Cold War Crises 1958 - 70

Question 1

Describe the Refugee Problem in Berlin

Answer 1

• People were moving from the communist East Berlin to the West.
• Between 1949, and 1961 2.7 million East Germans crossed from the East to the West.
• The population of West Germany increased while the economy benefitted from an influx of skilled workers. This left the East with a skills shortage.

Question 2

What was Khruschev’s Berlin Ultimatum?

Answer 2

November 1958

• This stated that all Berlin belonged to East Germany and that occupying troops must leave in 6 months or he would hand over the control of the routes into West Berlin to the East German government
• He knew this would be difficult as the West would be forced to recognize the East as a country to carry out negotitations

Question 3

Describe the Geneva Summit

Question 4

Describe the Camp David Summit

Answer 4

• September 1959
• Involved Eisenhower and Khruschev
• No Solution Agreed but a further meeting arranged in Paris

Question 5

Describe the Paris Summit

Answer 5

• May 1960
• Involved Eisenhower and Khrushchev
• A disaster. Khruschev stormed out, exposing that the US had a spy plane over Russia. (The Soviet Union shot this down)

Question 6

Describe the Vienna Conference

Answer 6

• Jan 1961
  
  • Kennedy and Khrushchev
  • Neither side was willing to back down, Khrushchev reissued his ultimatum.

Question 7

When was the Berlin Wall built?

Answer 7

August 1961

Question 8

Why was the Berin Wall built?

Answer 8

1. To solve the refugee crisis
2. Soviets avoided war with the USA but still looked strong

Question 9

How was the wall humilating for the Soviet Union?

Answer 9

• It suggested that East Germany needed to force people to remain in communist East Germany.
• Furthermore, it created West Berlin as a symbol of freedom. Many tried to escape the wall, with over 200 people losing their lives trying to cross the wall.

Question 10

What happened in Kennedy’s Visit to West Berlin?

Answer 10

• 1963
• He claimed ‘‘I am a Berliner’’
• His choice to visit personally was a demonstration of power, showing the NATO were prepared to defend West Berlin from communist attack.

(note this was after the Cuban Missile Crisis)

Question 11

Describe the Cuban Revolution

Answer 11

• Before 1959, Cuba and the USA were very closely linked, they were lots of US-owned businesses within Cuba.
• Cuba had a socailist revolution in 1959, and the USA refused to deal with the new government.
• So, Cuba started to build economic links with the Soviets, trading Soviet oil for Cuban sugar.

Question 12

What date was the Bay of Pigs incident?

Answer 12

17th April 1961

Question 13

Why did the USA attack Cuba?

Answer 13

• The USA didn’t want a left-wing country in their sphere of influence

Question 14

Describe what Kennedy thought would happen at the Bay of Pigs

Answer 14

• The invasion would look like a Cuban revolt - the CIA trained Cuban Exiles and disguised old US planes as Cuban
• Kennedy had been told Castros control of cuba was weak and people hated Castro

Question 15

What actually happened at the Bay of Pigs?

Answer 15

• Their planes were recognised as US planes and photographed, the information was published. The world knew that the US backed the invasion.
• Castro met the 1400 troops with 20,000 of Castro’s troops, causing the US to surrender.

Question 16

State 3 impacts of the Bay of Pigs incident

Answer 16

1. Castro announced that he was a communist
2. Ended all chances of a friendly USA cuba relationship
3. Cuba and Soviet Union started building closer ties - including military defence for Cuba

Question 17

What happened in September 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis?