Berlin Wall 1958-61 Flashcards
How many Germans had left East Germany by 1958?
Three million.
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 the East Germany economy, such as engineers, technicians and teachers.
What did Krushchev demand in the ‘Berlin Ultimatum’?
He demanded that Western countries should officially recognise East Germany as an independent country
What were the names of the four 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 1st of May 1960, as 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 but refused to apologise. This resulted in Krushchev walking out of the meeting.
How was the president of the USA at the beginning of the Berlin crisis?
Eisenhower
Who was the president of the USA at the end of the Berlin crisis?
Kennedy replaced Eisenhower in January 1961
What effect did the change in president have on the Berlin crisis?
Krushchev believed that as Kenedy was inexperienced in foreign affairs and he, therefore, thought that it would be possible to get the better of him, at the Vienna summit in June 1961. However, Kennedy refused to make concessions and, after Vienna, decided to increase spending on American arms by over $2 billion.
What was the result of the failed summits to find a conclusions to the Berlin Ultimatum?
Concerns over the Berlin Ultimatum talks caused an increase in East Germans deciding to cross to the West, just in case Krushchev decided to close the border. Then on the night of the 12th of August 1961, East German troops put up a barbed wire between East and West Berlin.
What were the negative impacts of the building of the Berlin Wall on both the USSR and the USA?
- Krushchev had to abandon plans to unite Germany under
Soviet control. - The Berlin Wall showed how the Soviet Union had to
‘lock’ people into communist countries. - For the USA, the Soviet Union had put up the wall
without asking the USA. - Also, people who wished to escape communism could no
longer do so.
What were the positive impacts of the building of the Berlin Wall on both the USA and the USSR?
- The wall stopped large numbers of refugees leaving for
the West, to some extent solving the refugee crisis for the
East German government. - It also showed the West that communism would survive in
Berlin. - On the other hand, it also showed that Krushchev had
been forced to accept Western control in West Berlin. - West Berlin became an emblem of freedom.
When did Kenedy visit Berlin?
1963
What was the impact of President Kennedy’s visit to Berlin?
Thousands of West Berliners went to see him speak. Kennedy praised the freedoms of the West and contrasted them with communism in a famous speech in which he said, ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ (I am a citizen of Berlin).
