Cold War Unit 3 Flashcards
What happened in Berlin 1961?
The Berlin Wall was built
What is the date & time the Berlin Wall was built on?
13th August 1961 at 2pm
Who built the wall?
Soviet soldiers
What did the West say about the building of the wall?
They were outraged - they said it was a violation of human rights
What did many of the east Berliners do before the building of the wall?
They fled including doctors and other professionals
How long did the Berlin Wall last?
1961-1989
(28 years)
Properties of the wall?
Barbed wire followed by a concrete wall
3.6m high
27 miles long
Did the Berliners or the West expect the building of the Berlin Wall?
No - built without any consultation or communication
What were the places where people could be allowed into east Berlin?
They were called checkpoints
E.g. Checkpoint Charlie
3 reasons why the Berlin Wall was built?
- USSR wanted revenge in Berlin after the failure of their Berlin blockade in the 1940s
- Living conditions in East Berlin were poor and many fled to West Berlin including professionals (e.g. doctors) - USSR were thus fearful that they’d have no one left
- USSR became harsher after events such as U2 crisis and Hungary
What was the Soviets reasoning to building the Berlin Wall?
The western powers in Berlin used espionage on the east so the USSR said by building the wall, that they would stop such activity
Who was the first to be killed due to the Berlin Wall?
Peter Fletcher
How many people killed due to trying to cross the wall?
Approximately 140 people
What impact did the Berlin Wall have on relations?
-The USA thought the wall showed the aggressive nature of the USSR - showed that the USSR didn’t want to cooperate and would remain strict and cruel - they built it without consultation too
-JFK spoke publicly against communism in Berlin (Ich bin ein Berliner) - showed the USA and the west wouldn’t back down easily and wouldn’t be afraid to address this publicly
-USSR were more suspicious of the USA with espionage hence why they built the wall - they were more fearful - would do anything to protect themselves
When was the ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ speech said?
26 June 1963
What was said in the ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ speech?
Reassurance provided to Berliners
Said wall would eventually fall and that they should stay strong
What was the impact of the ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ speech on international relations?
Strong, defiant message
Put down the USSR’s hopes do drive the allies out of Berlin
Showed the allies weren’t afraid to publicly disagree with the USSR
Where is Cuba located?
160km from Florida (close to the USA)
What did Americans have in Cuba?
They owned most of the businesses and had a naval base there
Why did the Americans support Batista (the Cuban leader)?
He opposed communism - just like the USA
Why was Fidel Castro (the opposition leader) well liked in Cuba?
Charming, clever
Had a vision for a better Cuba
What happened to Batista?
He was overthrown by Castro and the communists
Why did relations between Cuba and the USA worsen as Castro took over?
Castro was communist
Castro took over the USA’s businesses on the island
What did President Eisenhower authorise in June 1960?
For the CIA to investigate ways of overthrowing Castro - supported and funded the Cuban exiles and investigated ways to distrust the Cuban economy (e.g. damaging sugar plantations)