Cold war chapter 4 Flashcards
What was the economic situation in West and East Germany after their division?
West Germany became wealthy, whereas East Germany suffered from a low standard of living.
What aid did West Germany receive after the division?
West Germany received Marshall Aid.
What was the role of secret police in East Germany?
East Germany had secret police which instilled terror into its citizens.
How many East Germans crossed to the West by 1958?
By 1958, 3 million East Germans (1/6 of the population) crossed to the West through Berlin.
What was Khrushchev’s concern regarding East Germans?
Khrushchev was worried about East Germans crossing into West Germany.
What did Khrushchev demand in his Berlin Ultimatum?
He demanded that western troops be withdrawn within 6 months, otherwise there would be another blockade.
What were the talks between 1959 and 1961 about?
There were a series of talks to solve the Berlin problem, but neither side wanted a nuclear war over it.
What happened at the Geneva and Camp David talks?
The talks went well, but no agreement was made about Berlin.
What incident destroyed hopes for agreement at the Paris Summit?
The U-2 incident in 1960 destroyed any hope for agreement.
What was the result of the Vienna Summit in 1961?
The Vienna Summit failed as both Khrushchev and Kennedy refused to make any concessions.
What prompted Khrushchev to build the Berlin Wall?
40,000 people crossed to the West in just one day.
What was constructed on the night of 12 August?
A barbed wire fence was put up around Berlin and between East and West Berlin.
What was the length of the concrete wall built by the end of summer?
A concrete wall stretching 165 miles was built.
What was the structure of the wall between East and West Berlin?
Two walls separated by the ‘Death Strip’ were built, with booby traps, barbed wire, and lookout towers in between.
How many people were killed trying to cross the Berlin Wall?
130 people were killed trying to cross the Wall, including Peter Fechter in August 1962.
What were the positive results of the Berlin Wall for the USA and USSR?
The wall stopped the tension caused by the refugee problem and both sides had to accept that the other side was there to stay in Berlin.
What were the negative results of the Berlin Wall for the USA and USSR?
Kennedy criticized the USSR and communism in his speech ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ and Khrushchev faced the fact that people preferred capitalism to communism.
What significant event occurred in Cuba in January 1959?
Fidel Castro and Che Guevara overthrew Fulgencio Batista, the US-backed dictator.
What actions did Castro take regarding foreign-owned land in Cuba?
In May 1959, Castro took over all land in Cuba owned by foreigners and nationalised American-owned businesses.
What agreement did Castro make with the USSR in February 1960?
Khrushchev agreed to buy Cuban sugar and provide economic aid, and secretly agreed to send arms.
What was the Bay of Pigs invasion?
On April 17th, 1961, around 1400 militarily inexperienced Cuban exiles landed at the Bay of Pigs to overthrow Castro.
What was the outcome of the Bay of Pigs invasion?
The invasion was a complete disaster, and Castro showed the world media how the Cubans had defeated the Americans.
What did Castro request from Khrushchev after the Bay of Pigs invasion?
Castro asked Khrushchev to help him defend Cuba against any future attack from the USA.
What did Kennedy discover on 14th August 1962?
A US U-2 plane detected missile sites being constructed on Cuba.
What was Kennedy’s initial assumption about the missile sites in Cuba?
At first, the US assumed these were just defensive sites.
What did Kennedy announce on 22 October 1962?
He publicly announced a quarantine zone around Cuba.
What happened on 26 October 1962?
Kennedy received a letter from Khrushchev offering to remove missiles in Cuba if the US agreed not to invade.
What was the second letter from Khrushchev on 27 October 1962?
Khrushchev stated they would remove the missiles only if US missiles in Turkey were also removed.
What decision did Kennedy make regarding the second letter from Khrushchev?
Kennedy decided to ignore the second letter and publicly accept the terms of the first letter.
What was the outcome of the Cuban Missile Crisis on 28 October 1962?
Khrushchev announced that in exchange for American assurances on Cuba, the Soviet missiles would be returned to the USSR.
What was the situation in Czechoslovakia under communist rule?
It was ruled by the USSR, had a Secret Police, low standard of living, and censorship.
What reforms did Alexander Dubcek introduce in 1968?
Dubcek proposed relaxing censorship, allowing criticism, increasing trade union power, and more regional government power.
What was Brezhnev’s response to Dubcek’s reforms?
Brezhnev warned Dubcek not to go too far, and when he did not stop, ordered 500,000 Warsaw Pact troops to invade.
How did the Czechoslovakians respond to the invasion?
They stood in front of the tanks and put flowers in the soldiers’ hair, with little opposition.
What was the Brezhnev Doctrine?
It stated that if one Warsaw Pact country’s actions threatened others, it was the duty of those countries to intervene.
What happened to Dubcek after the invasion?
Dubcek was arrested and removed from office, replaced by Gustav Husak, who introduced a wave of oppression.
