Cold War Crises

Question 1

What were the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis 1962?

Answer 1

1) Kenedy is informed that Khrushchev is sending missiles to Cuba.
2) Kenedy creates a blockade of ships around Cuba.
3) Russian ships turn around last minutes.
4) Khrushchev says he will stop giving Cuba missiles if the US don’t invade Cuba.
5) Khrushchev gets intellegence that US are about to invade Cuba.
6) Khrushchev accepts secret deal - US remove rocket from Turkey and USSR remove rockets from Cuba.

Question 2

Consequences of the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Answer 2

• US secretly remove nuclear weapons from Turkey.
• A ‘hotline’ telephone is created between Moscow and Russis.
• 3 Treatys between America and Russia:
  ‘The Test Ban Treaty’ which limited experimentation of Nuclear Weapons.
  ‘The Outer Space Treaty’ which stopped space becoming a battle ground, real worry.
  ‘The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty’ they cannot share Nuclear Weapons with other Countries, stopping nuclear war.

Question 3

Impact on Superpower Relationships on the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Answer 3

Kenedy proved himself as a strong leader and would stand up to Krushchev.
Relationships improved from the ‘hotline’ and also the fact that Khrushchev had kep the missiles in Turkey secret, element of trust.
Also less chance of nuclear war from the treaty which reduced tensions.

Question 4

Postive Impacts for the Soviet Union from the Berlin Wall?

Answer 4

• Stops people leaving to West Berlin and leaving communism.

- Sent a message to the West that communism will survive in Berlin and Germany would not be united.

Question 5

Postive Impacts for the USA from the Berlin Wall?

Answer 5

• Khrushchev had to accept western control and cannot bully Kenedy anymore (strong leader).
• West Berlin became a embolm for freedom and defence against communism.
• Kenedy gained support through the Speech in 1963 praising the freedoms of the west and ‘I am a citzen of Berlin’ in German.

Question 6

Negative Impacts for the Soviet Union from the Berlin Wall?

Answer 6

• Abandoned plans to unite Germany under Soviet Control.

- It also showed that the East have to lock people into their country so they don’t leave.

Question 7

Negative Impacts for the USA from the Berlin Wall?

Answer 7

• The Soviet Union closed the border without consolting the USA.
• People who wanted to join capstlism could no longer.

Question 8

Postive impacts on superpower relations from the Berlin Wall?

Answer 8

• By closing the borders there was a less likely hood of the US and the USSR from going to war over Berlin.
• In some ways, the wall reduced tension.

Question 9

Negative impacts on superpower relations from the Berlin Wall?

Answer 9

• They had been arguing about Germany since the end WW2 and it had gotten so bad they had to build a wall (‘Iron Curtain’).
• The wall also became a symbol of the difference and divide of the East to the West.

Question 10

Impacts on Berlin Citzens from the Berlin Wall?

Answer 10

• 130 people killed atempting to cross the wall.
• Families are divided, often for years.
• East Berliners are now prisoners and can not escape.

Question 11

Who was Dubcek and what was ‘Socialism with a human face’?

Answer 11

Dubcek was the new leader of Czechoslovakia but wanted to make changes, he called this Socialism with a human face’:

• Allows some political opposition and multi-party elections are discussed for the first time.
• Increase trade with the West.
• Increase freedom of speech.
• Goverment control of the industry reduced.

Question 12

The events of the ‘Prague Spring’?

Answer 12

1) Dubeck announces reforms, Brezhnev threats invasion with Warsaw Pact troops.
2) Dubcek invites Tito of Yugoslavia to Prague for talks (independent leaders).
3) August 1968, 500,000 Warsaw Pact troops invade Czechoslovakia.
4) Brezhnev orders the Czech army to stay in their barracks.
5) Czech people try to resist the Warsaw Pact troops but they are no match.
6) Dubcek is arrested and his reforms reversed, and replaced by a puppet leader Husak.

Question 13

Why does Brezhnev have to react to Dubcek?

Answer 13

Dubcek’s reforms cause the Czech people to want radical change, this made Brezhnev scared as:

• they could leave the Warsaw Pact losing there central SS.
• If they left the WP then NATO could move in on Soviets Territory, they’d be vunerable to a attack.
• Needed to stop of reforms across the WP, East German, Polish leaders were finding it hard to govern their country.
• Terrible for the USSR’s economy as Czech had their strongest industry.

Question 14

The impact of the Prage Spring on Czechoslovakia?

Answer 14

Fredoms removed once again as the reforms are undone and the puppet leader Husak becomes leader.

Question 15

The impact of the Prage Spring on the Relations between other Warsaw Pact countries?

