Cold war part 2

Question 1

Explain Khrushchev’s Berlin ultimatum

Answer 1

In response to the Brain Drain, he issued an ultimatum demanding that:
. Berlin should be demilitarised and Western troops be withdrawn
. Berline should become a free city (a city with its own government) which could allow it to be controlled by the Soviet Union

Question 2

Explain the first summit meeting

Answer 2

Geneva, May 1958
- various countries met in Geneva in neutral Switzerland
- both sides put forward proposals on how Berlin should be government but reached no agreement
. Eisenhower invites Khrushchev to USA for further talks

Question 3

Explain the second summit meeting.

Answer 3

Camp David, September 1959
- Eisenhower and Khrushchev
- Still no agreement about Berlin
- Soviets did agree to withdraw the Berlin Ultimatum
- Established better relations

Question 4

Explain the third summit meeting.

Answer 4

Paris, 1960
- Soviets made an announcement that they shot down a American spy plane that flew over Soviet Union
- Americans tried to claim it was a weather plane but Soviets interrogated the pilot, Gary Powers who admitted to being on a spy mission
- Khrushchev walked out of meeting and ended with no decisions being made

Question 5

Explain the fourth summit meeting and it’s impacts.

Answer 5

Vienna, 1961
- John F Kennedy was a new president and Khrushchev believed that he was inexperienced in foreign affairs
- Kennedy was determined not o appear weak so refused to make any concessions and meeting ended with no final decision on Berlin
- After Vienna, Kennedy increased spending on armed forces- seemed that if necessary USA was prepared to fight over Berlin

Question 6

Explain the impacts of the Berlin Wall in Berlin

Answer 6

• Families, friends and neighbours were parted
• East German border guards were instructed to shoot anyone making the attempt to cross the wall
• Over 130 people were killed

Question 7

Give some features of the Berlin Wall

Answer 7

• Two walls celebrated by a zone known as no-mans land
• No-mans land packed with booby traps
• Guarded by hundred of lookout towers and powerful searchlights

Question 8

What were the positive outcomes of the Berlin Wall on the Soviet Union?

Answer 8

• Stopped refugees leaving the East to the West
• Sent a message that any attempt to reunite Germany would fail

Question 9

What were the negative outcomes of the Berlin Wall on the Soviet Union?

Answer 9

• Khrushchev had to abandon plans to unite Germany under Soviet control
• Had to ‘lock’ people into East Germany to stop them leaving. Seems like if given a choice people would choose capitalism over communism

Question 10

Explain one positive outcome of the Berlin Wall on international relations.

Answer 10

Borders between East and West Germany were now closed; less likelihood that US and USSR would go to war. Americans complained about the Wall but as Kennedy said, a wall was better than war.

Question 11

Explain the Cuban Revolution.

Answer 11

1959, a group of revolutionaries, led by Fidel Castro toppled the pro-American government of Cuba.

Question 12

Why was the Cuban Revolution a concern to America?

Answer 12

Fidel Castro was a nationalist who did not want his country’s economy to be under American control. In 1860, he made an agreement with the Soviet Union. US was concerned about a pro-Soviet regime just 145 kilometres away from the US mainland.

Question 13

What was the relationship between USA and Cuba before the new government?

Answer 13

• USA was an important investor in Cuba’s sugar
• Cuba’s oil refineries and railways were controlled by Americans.

Question 14

Explain the ‘Bay of Pigs’.

Answer 14

Kennedy did not want a Communist ally so close to American territory. CIA suggested a group of Cuban exiles could be trained to launch an invasion to overthrow Castro. This would make it look like it was a Cuban counter revolution (America would not look to be involved).
On 17 April 1961, around 1,400 Cuban exiles landed at the ‘Bay of Pigs’ in Cuba. Was a failure

Question 15

Explain why the ‘Bay of Pigs’ was a failure.

Answer 15

• They could t send Us ground or air strikes because they would seem to be getting involved
• Castro’s government found out so 20,000 soldiers were ready and waiting to fight off 1,400 invaders.
• USA wrongly assumed most Cubans would support them but many felt happy with Castro
• The volunteers has little military experience

Question 16

What were the effects of the ‘Bay of Pigs’ on international relations?

Answer 16

-The USA had accused the USSR of trying to build an empire in Eastern Europe. Now it looks like America were acting in the same way
-There was little support for the Cuban’s exiles attempt to restore pro-American regime. Khrushchev said this was an indication of popularity of communism.
-In September 1961, Khrushchev announced he would provide arms to Cuba

Question 17

How did the USA respond to Khrushchev providing arms to Cuba? How did this lead to agreement?

Answer 17

Kennedy set up a naval blockade around Cuba, no ships would be allowed to pass through. Many Americans though the Soviet Union would ignore the blockade and USA would have to sink their ships then war would follow.

Soviets did not break the blockade but there were still Soviet missiles in Cuba. Khrushchev sent Kennedy a telegram offering to remove the missiles from Cuba if the Americans agreed not to invade. USA remove missiles from Turkey.

Question 18

Explain the treaties made after the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Answer 18

June 1963 a direct communications line was set up between Washington and Moscow. Known as ‘hotline’.

August 1963 Test Ban Treaty. US, USSR, GB. Prohibit the use of testing nuclear weapons in outer space, underwater or atmosphere.

1967 Outer Space Treaty. USA and USSR agree not to use space for military purposes. No nuclear weapons put in orbit.

1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The superpowers promised not to supply nuclear missiles to other countries.

Question 19

Explain the effects of the Cuban Missile Crisis on the leaders.

Answer 19

Kennedy had shown himself to be a strong leader and his popularity increased.

The military felt that they had been forced into a humiliating withdrawal. A significant factor to Khrushchev’s dismissal in 1964.

Question 20

Explain the opposition the Soviet control in Czechoslovakia.

Answer 20

In 1948, Stalin had supported a coup which establishes a pro-communist government. The country was really ruled by the Soviet Union.

The Czech economy was run for the benefit of the Soviet Union.
There was no freedom of speech and radio and television was censored
Czech government carried out purges, victims including military leaders, Jews, Catcholics.

Question 21

Explain the Prague spring.

Answer 21

In 1968, Dubcek was elected as head of Czech government. Soviets approved because trusted him to make Czechoslovakia more effective and less unpopular.

He was a devoted communist but believed a communist government should offer ‘socialism with a human face’.

He introduced reforms known as the ‘Prague Spring’:
.Censorship was relaxed
.Trade unions given wider powers
.Trade with West was increased.

Dubcek was careful to assure Moscow that Czechoslovakia would remain in the Warsaw Pact.

Question 22

What was the Soviet reaction to the Prague Spring.

Answer 22

Brezhnev thought if these measures were introduced in Czechoslovakian what would stop Warsaw Pact countries wanting the same?

On 20 August 1968, 500,000 Warsaw Pact troops invaded Czechoslovakia. Very little resistance because Brezhnev had ordered the Czech army to remain in it’s barracks. There were individual acts of bravery such as blocking roads or attacking individual tanks.

Question 22

Who replaced Khrushchev and when?

Answer 22

Brezhnev in 1964.

Question 23

What was the Brezhnev Doctrine?

Answer 23

Brezhnev said that any actions of any individual communist countries affected all communist countries. So if one country’s actions threaten other countries, then it was the duty of other countries to stop those actions.