CHAPTER 2 Flashcards
Describe the Berlin refugee problem
In 1949 Germany had been divided into 2 parts. The West was clearly a much better place to live, due to marshall aid. In 1953 a riot broke out going against the soviet government. By 1958, three million East Germans, had crossed to the west. Many of them were smart engineers, doctors and skilled workers. this caused the brain drain
What was Khrushchev’s Berlin Ultimatum?
In order to stop people moving into west Germany Khrushchev had to do something. In 1958 he decided to make east Germany an independent country. On November 27 Khrushchev demanded that :
-Berlin should be demilitarized
-western troops withdrawn and Berlin should become a free city.
This was known as the Berlin ultimatum
What was the Impact of the Berlin ultimatum on International relations
It had a major impact on international relations. The west was outraged by Khrushchev’s demands, however Khrushchev saw this as a method to stop the brain drain. Tensions increased and many German citizens including the chancellor treated west Germany as the true Germany. In order to resolve this problem the summit meetings were held between 1959-61
What happened in the Geneva summit
Taken place in may, 1959. Both sides put forward proposals on how Berlin should be governed but no agreement was made
What happened in the Camp David summit meeting
Taken place in September 1959. Eisenhower and Khrushchev met face to face. No agreements about how berlin was controlled. However both presidents agreed on the withdraw of the Berlin untimatum.
What happened in the Camp David summit meeting
Taken place in September 1959. Eisenhower and Khrushchev met face to face. No agreements about how berlin was controlled. However both presidents agreed on the withdraw of the Berlin ultimatum.
What happened in the Paris summit meeting
Taken place in May 1960. on May 1 a US spy plane was shot down in Soviet Union. Although Eisenhower was embarrassed and refused to apologize, no formal agreements were made.
Explain the construction of the Berlin Wall in
In 1961 the USSR decided to close the East Berlin border. Just before the USSR deployed barbed wires along the border of east Berlin, 40,000 East Germans crossed to the west a day after the construction began of the wall began.
The wall would stretch 165 kilometers
Explain the Impacts of the Berlin wall
The wall cut through many buildings and was heavily fortified with booby traps and armed guards. Many families were separated for many years. In desperation over 130 people were killed in attempt to cross the border.
What happened during the Cuban Revolution?
in 1959 a group of revolutionaries, led by Fidel Castro, toppled the pro-American government. Kennedy was concerned as many American foreign business was invested into Cuba. This created tension between the USSR and the USA as Castro installed a pro-communist government and was very close to the USSR.
Explain why the USA refused to recognize Castro’s government and what did they do in response
President Kennedy didn’t want a communist country so close to the USA. The CIA devised a plan to train a group of Cuban exiles to launch an invasion to overthrow Castro. However they failed as they had little military experience, the Cuban army outnumbered them by 18,600 soldiers .
What happened during the Cuban Missile Crisis?
A spy plane informed Kennedy that there were soviet missiles in Cuba. The reason for this may be because the USA had missiles installed in Turkey, close to the USSR, and Khrushchev feared another American attack on Cuba
on October 22 Kennedy put a blockade of ships on Cuba which resulted in the USSR to turn around and go back
What was the impact of the Cuban Missile Crisis?
The Limited Test-Ban Treaty, 1963
The Outer Space Treaty, 1967
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, 1968
What was the Limited test-ban treaty
It was a treaty to prohibit the testing of nuclear weapons in outer space in 1963
what was the outer space treaty
It was a treaty signed by the USA and Soviet Union, which began a space race, both countries were also not allowed to use space for military purposes,1967
what was the Nuclear-Proliferation Treaty
It was a treaty that stopped the sharing of nuclear weapons to other countries. 1968
What are the 3 events of the Czechoslovakia situation
Opposition to soviet control
The Prague spring
The Soviet reaction
Why was there opposition to Soviet control in Czechoslovakia?
In 1948 Stalin supported a coup which removed non-communists from power and established a pro-Soviet communist government.
Life Under the Communists were difficult for the Czech population. The country was ruled by the Soviet Union rather than the Czech government, this was done by the secret police. Their economy was run for the benefit of the Soviet Union. There was a lack of freedom of speech, and newspapers were censored. In 1966 there were students showing how bad the government was
What happened during the Prague Spring?
Dubcek was assigned as the head of the Czech government In 1968. As he believed in communism and was committed to the Warsaw pact, However he believed citizens should enjoy life. So he made some reforms: censorship was relaxed and criticism of government actions were allowed, trade with the west increased
What was the Brezhnev Doctrine?
On September 1968, the USSR sent out a newspaper talking about the Brezhnev doctrine. It stated that the actions of any individual communist country affected all communist country’s.
