Crises of the Cold War

Question 1

What was the Berlin Ultimatum of 1958?

Answer 1

Khrushchev’s demands to the Western allies (USA, GB, France) to leave West Berlin.

Question 2

What did the Berlin Ultimatum say?

Answer 2

That the Western allies had 6 months to leave West Berlin and that it would then be a free city (with its own independent government).

Question 3

What was discussed at the Geneva Summit meeting in May 1959?

Answer 3

How Berlin should be run. No agreement was reached.

Question 4

Who met at Camp David (in USA) in September 1959?

Answer 4

Khrushchev and Eisenhower (US President). They could not agree on a way forward for Berlin but the USSR did withdraw the Berlin Ultimatum.

Question 5

What was a U2?

Answer 5

An American spy plane. It could fly at 70,000 feet and take photos of Soviet bomber plane bases and missile sites.

Question 6

When was Gary Power’s spy plane shot down over the USSR?

Answer 6

May 1960.

Question 7

What did Khrushchev do about the U2 and how did US President Eisenhower respond?

Answer 7

Khrushchev said USSR had shot down a plane (but did not say it was a spy plane). Eisenhower claimed it was just a weather plane flown off course. Khrushchev then showed the photos Gary Powers had taken, proving it was a spy plane and that Eisenhower was lying.

Question 8

How did the U2 crisis make the Cold War worse?

Answer 8

Khrushchev walked out of the Paris Peace Summit meeting. This meant that plans to discuss reunifying Germany and reducing weapons didn’t happen. This helped cause the Berlin Wall to be built.
USA was made to look bad because they were spying and lying.

Question 9

What happened at the Vienna Summit meeting in June 1961?

Answer 9

Kennedy (new US President) met Khrushchev. Khrushchev renewed the Berlin Ultimatum, demanding western forces leave West Berlin. Kennedy refused.

Question 10

So what were the 4 Summit meetings leading to the building of the Berlin Wall called?

Answer 10

Geneva Summit meeting, Camp David, Paris Peace Summit meeting, Vienna Summit meeting.

Question 11

Why did the East German government build the Berlin Wall?

Answer 11

They wanted to stop people leaving communist East Germany. Approx 4 million East Germans (many skilled workers) had defected to the West by 1961. People had more freedoms and a better standard of living in the West.

Question 12

When did they build the Berlin Wall?

Answer 12

13 August 1961, they put up a barbed wire divide between East and West Berlin.
Then built a 45km concrete wall around West Berlin, with watchtowers and guards.

Question 13

What effect did the Wall have on the people of Berlin?

Answer 13

Families were split up. Those caught trying to cross the wall were shot (41 people shot in first year). It reduced defections enormously.

Question 14

What effect did the Berlin Wall have on the Cold War?

Answer 14

It created tension e.g. Checkpoint Charlie. This was a stand-off between US and Soviet tanks lasting 18 hours. If either side had fired it could have turned into a war. This actually then causes tensions to decrease as both sides realised how close to war they had come.
USA used it for propaganda - said it proved how bad communism was if they had to build a wall to stop people escaping.
The communists said the wall was an ‘anti-fascist protection barrier’ to stop Western spies getting in.

Question 15

When was the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Answer 15

October 1962

Question 16

What caused the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Answer 16

In 1958, Castro (a communist) took over Cuba after a revolution. This scared USA as Cuba was so close to USA

Question 17

How did the ‘Bay of Pigs’ invasion help cause the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Answer 17

USA tried to replace Castro with the previous leader, Batista. They sponsored a group of rebels to invade (at the Bay of Pigs) but it was a failure. This invasion scared Castro though so he asked USSR for help. USSR provided Cuba with missiles.

Question 18

Why was USA worried about USSR putting weapons in Cuba?

Answer 18

In 1962 US spy planes photographed Soviet missiles in Cuba. These missiles had a range of 2,500 miles and could destroy most American cities. More Soviet ships are on their way to Cuba (with more weapons on them).

Question 19

What did America do to stop the Soviet ships delivering their missiles to Cuba?

Answer 19

20 October USA put a naval blockade around Cuba. At first, Khrushchev said he would force his way through the blockade and he would use nuclear weapons in the event of a war.

Question 20

What did USSR do next after USA blockaded Cuba?

Answer 20

Khrushchev ordered the ships to turn back. He sent 2 letters/telegrams to Kennedy.
Letter 1 said he’d take missiles off Cuba if USA called off the blockade.
Letter 2 said he’d take missiles off Cuba if USA took missiles off Turkey.
Kennedy ignored the 2nd letter and agreed to the 1st letter. Crisis was over.

Question 21

What were the consequences of the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Answer 21

Both countries realised how close they’d come to war so took steps to improve relations.
1. Telephone hotline set up between USA and USSR so they could discuss problems quickly in future.
2. 1963 - Test Ban Treaty (banned testing of nuclear weapons in the air and underwater).

Question 22

How did Khrushchev claim he’d ‘won’ the Cuban missile crisis?

Answer 22

Khrushchev said he was the peacemaker as he’d turned the ships around. But he was criticised for backing down. He did get the US missiles off Turkey (but this was done secretly).

Question 23

How did Kennedy claim he’d ‘won’ the Cuban Crisis?

Answer 23

Kennedy became a hero for being ‘tough’ with USSR. He’d protected USA.

Question 24

What other treaties were signed after the the Cuban Crisis?

Answer 24

1968 - Outer Space Treaty (can’t use space for nuclear weapons)
1968 - Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Countries who signed it agreed not to develop nuclear weapons. Thus limiting nuclear weapons to only this countries who’d already developed them.

Question 25

What was life like in Czechoslovakia before 1968?

Answer 25

It was communist and had been under the influence of the USSR since 1948. People had few freedoms.

Question 26

Who became the leader of Czechoslovakia in 1968 and why?

Answer 26

Alexander Dubcek. USSR hoped that he could make communism more popular as there had been increasing unrest.

Question 27

What changes did Dubcek make in Czechoslovakia?

Answer 27

He introduced new laws (reforms). For example, censorship of the press was ended, other political parties were allowed and he wanted to encourage trade with the West. He promised he would not leave the Warsaw Pact.

Question 28

What was the name given to Dubcek’s reforms?

Answer 28

The Prague Spring

Question 29

How did USSR respond to the Prague Spring?

Answer 29

In August 1968, 500,000 Warsaw Pact troops entered Czechoslovakia to stop the changes. Most protests by the Czech people were passive but Jan Palach (a student) set himself alight in protest. Prague Spring reforms were removed and Husk replaced Dubcek as leader of Czechoslovakia.

Question 30

What was the Brezhnev Doctrine?

Answer 30

Brezhnev (USSR leader) said that force would be used wherever necessary to keep communist countries under control. This happened as a consequence of events in Czechoslovakia.

Question 31

Did the West get involved in Czechoslovakia?

Answer 31

No. USA criticised USSR but did not want to start a war by interfering.

Question 32

What were the consequences of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia?

Answer 32

Temporary worsening of relations between USA and USSR.
Some communist countries criticised USSR for attacking another communist country e.g. China, worried USSR might do the same to them one day.

Question 33

What were the 3 crises called and when were they?

Answer 33

Berlin crisis 1961
Cuban missile crisis 1962
Czechoslovakia 1968