Cold War Crises: 1958-70

Question 1

What caused the refugee problem in Germany?

Answer 1

• West Germany had a higher standard of living than East due to the Marshall aid it received
• People also disliked the lack of freedom in communist East Germany

Question 2

By 1958, how many East Germans moved to West Germany?

Answer 2

3 million East Germans.

Question 3

How did the refugee problem affect East Germany?

Answer 3

They lost many skilled workers who were needed to rebuild the economy. It also made the Soviets look bad because the people preferred West Germany.

Question 4

What did the refugee problem cause Khrushchev to do?

Answer 4

Issue the Berlin Ultimatum to stop the refugee problem.

Question 5

What was the Berlin Ultimatum?

Answer 5

It stated that Berlin belonged to East Germany and all West German troops had to leave within 6 months.

Question 6

When was the Berlin Ultimatum issued?

Answer 6

November 1958.

Question 7

How did Eisenhower respond to the Berlin Ultimatum and what did he do instead?

Answer 7

He rejected the Ultimatum and instead agreed to a series of summit meetings to take place.

Question 8

What were the summit meetings of 1959-61?

Answer 8

1. Geneva Summit
2. Camp David Summit
3. Paris Summit
4. Vienna Summit

Question 9

What was the outcome of the Geneva Summit?

Answer 9

No agreement was reached but further summits were organised.

Question 10

What was the outcome of the Camp David Summit?

Answer 10

Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the Ultimatum, but no other agreement was reached.

Question 11

What was the outcome of the Paris Summit?

Answer 11

Khrushchev stormed out after the Soviet Union had shot down a US spy plane flying over their territory.

Question 12

What was the outcome of the Vienna Summit?

Answer 12

Khrushchev saw the new US President’s inexperience as a weakness and renewed the Berlin Ultimatum. Kennedy refused and no agreement was reached about Berlin.

Question 13

What two events caused the construction of the Berlin Wall?

Answer 13

1. Failed summit meetings of 1959-61
2. The refugee problem

Question 14

Why did the failed summit meetings and the refugee problem cause Khruschev to build the Berlin Wall?

Answer 14

There was no solution to end the refugee problem and many East Germans were still moving to west Germany, so Khrushchev had to do something.

Question 15

When was the Berlin Wall built?

Answer 15

12th August 1961.

Question 16

What was the Berlin Wall and what did it become?

Answer 16

At first it was a barbed wire fence around West Berlin. However, it soon evolved into a heavily guarded 165km concrete wall that was almost impossible to cross.

Question 17

How did the Berlin Wall effect the Germans?

Answer 17

• Families were separated
• 150 people died attempting to cross the Berlin Wall

Question 18

What were two consequences of the construction of the Berlin Wall?

Answer 18

1. It strengthened the USA’s reputation as Kennedy had protected West Berlin from falling to communism.
2. Although Khrushchev ended the refugee problem, his reputation was damaged after the failed Ultimatum and the need to ‘lock’ people into communism.

Question 19

When did Kennedy visit West Berlin?

Answer 19

1963.

Question 20

Why did Kennedy’s visit to West Berlin strengthen the USA’s reputation?

Answer 20

He showed that America was hard on communism and he said the famous line: ‘I am a Berliner,’ which showed he cared about West Berlin.

Question 21

What event caused the Bay of Pigs invasion?

Answer 21

The Cuban Revolution.

Question 22

What happened in the Cuban Revolution?

Answer 22

In 1959, Fidel Castro overthrew Batista and took control of Cuba.

Question 23

What did Castro want for Cuba’s future?

Answer 23

He wanted Cuba to be a nationalist country and not under America’s control.

Question 24

What three things did Castro do under his rule of Cuba?

Answer 24

• He took over all American land in Cuba
• He began trading Cuban sugar with the Soviets in exchange for arms
• He appointed communists in his government

Question 25

Why did the Cuban Revolution cause the Bay of Pigs Invasion?

Answer 25

The USA didn’t want a communist country (due to the Cuban Revolution) so close, so they wanted to force Cuba into accepting American influence again by staging an invasion.

Question 26

How did the USA respond to changes made by Fidel Castro?

Answer 26

They banned all trade with Cuba and cut off diplomatic relations with them. They launched the Bay of Pigs invasion.

Question 27

When was the Bay of Pigs invasion?

Answer 27

April 1961.

Question 28

What was the plan for the Bay of Pigs invasion?

Answer 28

For 1400 CIA trained Cuban exiles to overthrow Castro at the Bay of Pigs in Cuba.

