Berlin Wall Crisis (1958-1961) Flashcards
Who did West Germany belong to?
USA, Britain, and France which trived under capitalism
Who did East Germany belong to?
The USSR, which was sruggling under capitalism that many East Germans rioted
What did East Germans do that made the USSR worried/mad?
They started traveling to live in West Germany
What did Khrushchev ask for in 1958?
He asked that a peace treaty be signed so both countries could be recognized and also wanted Berlin to be demilitarized. If they didn’t sign it within 6 months Eastern Germany would turn control of all access routes in the West to the East
What was Khrushchev afraid of?
He was afraid of West obtaining nuclear weapons, concerned over East Germany’s failing economy, and pressured from Ulbricht
What was the Geneva Summit (1959)?
USA, USSR, Britain, and France decided to meet in Geneva to discuss various Cold War issues
What was Khrushchev’s intial thoughts about Kennedy? What was Kennedy determined to prove?
At first, Khrushchev thought it would be good to get concessions from a new president with no experience but Kennedy was determined not to give any concessions because he wanted to prove his strength
What was Kennedy’s Wider Cold War Policy?
More spending on forces
Making the nuclear weapons
Continuing CIA covert work
Giving economic aid to countries so they can resist Communist spread
Continue negotiations with the USSR
Where did Khrushchev and Kennedy meet?
At Vienna Summit. This is where Kennedy and Khrushchev discussed concessions and Kennedy refused to give any. Later he made a speech on television on how the US won’t give into USSR pressures to move out of Berlin.
What did Ulbricht pressure Khrushchev into doing?
He pressured Khrushchev into building the wall between to close the border between the East and the West
What did the building of the wall mean for Khrushchev and Ulbricht?
For Khrushchev it meant failure of the communist government to properly help people in a country. As for Ulbricht, he was able to consolidate Communist control in the GDR (East)
How did the US approch USSR about this situation?
The USSR wouldn’t allow one of the U.S Cheif of Missions to enter the East and so the USA decided to confront the USSR at one of the checkpoints along the wall (Checkpoint Charlie) and they both stood there for a while not making a move because they didn’t want to start a war with each other. Eventually, Kennedy convinced Khrushchev to call the tanks off and eventually they both back away
What speech did Kennedy give?
Kennedy gave the “Ich Bin eir Berlin” speech at West Berlin saying that he was a Berliner at heart too
What is the “Open Skies” Proposal?
It allowed the US and the USSR to conduct aerial reconnaissance flights over each other’s territory to verify military capabilities. The USSR rejected the proposal, contributing to the atmosphere of distrust
What is the Summit Collapse?
A planned summit in Paris between Eisenhower and Khrushchev was canceled after the U.S. U-2 spy plane incident. The U-2 was shot down over Soviet territory, leading to heightened tensions and the collapse of the summit. This happened before the wall
