Cold War Crisis - 1958-70 Flashcards
What were the 1950s like between the two superpowers?
There was more communication but underlying tensions remained.
Who replaced President Truman in January 1953?
President Eisenhower
Who did President Eisenhower replace?
President Truman
When was President Truman replaced by President Eisenhower?
January 1953
When did Khrushchev come to power?
September 1953
What were the encouraging steps to diffusing tensions between the two superpowers?
- The USA and the USSR met in Geneva in 1955 and agreed to communicate more easily
- In 1955 the USSR officially recognised the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) as a state
- Khrushchev also freed some prisoners and reduced censorship in the USSR
What did the USA and the USSR agree at Geneva in 1955?
To communicate more openly.
When did the USSR officially recognise the Federal Republic of Germany as a state?
1955
When was the Berlin Crisis?
1948
After the Berlin crisis in 1948 what was West Berlin like?
They were a unified zone and continued to develop economically.
They benefitted from a new currency and American (Marshall Plan) aid.
What was the situation in East Berlin like after the Berlin crisis?
The USSR had drained it of resources and its economy was slow to develop.
Many people wanted to leave and go to West Berlin.
Why did people want to move from East Berlin to West Berlin?
Because the West was more prosperous with it’s new currency and American (Marshall Plan) aid.
Why was the situation in Berlin around the 1960’s so embarrassing for Khrushchev?
People wanted to leave the East of Berlin to go to the West. It suggested that people preferred life under capitalism to communism.
Why was East Germany’s economy threated?
Many people who left to go to the West were skilled workers in search of a better life.
Why did Khrushchev need to issue his ‘Berlin Ultimatum’ in 1958?
Because of the refugee crisis.
What did the refugee crisis lead Khrushchev to do?
It led him to issue the ‘Berlin Ultimatum’.
When did Khrushchev issue the ‘Berlin Ultimatum’?
1958
What did the ‘Berlin Ultimatum’ demand?
That USA, British and French troops leave West Berlin within six months.
Did Eisenhower accept the ‘Berlin Ultimatum’?
No he refused.
How did the USSR feel about the economic success in West Berlin?
They felt threatened.
Why did the USSR feel threatened by the West Berlin?
Because of their economic success.
What was the USSR worried that the West was trying to do with their strong economy?
The USSR worried the West was trying to use its strong economy to interfere in Eastern Europe.
What was Eastern Berlin dependent on?
Trade links with West Berlin.
What did West Berlin become a symbol of after the Berlin Airlift?
Democracy.
Why was the refugee crisis good for the West?
It was good propaganda because it made communism look weak.
When did Khrushchev and Eisenhower hold a summit?
1959
When did Khrushchev visit USA?
1959
Who was the first communist leader to visit the USA?
Khrushchev
What did Khrushchev and Eisenhower’s meeting in 1959 symbolise?
A new spirit of co-operation and communication between the two powers.
What did they discuss at the summit in 1959?
Berlin
What happened at the summit in 1959?
Eisenhower still didn’t agree to withdraw from West Berlin, but did agree to discuss the matter more deeply.
Where did the leaders decide to meet a year after the 1959 summit?
Paris
How was the optimistic dialogue continued after the 1959 summit?
By the leaders agreeing to meet a year later in Paris.
In 1961 how many people were crossing from East to West Berlin every day?
2000
Why did Khrushchev construct the Berlin Wall?
Because it was clear that the refugee crisis wasn’t going to be solved diplomatically.
What happened days before the scheduled Paris summit in 1960
The USSR shot down a U2 American spy plane over Soviet territory.
What type of plane did the USSR shoot down days before the Paris Summit?
A U2 American spy plane.
When was the Paris Summit supposed to be?
1960
What did Eisenhower say about the spy plane?
He denied it was a spy plane. When the USSR produced the pilot (alive) and the plane’s wreckage as evidence he refused to apologies.
Why did Khrushchev walk out of the Paris Summit?
Eisenhower refused to apologies for the spy plane that was flying over Soviet territory.
What hindered further negotiations about Berlin?
The U2 incident.
When did both countries later meet?
June 1961
Where did the countries meet instead of Paris?
Vienna
Who replaced Eisenhower as US President?
John F. Kennedy
Who did John F. Kennedy replace?
Eisenhower
Who met at Vienna in June 1961?
John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev
What did Kennedy vow when he came into power?
To take a tougher approach towards communism.
How did Kennedy treat the Berlin question?
He refused to compromise over Berlin, and no resolution was reached.
What did the USSR believe after the Vienna summit?
That problems in Berlin wouldn’t be resolved by negotiation. This sparked the creation of the Berlin Wall.
What were the three summits between USA and the USSR? How many of them went ahead?
USA, Paris, Vienna. Paris wasn’t complete.
What was the Berlin Wall supposed to solve?
The flow of refugees out of East Berlin.
When was the Berlin Wall erected?
13th August 1961overnight.
How big was the wall when it was erected?
27 miles.
How was the wall originally fortified?
With barbed wire and machine gun posts.
What was later introduced after the wall became a more permanent barrier?
Military checkpoints policed any movements into or out of East Berlin.
What did the Berlin Wall prevent?
- work in the west
- people seeing friends and family
What happened to people who tried to escape East Berlin?
They were shot.
What did the Berlin Wall do to the situation in Europe?
It helped stabilise the situation and tensions in Europe.
Why were the West actually relieved by the Berlin Wall?
It avoided war.
What happened with troops straight after the wall was erected?
Soviet and Western troops were positioned either side of the wall, but then both powers agreed to back down.
How did USA respond to the Wall?
They condemned it but then took no further military action.
What did the Wall succeed in doing?
- It stopped mass emigration to West Berlin.
- It also gave East Germany the opportunity to rebuild its economy, and strengthen itself as a communist state.
What did the Wall become a symbol of in the West?
Oppression and failure of communism.
What did the wall become a symbol of in the USSR?
Strength
When did Kennedy visit West Berlin?
1963
What did Kennedy do in West Berlin?
In 1963 June, he gave a speech stating his unity with West Berlin and its people. He declared ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ (I am a Berliner).
What did Kennedy declare in his speech when he visited West Berlin?
‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ (I am a Berliner)
What does ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ mean in English?
I am a Berliner.
How do you say I am a Berliner in German?
Ich bin ein Berliner.
When was the Cuban Revolution?
1959
Who had ruled Cuba since 1952?
Batista, a ruthless military dictator.
What did Batista the ruler of Cuba allow?
American businessmen and the Mafia to make huge profits in a country where most people lived in poverty.