Conflict and Tension between East and West - The Berlin Wall

Question 1

how was West Berlin an issue towards the Soviets?

Answer 1

• for the soviets, west berlin was causing serious economic concern
• east germans could see how much better life was in west berlin. West Berliners had freedoms and luxury goods that the East Germans could only dream of
• By 1960 over three million East Germans had gone West

Question 2

when was the Vienna Summit?

Answer 2

3-4 June 1961

Question 3

what occurred during the Vienna summit?

Answer 3

• just four months into his presidency, Kennedy met Khrushchev for the first time at a summit in Vienna
• the two men met to try to repair relations after the U2 Crisis and the disastrous Paris Peace Summit
• Kennedy was committed to keeping West Berlin capitalist
• little was achieved at the summit but it set the tone for superpower relations in the following years

Question 4

when was the wall built?

Answer 4

• on 13th August 1961, East German troops lined the border between East and West Berlin
• No East Berliners were allowed to pass

Question 5

why was the wall built?

Answer 5

• the reason given was that it was to prevent spies from entering Soviet territory from West Berlin, although it was also admitted that East Germany was losing too many educated people to the West
• outside the eastern bloc, most saw it purely as a way of keeping East Germans in industry : the wall also prevented them from seeing exactly what life was like in West Berlin

Question 6

how did Kennedy respond to the wall?

Answer 6

• although Kennedy was angry with the Soviets, it was decided that as long as West Berlin remained free, and that travel between West Berlin and West Germany was still possible, no action would be taken
• the USA sent an official complaint to Moscow but nothing more: East Berlin was not worth a war

Question 7

what did Kennedy state in his speech in West Berlin?

Answer 7

• In June 1963, Kennedy travelled to West Berlin. He then made a speech to 120,000 West Berliners outlining his belief about the evils of communism and the need to protect the freedom of West Berlin, proclaiming, ‘I am a Berliner’
• In the speech, Kennedy made clear his, and the USA’s, commitment to fighting communism and attempted to end concerns about his leadership
• by making his speech in Berlin, the centre of the Cold War, Kennedy was sending a clear message to Khrushchev and the Soviet Union