Cold War (2) Flashcards
Why had the refugee issue in Berlin become such a problem for the USSR by 1957
- the flow of refugees was humiliating for the USSR
- Many were skilled workers, important to the economy
- the existence of West Berlin as an island of capitalism within East Germany had always been resented by the USSR
What happened in the Geneva summit meeting ( 1959 )
No real agreement but arrangements made for Khrushchev to visit US
What happened in the Camp David summit meeting ( 1959 )
No solution but agreed further summit meetings – Khrushchev withdraws ultimatum.
What happened in the Paris summit meeting ( 1960 )
A disaster. Khrushchev storms out after Eisenhower refused to apologise about U2 incident
What happened in the Vienna summit meeting ( 1961 )
Neither side back down, Khrushchev tries to exploit Kennedy’s inexperience and repeats 6 month ultimatum.
When was the Berlin Wall put in place
During the night on 12 August 1961 ( wall of barbed wire was put around West Berlin
What were the positives of the Berlin Wall for the USSR
- It stopped the refugee problem.
- It allowed Khrushchev to avoid war whilst appearing strong
What were the Negatives of the Berlin Wall for the USSR
- Khrushchev had been unable to force the West out of West Berlin
- Humiliating that the Soviets had to build a wall to keep the people of East Germany in!
What were the positives of the Berlin Wall for the USA
- It avoided a war
- Khrushchev had admitted he was not able to force the West out of Berlin
- it was a propaganda victory for the West
What were the negatives of the Berlin Wall for the USA
- West Berlin was now encircled by a wall which limited their freedom and America had not done anything to stop this being built.
What happened in the cuban revolution
- Fidel Castro came to power and tried to seize control of Cuban businesses and industry from the US in 1959
How did the US attempt to kill Castro
- Exploding molluscs
- Exploding cigars
- Poisonous face cream
What happened due to the distanced relationship between Castro and Kennedy
- The leader of the Cuban revolution, Fidel Castro, developed an alliance with the USSR (largely as a result of alienation from America after America cut trade ties with Cuba following the revolution)
- This gave Khrushchev an ally within the American sphere of influence.
- Showed that capitalism wasn’t that popular!
What happened in the bay of pigs invasion
- April 1961 - 1300 Cuban exiles, armed with U.S. weapons, landed at the Bay of Pigs.
- The invasion was easily defeated by Castro’s army. The failure of the invasion seriously embarrassed the young Kennedy administration.
What happened as a result of the attempted invasion of Cuba
- The invasion made Castro wary of the U.S. He was convinced that the Americans would try to take over the island again.
- This fear pushed Castro even closer to the USSR