Berlin Crisis (1958-63) Flashcards
One reason why Kruschev made the Berlin Ultimatum
There was a huge refugee problem
When was the Berlin Ultimatum?
27 November 1958
What was the Berlin Ultimatum about?
Berlin should be demilitarised, Berlin would become a free city, and if the West didn’t comply, Kruschev would hand control of all routes into Berlin to the government of East Germany (which the West didn’t recognise as legitimate).
Where (and when) were the summit meetings?
Geneva (May 1959), Camp David (September 1959), Paris (May 1960), Vienna (June 1961)
What happened at the Geneva summit meeting?
No agreements were made, but further talks were planned
What happened at the Camp David summit meeting?
Kruschev decided to withdraw the ultimatum, and relations were looking better
What happened at the Paris summit meeting?
Eisenhower refused to apologise for the U2 spy plane incident (1 May 1960) so Kruschev walked out of the meeting.
What happened at the Vienna summit meeting?
No agreements made between JFK and Kruschev, but Kruschev decided to renew the Berlin ultimatum.
When did construction of the Berlin wall begin?
12 August 1961
When did JFK give his ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ speech?
26 June 1963
How did the West Germans react to JFK’s ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ speech?
They applauded and cheered
