Berlin Wall 1958-61 Flashcards
How many Germans lest eastern Germany by 1958
3million over a sixth of the country’s population
What kind of people were leaving east Germany during the ‘Brain drain’
Skilled workers who were essential to east Germany’s economy, such as engineers, technicians and teachers
What did Khrushchev demand in his ‘Berlin Ultimatum ‘
Demanded that western countries should officially recognise east Germany and an independent country
What were the names of the 4 summits held to discuss the ‘Berlin ultimatum ‘
Geneva, may 1959
Camp David, September 1959
Paris, may 1960
Vienna, June 1961
Why did these summits do badly
On the first of may 1960- as the various countries prepared for the Paris peace talks an American U-2 spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union. Eisenhower was embarrassed by this and refused to apologise, Khrushchev walked out of the meeting
Who was president of the USA at the begging of the Berlin crisis and who was president at the end, what was the effect of this change
Eisenhower was replaced by Kennedy in January 1961. At the Vienna summit in June 1961, Khrushchev believe that Kennedy was inexperienced in foreign affairs, it would be possible to get the better of him. However, Kennedy refused to to make any concessions and after Vienna decided to increase spending on American armed forces by over $2 billion
What was the result of the failure of the summits to find a conclusion on the Berlin ultimatum
Concerns over the Berlin ultimatum talks caused an increase in East German deciding to cross to the west , just incase Khrushchev decided to close the border. Then, on the night of the 12th of August 1961, East German troops put up a barbed wire fence between east and West Berlin
What were the negative impacts of the wall on both the USA and the USSR
Khrushchev had to abandon plans to unite Germany under soviet control, the Berlin Wall also showed how the Soviet Union has to lock the people in to socialist countries. For the USA the Soviet Union has put up a wall with out asking the USA and people who wanted to escape from communism could no longer do so
What were the positive impacts of building the Berlin Wall on both sides
The wall stopped large numbers of refugees leaving for the west to some extent solving the problem of the brain drain. It also showed the west that communism would survive in Berlin.
For the USA it showed that Khrushchev had been forced to accept western control in West Berlin. West Berlin became an emblem of freedom
What was the impact of president Kennedy’s visit to Berlin in 1963
Thousands of West Berliners went to see him speak, Kennedy praised the freedoms of the west and contrasted then with them with communism in a famous speech in which he said ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ (I am a citizen of Berlin)
