but Eisenhower invites Khrusshchev to the USA for further talks

Question 14

What and when was the second summit about the crisis and what happened?

Answer 14

Camp david, sep 59

No agreement but soviets withdraw the Berlin ultimatum

-better relations between the leaders and futher talks in Paris organised

Question 15

What and when was the third summit about the crisis and what happened?

Answer 15

Paris, May 1960

Just before the talks the soviets announced they had shot a USA U2 spy plane as it flew over the soviot union

• the USA claimed it was a weather plane that had blown off-course but the soviots interrogated the pilot Gary Powers who admitted to being on a spying mission
• Eisenhower refused to apologise
• Khrushchev storms out if the meeting
• no agreement -worsened relations

Question 16

What and when was the last summit about the crisis and what happened?

Answer 16

Vienna June 1961

• Khrushchev believed Kennedy was inexpiranced so he renewed the Berlin Ultamatum (he knew about what happened with the Bay of pigs)
• Kennedy was concerned but didn’t wasnt to appear weak, nothing was agreed as Kennedy wouldn’t budge

Khrushchev and Kennedy noe had a strained personal relationship and Kennedy increased the arm forces by 2 billion in case a war broke out

Question 17

Who was the leader of East Germany?

Answer 17

Walter Ulbricht

Question 18

What caused Walter Ulbrich to beg Khrushchev to close the border?

Answer 18

Khrushchevks tough line on Berlin had resukted eith talks with Britan and France- as a result more people crossed the border

In one day in August 1961, 40,000 East Germans crossed

-Berlin wall constructions begins on 12 August 1961

Question 19

Why was the Berlin was important/significant?

Answer 19

• it symbolised how Germant was split in two
• it had horric social impacts as people were cut of from their relatives and families
• Both sides had falied to unite Germany under their control

Question 20

What did the Berlin wall do for the USA negative and positive?

Answer 20

Positve: Khrushchev had been forced to accept western control in West Berlin

-West Berlin became an emblem of hope against communism

Negaive: -soviets had closed the border without consulting the USA- decreased relations

-people in East Germany who wanted to escape Communism were no longer able to

Question 21

What did the Berlin wall do for the Soviets negative and positive?

Answer 21

Positive:

• wall stopped the refugee crisis
• it send a message that communism would survive in Berlin And any attempt to reunite it would fail

Negative:
-Khrushchev had to abandon plans to unite Germany under Soviot control

-it was a properganda disaster: people needed to be locked in to stop them leaving communism to go to Capitalism

Question 22

What did the Berlin wall do for relations

Answer 22

• it reduced tensions as Berlin’s fate was decided

- it became a powerful symbol of their divide for 30 years

Question 23

GCPV summits

Answer 23

Geneva
Camp David
Paris Vienna

Question 24

2 consequences plan

Answer 24

P1: people stuck on both sides and tension in Germany is reduced

P2: positives and negatives for USA and Soviets

(Germany would not be united, Soviets had to trap people, USA couldn’t save people from Communism)