Cold War Crises

Question 1

How many Germans crossed from East to West during the ‘brain drain’?

Answer 1

2.7 million

Question 2

Which Soviet leader issued the Berlin Ultimatum?

Answer 2

Khrushchev

Question 3

When was the Berlin Ultimatum issued?

Answer 3

November 1958

Question 4

What did the Berlin Ultimatum state?

Answer 4

Berlin belonged to East Germany and occupying troops must leave in six months

Question 5

Where, and when, were the Berlin summit meetings held?

Answer 5

1) Geneva (May 1959)
2) Camp David (Sept 1959)
3) Paris (May 1960)
4) Vienna (Jan 1961)

Question 6

What was the outcome of the Geneva Summit?

Answer 6

No solution agreed, but a further summit arranged at Camp David.

Question 7

What was the outcome of the Camp David Summit?

Answer 7

No solution, but a further meeting agreed to in Paris. Ultimatum temporarily withdrawn.

Question 8

What was the outcome of the Paris Summit?

Answer 8

Khrushchev stormed out following the spy plane that had been shot down over Russia.

Question 9

What was the outcome of the Vienna Conference?

Answer 9

Neither willing to back down Khrushchev tried to take advantage of Kennedy’s inexperience. Ultimatum reissued.

Question 10

When did Kennedy become the leader of the USA?

Answer 10

1961

Question 11

When was the Berlin Wall built?

Answer 11

August 1961

Question 12

Why was the Berlin Wall built?

Answer 12

1) Khrushchev knew his ultimatum would be unsuccessful
2) Stopped East Germans leaving for the West, which solved the Brain Drain.
3) Avoided war but Khrushchev still looked strong

Question 13

When was the Cuban Revolution?

Answer 13

1959

Question 14

Following the Cuban Revolution, which country did they become closer to?

Answer 14

The Soviet Union

Question 15

When was the Bay of Pigs?

Answer 15

April 1961

Question 16

What was the aim of the Bay of Pigs?

Answer 16

To have Cuban exiles assassinate Fidel Castro, so it looked like the USA was not involved.

Question 17

What was the outcome of the Bay of Pigs?

Answer 17

The Cubans knew the invasion was coming and they were prepared. US-backed troops surrendered. Most Cubans supported the new leader.

Question 18

What was the impact of the Bay of Pigs?

Answer 18

Ended all change of a friendly relationship between the USA and Cuba. Forced Cuba closer to the Soviets. Ultimately led to the Missile Crisis.

Question 19

When was the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Answer 19

1962

Question 20

Who was the leader of the USA and USSR during the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Answer 20

Kennedy and Khrushchev

Question 21

How did Kennedy respond to finding out there were nuclear weapons in Cuba?

Answer 21

Naval blockade

Question 22

How does Khrushchev respond to the Blockade?

Answer 22

Initially says he will ignore it, but offers to remove missiles if USA removes theirs from Italy and Turkey. The USA secretly agrees.

Question 23

What were the short term consequences of the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Answer 23

1) Communist Cuba survived and Kennedy promised to never attack it.
2) Soviets look weak, because the world did not know the USA had agreed to remove some of their missiles from Europe
3) Khrushchev lost face and was ultimately replaced by Brezhnev in 1964

Question 24

What were the long term consequences of the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Answer 24

Gradual move towards detente:

1) Hotline established between Moscow and Washington
2) Limited Test Ban Treaty
3) Outer Space Treaty
4) Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty

Question 25

When was the Limited Test Ban Treaty signed, and what did it say?

Answer 25

August 1963.

Agreed to ban nuclear weapons testing (except for underground tests)

Question 26

When was the Outer Space Treaty signed, and what did it say?

Answer 26

1967

Limited deployment of nuclear weapons in space

Question 27

When was the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty signed and what did it say?

Answer 27

1968

Prevented nuclear weapons being given to other countries

Question 28

By which year had the Soviets caught up with the USA in the arms race?

Answer 28

1965

Question 29

When was the Czechoslovakian Crisis?

Answer 29

1968

Question 30

Who was leader of Czechoslovakia before the crisis?

Answer 30

Rakosi

Question 31

What was life in Czechoslovakia like before the crisis?

Answer 31

Hard. Very weak economy, tough secret police, brutal leader.

Question 32

Who became the leader of Czechoslovakia in January 1968?

Answer 32

Dubcek

Question 33

What was Dubcek like?

Answer 33

He was a communist and a good friend of Brezhnev. He was committed to communism but wanted to make it more appealing for people so they supported it rather than opposed it.

Question 34

What did Dubcek want in Czechoslovakia?

Answer 34

Socialism with a human face.

Question 35

What reforms were introduced during the Prague Spring?

Answer 35

Relaxation of censorship, more democracy allowed, reduction of Soviet control, reduction of the powers of the secret police, economic reform.

Question 36

How did the Soviet Union feel about the Prague Spring?

Answer 36

They were worried. They feared it might encourage other countries to introduce reforms and reduce Soviet control which would weaken the Eastern bloc.

Question 37

How did the Soviets respond to the Prague Spring?

Answer 37

Sent tanks into Prague. Arrested Dubcek. New leader reinstated strict Soviet control.

Question 38

What was the Brezhnev Doctrine?

Answer 38

The policy that if one country threatened the security of the Eastern bloc, the Warsaw Pact countries could invade it.

Question 39

What were the consequences of the Brezhnev Doctrine?

Answer 39

1) Western communist parties were horrified and distanced themselves from Moscow
2) Yugoslavia and Romania backed away from the Soviets
3) The Soviet grip of Eastern Europe was weakened…
4) …but control was increased in some senses as countries had to follow Soviet rule or risk being invaded.

Question 40

What was the impact of the Czechoslovakian Crisis on superpower relations?

Answer 40

Minimal. Few people died as a result of the invasion and the USA was distracted by the war in Vietnam, so it did very little to damage the move towards detente.

However, it made Brezhnev complacent about military action, believing that the Soviets could take action and the USA wouldn’t respond, arguably encouraging the invasion of Afghanistan.

Question 41

Which years was Brezhnev in power?

Answer 41

1964-82