Crises of the Cold War Flashcards
How many refugees left East Germany for West Germany between 1949 and 1961?
4 million
What was the Berlin Ultimatum?
Khrushchev demanded that the West leave Berlin.
What were the consequences of the Geneva Conference (May 1959) & Khrushchev’s meeting with Eisenhower at Camp David (September 1959)
No agreement on the long-term fate of Berlin was reached.
BUT Khrushchev withdrew his Berlin Ultimatum
Which event caused the collapse of the Paris Conference in May 1960?
The U2 incident. Soviets shot down a US spy plane & captured the pilot - Garry Powers
What happened at the Vienna Summit (June 1961) ?
Khrushchev tried to dominate new US President Kennedy demanding the West quit Berlin.
Kennedy refused to back down & increased arms spending.
When did East Germany start to build the Berlin Wall?
August 13th 1961.
What was Checkpoint Charlie?
One of only 3 official crossing points in the Berlin Wall
How was the Berlin Wall eventually developed?
Floodlights, dogs, trip-wires, mines machine guns, soldiers and dogs.
What happened in October 1961?
A stand-off between US and USSR tanks at the Berlin Wall.
How many people died attempting to cross the Berlin Wall?
At least 140.
What was the Bay of Pigs?
An attempt by anti-Catro Cuban exiles (Brigada 2506) to invade Cuba.
What were the consequences of the Bay of Pigs?
Operation Mongoose - plans to assassinate Castro.
Kennedy was humiliated.
Castro became more popular.
What did the U2 spy plane spot on October 14th?
Nuclear missile bases being constructed in Cuba.
What decision did Kennedy reach over Cuba in October 1962?
To place Cuba under a quarantine (air & naval blockade) to prevent missiles from arriving from Russia. It was successful.
What were the consequences of the Cuban Missile Crisis?
Hotline between Washington and Moscow
Kennedy looked more powerful and Khrushchev looked weak.
*US secretly agreed to remove missiles from Cuba
Treaties signed - Limited Test Ban Treaty 1963 and Outer Space Treaty 1968
