Cold War Crises (pg. 11-19) Flashcards
How many Germans crossed into West Berlin from 1949-61?
2.7 million
What year was Krushchev’s Berlin Ultimatum and what did it say?
1958, all Berlin was East Germanys
Why did so many East Germans go to West Berlin?
Better jobs/wages, oppurtunities
What 4 meetings happened to put forward the Berlin Ultimatum?
- Geneva (1959) - No outcome
- Camp David (1959) - No outcome
- Paris Summit (1960) - Krushchev storms out learning Soviets shot down US spy plane
- Vienna (1961) - Reissued Ultimatum, saw Kennedy inexperience as weakness
What did Krushchev end up doing to solve the Berlin problem? Why?
- Build Berlin Wall 1961
USA prepared for nuclear war after summit meetings failed - USSR couldn’t afford war and needed to sort out refugee problem
What did the Berlin wall make Kruschev appear?
Strong for not starting war
Anyone who tried crossing wall shot
What happened in Cuba 1959? Why was this a dilemma for USA?
- Socialist revolution - US-Cuban relations fell after Covan-Soviet trade links increased
- Cuba is very close to USA, a Communist threat that close was dangerous
What did the CIA tell Kennedy for the US backed Cuban invasion?
- Castro’s unpopular and weak
- Invasion will look like Cuban revolt (disguised old US spy planes as Cuban + trained Cuban exiles)
What ended up being the reality for the Bay of Pigs?
- Castro was more popular than old leader who was corrupt
- Castro knew about invasion - had 20,000 troops against 1400 US troops
- US planes published propaganda - world knew US backed invasion
What was the outcome of the Bay of Pigs?
- Castro announced communist
- US-Cuban relationship off the table
What happened in 1962?
- US spy planes found missiles on Cuba
- ‘Hawks’ wanted to attack, ‘doves’ wanted to avoid nuclear war
- Kennedy didn’t attack, start of detente
Give 2 things from detente.
- Hotline Agreement
- 1963 - Limited Test Ban Treaty - Ban of nuclear weapon testing except for underground
What happened in 1968?
Prague Spring
- Communism unpopular in Czechoslovakia, Dubcek became leader
- Supported Warsaw Pact, wanted communism to be easier to live under (socialism w/ human face)
What were the reactions to Dubcek’s reforms?
-Many happy (students, writers, workers, young)
- Some angry (army, secret police) felt power they held was threatened
Give 3 of Dubcek’s reforms
- Less secret police
- Censorship relaxed
- More parties/democratic
Why was Breshnev fearful of the Prague Spring?
- If any other Warsaw Pact countries felt influenced, they would move away from Soviet control