Cold War Crises, 1958-70: Cold War crises Flashcards
1
Q
Events leading to the building of the berlin wall
A
- 4 Summit meetings 1959-61 failed to resolve problem, Kennedy prepared for nuclear war
- Krushchev couldn’t risk nuclear war with US but still needed to fix refugee problem
- his soluton was building berlin wall August 1961 preventing East Berliners travel to West Berlin, later any East Berliner travelling to west shot
- 12 August 1961, East German troops erected barbed wire fence around West Berlin. Fence became heavily guarded wall. Soviet tanks deployed stopping West access to East. End October 1961West Berlin cut off from East.
2
Q
Why the Berlin wall was built
A
- Krushchev backed down as he couldn’t win a nuclear war
- Despit Berlin Ultimatum West powers stayed
- Instead Berlin Wall built (August 1961)
- Anyone trying to escape shot at, many killed
- Wall stopped East leaving to West solving crisis
- Krushchev avoided war but still looked strong
3
Q
Reasons for, building of, and discovery of the Cuban missile sites
A
- USSR saw Cuba as the key to a strategic problem: US had missiles close to USSR (UK and Turkey) but USSR had no missiles close to US
- Cuba saw Soviet missiles as a deterrent to US
- September 1962 Soviet ships carried missiles to Cuba
- October 1962 US spy planes photographed Cuban missile sites, secret out
- US public learned of Soviet missiles near US, mass panic
4
Q
Names of the groups of advisors and how they wanted Kennedy to respond
A
- The ‘hawks’ wanted to attack straight away giving no time for a response
- The ‘doves’ wanted to avoid nuclear war if possible
5
Q
Ways Kennedy could respond
A
- Ignore the missiles since US had many close to USSR
- Do a deal removing missiles close to each other
- Invade Cuba and get rid of Castro’s government
- Attack USSR with nukes before they could respond
- Destroy Cuban missile sites with airstrikes
- Blockade Cuba to stop any more missiles
- Warn Castro that his actions were dangerous and hope he removes them
6
Q
Brezhnev’s response to Dubček’s reforms
A
- Brezhnev couldn’t allow reforms, any weakness could break warsaw pact- evn though not Dubček’s intention
- Brezhnev couldn’t dissuade Dubček
- August 1968 Soviet tanks sent to Prague Dubček arrested
- Czechoslovakia returned to strict Soviet control under Gustav Husak, known as ‘normalisation’.
7
Q
Consequences of Brezhnev doctrine
A
- USSR declared right to invade Eastern Bloc countries threatening security of Eastern Bloc
- US condemned invasion but did nothing, feared war
- West European communist countries horrified declaring independence from USSR
- Yugoslavia & Romania backed off USSR weakening Soviet grip on Eastern Europe
8
Q
Importance of Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia
A
New Brezhnev doctrine meant USSR had right to invade Eastern Bloc country theatening Eastern Bloc. Other Eastern European countries had to rigidly stick to Soviet Communism.
9
Q
Impacts of the Berlin Wall
A
- Western Troops remained in Berlin
- Wall solved refugee problem
- Military allerts declined, Kennedy commented though not nice better than war. Wall suggests USSR not interested in unifying Berlin under communism as Krushchev demanded November 1958
- Wall humiliation for USSR and propoganda victory for West, showed East Germans preferrred West and were held in
- Wall notorious barrier between different levels of freedoms. West Berlin symbol of freedom shown by 200 people losing lives trying to enter it
- Krushchev thought Kennedy showed weakness allowing wall, encoraged sending missiles to Cuba
10
Q
Kennedy’s visit to West Berlin 1963
A
- Kennedy famously visited and claimed ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ (I am a Berliner)
- Speech expression of solidarity with West Berlin and demonstrated US and NATO prepared to defend it against attack
- Kennedy speaking after Cuban Missile crisis showing not soft on communism
11
Q
Iron Curtain after Berlin Wall
A
- Physical sign of Iron Curtain
- Europe now completely divided
- 2 Germanys
- 2 ideologies
- 2 alliances
