4 The Berlin Wall

Question 1

What was the refugee problem in Berlin and how was this causing Khrushchev a problem?

Answer 1

• Between 1949 and 1961, 2.7-3 million East Germans fled to the West through Berlin because they were dissatisfied with economic and political condition in the East, such as the collectivisation of agriculture, shortages of consumer goods and the strict rules under communism
• Large numbers of these East Germans were skilled professionals, therefore this caused a drain of labour and economic output for Khrushchev, threatening to bring about economic collapse
• Khrushchev wanted the West out of West Berlin completely, not only because it was a symbol of prosperity within communist territory, the Soviets also saw the presence of the West in Berlin as a military threat.

Question 2

What was the Berlin Ultimatum, issued by Khrushchev in November 1958?

Answer 2

• In November 1958, Khrushchev issued a statement accusing the Allies of breaking the Potsdam agreement, and demanded they leave Berlin within six months, saying it will become a free city
• President Eisenhower was prepared to negotiate as he did not want to risk another war, and a summit was arranged for the next year.

Question 3

What happened at the Paris Summit in 1960?

Answer 3

• The presidents were due to meet on the 14th May, but 9 days before a US spy plane was shot down in the Soviet Union. Eisenhower agreed to stop spying but did not apologise
• After bitter exchanges in a preliminary meeting, Khrushchev stormed out and Eisenhower cancelled a visit to the Soviet Union - the Paris Summit did not occur.
• This worsened relations between the two countries

Question 4

What happened at the Vienna Summit in 1961?

Answer 4

• Khrushchev arranged a summit a year later with the new US President, John F. Kennedy, in the hope to push the younger president around.
• However, Kennedy had re-asserted the Truman Doctrine and did not plan to agree to the Soviet’s demands.
• At the conference in June 1961, Khrushchev demanded that the West leave West Berlin, or the Soviets would sign a treaty with East Berlin that removed the West’s occupation rights.
• Kennedy refused to withdraw and instead invested $3.5 billion into defences; the Soviets also increased their defence budget by 30%.
• This further decreased relations between the two countries

Question 5

How was the Berlin Wall built in August 1961?

Answer 5

• On the 13th August 1961, Khrushchev closed the border between East and West Berlin, and a barbed wire entanglement was erected to surround the 43 km which separated the two Berlins
• A few days later, the construction of the wall itself began (3.6m high and 1.2m wide), and areas were cleared beyond the wall so that East German guards would be able to shoot anybody who tried to cross. Chain fences and minefields were also constructed.
• The wall was constructed to encircle the border of West Berlin, so that no East Germans could migrate to the West’s territory.
• The USA and its Allies did nothing to stop the construction of the wall, especially because it was built within East German territory.

Question 6

What was the impact of the Berlin Wall for Germans?

Answer 6

• Many Germans lost their lives attempting to climb the walls and escape to West Berlin
• Many families were split and travel restrictions made it difficult for them to see each other
• The Germans felt let down, as the Soviets had broken the 1949 agreement about the running of Berlin, and Kennedy had not gone to war for this.

Question 7

What was the impact of the construction of the Berlin Wall on US-Soviet relations?

Answer 7

• The Berlin Wall led to a serious stand-off between the two superpowers in October 1961, as the Americans disputed the right of Soviet troops to patrol and guard the checkpoints to the Wall as well as to check the passports of American officials who passed through.
• This resulted in both superpowers placing armed troops and tanks on their side of the checkpoint; with one wrong move, an armed conflict could broken out
• The stand-off ended after less than a day as Kennedy convinced Khrushchev that US troops would be removed if Soviet troops were removed
• Tensions eased between the superpowers as the flow of refugees stopped and the economic crisis in East Germany started to evaporate. Khrushchev believed he had won in the crisis, and Kennedy used the wall as a propaganda opportunity by carrying out tours in West Germany and Berlin in order to promote capitalism and criticise communism.