Question 29

What were two reasons why the invasion on Cuba failed?

Answer 29

1. Castro knew about the invasion in advance and there were 20,000 Cuban soldiers waiting to fight the exiles.
2. Most Cubans were happy with having Castro in power.

Question 30

What were two consequence of the Bay of Pigs invasion?

Answer 30

1. It was humiliating for America as it was obvious they were behind the invasion. They appeared as hypocritical since they accused the USSR of spreading their influence, which they just did.
2. Castro announced he was communist and he agreed for the USSR to place nuclear arms on Cuba.

Question 31

What were two causes of the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Answer 31

1. After the Bay of Pigs invasion, the USSR put nuclear arms on Cuba to prevent another American attack.
2. In October 1962, a US spy plane photographed nuclear launchpads in Cuba that were able to destroy American cities.

Question 32

Why did Kennedy have to take action after discovering missiles in Cuba?

Answer 32

Cuba was only 145km away from the USA and the missiles had the ability to destroy major American cities. Kennedy had to do something or this would strenghten the Soviet’s position in the arms race.

Question 33

When were the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Answer 33

16-28 October 1962.

Question 34

How did the USA respond to missiles being stationed in Cuba?

Answer 34

Kennedy set up a naval blockade around Cuba.

Question 35

How did the Soviet ships respond to the naval blockade?

Answer 35

They turned around, preventing a nuclear war.

Question 36

What happened from 26-28 October 1962?

Answer 36

After negotiations with Khrushchev, the USA publicly agreed to not invade Cuba if the missiles in Cuba were withdrawn. However, Kennedy agreed in secret that the US would also remove their missiles from Turkey.

Question 37

What were two consequences of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962?

Answer 37

1. USA’s position was strengthened after the crisis as they was able to remove the missile sites from Cuba.
2. Tensions were eased as a series of steps were taken to improve relations.

Question 38

What was set up as a consequence of the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Answer 38

A hotline was set up between Washington and Moscow to improve communication.

Question 39

What did the 1963 Test Ban Treaty agree to do?

Answer 39

It agreed to ban the testing of nuclear weapons in outer space and underwater.

Question 40

How did the Outer Space Treaty in 1967 reduce tensions?

Answer 40

America and the USSR agreed not to use space for military purposes.

Question 41

What was agreed for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1968?

Answer 41

The USA and USSR agreed to not share their nuclear technology with other countries.

Question 42

Who became the new leader of the USSR in 1964?

Answer 42

Leonid Brezhnev.

Question 43

Why did the Czechoslovaks dislike the communist rule in their country?

Answer 43

• There was no freedom of speech
• Everything was censored
• Were shortages of resources due to the Soviet’s spending on arms

Question 44

What happened as a result of the low standard of living in Czechoslovakia?

Answer 44

There were many protests against the low standard of living and lack of freedom in Czechoslovakia.

Question 45

How did Brezhnev respond to the protests?

Answer 45

In January 1968, he appointed Alexander Dubcek as the new Czechoslovakian leader, with the intention to make communism more popular.

Question 46

What reforms did Dubcek introduce?

Answer 46

• Relaxed censorship
• Allowed criticism of the government
• Increased trade with the West

Question 47

What were Dubcek’s reforms known as?

Answer 47

The ‘Prague Spring’.

Question 48

Why was Brezhnev worried about the ‘Prague Spring’?

Answer 48

He feared that reforms in Czechoslovakia would lead to demands for reforms elsewhere in the Eastern bloc which would threaten communist rule.

Question 49

How did the Soviets re-establish their control in Czechoslovakia?

Answer 49

• In August 1968, 500,000 Warsaw Pact troops invaded Czechoslovakia and ended the ‘Prague Spring’
• Dubcek was arrested
• In 1969, he was replaced by Gustav Husak

Question 50

What were two consequences of the ‘Prague Spring’?

Answer 50

1. America’s reputation was weakened because they didn’t provide any assistance or backup to Czechoslovakia.
2. Strengthened the USSR’s influence over the Eastern Bloc because of the Brezhnev Doctrine.

Question 51

Why was the Brezhnev Doctrine important?

Answer 51

It gave the USSR and other Warsaw Pact countries the right to invade another communist country if they were threatening communist rule.

Question 52

What was the international reaction to Soviet measures in Czechoslovakia?

Answer 52

The USA and West Germany condemned the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia but didn’t provide any military support. Some Communist leaders also disproved of the invasion, such as Yugoslavia’s leader.