Answer 15

Bad:
1. Yugoslavia and Romonia disagreed with the invasion hurting relations.
2. Soviets lost links with communist parties (e.g france).
Good:
1. East Germany and Poland happy with invasion.
2. Greater Soviet control on WP members, reinforced by the Brezhnev Doctorine

Question 16

The impact of the Prage Spring on relations between the US and USSR?

Answer 16

• USA and western countries outraged by the invasion.
• Soviet Union blocked a United Nations offer, condemning the invasion.
• Showed the US were not going to take direct action against the soviets.

Question 17

The impact of the Prage Spring on USA’s international reputation?

Answer 17

Damaged US reputation as they would critisise the USSR but not take action.

Question 18

What was the Brezhnev Docterine?

Answer 18

It said that any country in the Soviet Union threatens the security of the Warsaw Pact then the Soviet Union has the right to invade them and stop them with Warsaw Pact troops.

Question 19

What is the Berlin Crisis and why is that Impactful?

Answer 19

East Germany had very bad standard of living, little freedom and a very bad economy due to Russia wanting to bring them down. This was the complete opposite West Germany.

This meant:
1958, three million East Germans, a sixth of the population went to West Germany.
East Germany were losing skilled workers: teachers, engineers, Doctors.
Less people working in factories and buying in shops was crashing the econmy.

Question 20

What was Khrushchev’s 1958 Berlin Ultimatum and what effect did it have?

Answer 20

Berlin should be demilitarised and Western troops withdrawn.
Berlin should become a free city, fully communist.
It would make it hard for east germans to go to west germany.

Had a major negative impact on super power relations as the West saw it as thr Soviet Union trying to spread communism and Khrushchev saw it as essential to stop the refugge crisis of skilled citizens.

Question 21

When were the 4 summit meetings between the USSR and US and what happenned? (1959-61)

Answer 21

1. Geneva, May 1959- no real agreements but arrangements made for Khrushchev to visit the US
2. Camp David, September 1959- Agreed to further summit meetings and Khrushchev agreed to withdraw Berlin Ultimatum.
3. Paris, May 1960- A disaster, Khrushchev storms out after Eisenhower refuses to apologise about the U2 US spy plane shot down in Russia.
4. Vienna, June 1961- Neither side back down on Berlin, Khrushchev renewed the Berlin Ultimatum and tries to expoil Kennedy’s inexperience. After kennedy increased spending to 2 billion on arms.

Question 22

What were the Events of the Cuban Reveloution?

Answer 22

1. January 1959, a group of reveloutionaries led by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara toppled the pro-american Cuba government and Castro was a nationslist (control his own economy not USA).
2. Eisenhower is worried as much of cuba’s land and investments in the sugar industry are owned by the US buisnessmen.
3. May 1959, the new Cuban government nationilised all foreighn owned land in Cuba.
4. February 1960 Castro makes a agreement with the Soviet Union, Khrushchev agreed to buy Cuban sugar in return for secretly supplying arms to Cuba.
5. USA became cocerned a pro-Soviet regime was being established 145km to the US mainland.
6. July 1960, Eisenhower reduced the amount of sugar the US would buy from Cuba and in OCTOBER Banned All Trade with Cuba.
7. January 1961, USA broke off diplomatic relations with Cuba.

Question 23

What was the Bay of Pigs Invasion?

Answer 23

America were not happy having communist ally so close to there mainland. So the created a plan of Cuban exilies to attack and overthrow Castro. On 17 April 1961, the Cuban exiles landed at he ‘Bay of Pigs’ in Cuba. However, they were not ready for the 20,000 war-hardened Cuban soldiers to fight them. Because of there 1,400 cuban exilies and thrre lack of experience were no match. Now because the US wanted to show the attack as a Cuban Reveloution they could not send in any US ground troops or air support. This was a complete fail and big embarresment and properganda loss for the US.

Question 24

What were the Consequences of the Bay of Pigs Invasion?

Answer 24

• It ruins the reputation and humiliates USA.
• Looks like the US are trying to create a capatalist empire in the carribean like the USSR in europe.
• Properganda won for the USSR as cuban people are seen as happy/protecting their land, loving the communist ideology.
• Stronger relationship with Castro and Khrushchev as Castro annouced Cuba is a communist country and Khrushchev publically announced to provide arms another US attack.
• Kennedy now scared as Cuba has modern military equipment especially Nuclear weapons, but Khrushchev assured him they would not supply this.
• Weakens Kennedy’s negotiations with Khrushchev, see this in Vienna as he treat him woth no respect after the invasion.