Key topic 2: Cold War crises, 1958–70 Flashcards
specification: 1 Increased tension between East and West
● The refugee problem in Berlin, Khrushchev’s Berlin ultimatum
(1958), and the summit meetings of 1959–61.
● Soviet relations with Cuba, the Cuban Revolution and the refusal of
the USA to recognise Castro’s government. The significance of the
Bay of Pigs incident.
● Opposition in Czechoslovakia to Soviet control: the Prague Spring.
specification: 2 Cold War crises
● The construction of the Berlin Wall, 1961.
● The events of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
● The Brezhnev Doctrine and the re-establishment of Soviet control in
Czechoslovakia.
specification: 3 Reaction to crisis
● Impact of the construction of the Berlin Wall on US-Soviet relations.
Kennedy’s visit to West Berlin in 1963.
● The consequences of the Cuban Missile Crisis, including the ‘hotline’.
Attempts at arms control: the Limited Test Ban Treaty (1963); the
Outer Space Treaty (1967); and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty (1968).
● International reaction to Soviet measures in Czechoslovakia.
When is Khrushchev’s Berlin ultimatum?
Nov 58
When is the Geneva summit?
May 59
When does Khrushchev visit the USA?
Sep 59
When is the U2 crisis?
May 1960
When does Kennedy become President?
Jan 61
When was the Cuban Revolution?
1959
and it worried the US
What was the Bay of Pigs?
Where a group of Cuban exiles are trained to launch an attack on Castro and overthrowing him. He did this to make it look like a cuban revolution making America not involved. However Castro already knew about the plan therefore making Castro get ready (20,000 soldiers ready to fight 1400 invaders)
What happened in April 1961
1,400 exiles cubans landed on cuba
what was Cuba like before the Revolution? Who ruled it and what did he do?
since 1952 Cuba was ruled by a ruthless military dictator
he allowed US businesses and mafia to make huge profits in a country where most people lived in poverty
Who is Fidel Castro
He was a rebel;
in 1956, he began a guerrila war. (small military unit uses tactics like raids to fight a larger opponent)
By 1959 he had enough support to take Cuba’s capital, Havana, and successfully overthew the Batista’s government
How did USA react to kruchev putting weapons on cuba
Kennedy realised that if Cuba had missiles then they would he in under threat. Kennedy warned kruschev that he couldnt allow the soviet union to use cuba as a base to threaten USA
Why was the US worried about the Cuban revolution?
USA had long economic history with Cuba
It owned half of the Cuba’s land and held most of the shares in all Cuban industries.
Therefore they felt that they had the right to be involved in cuba’s affairs. But cubans grown to resent American influences.
How did USA push cuba closer to USSR?
When castro came in to power in 1959,
he increased taxes on goods imported fro america, which angered the USA
Eisenhower threatened to stop importing cuban sugar. Sugar was cuban’s main source of wealth
Instead Castro signed a trade agreement with USSR - USSR promised to buy all sugar exports
All american property in cuba was confiscated
by Jan 1961 USA severed all diplomatic relations with Cuba and the new president kennedy nolonger recognise Castro’s government
What was the bay of pigs?
Kennedy couldn’t let a communist state emerge next to America so he intervened
in 1961, Kennedy authorised and invasion of Cuba anti-Castro rebels trained to overthrow him.
CIA trained 1500 anti-castro exiles
kennedy send 6 planes to bomb cuban air force (did not turn out well), so he canceled air support
supply ship also got destroyed
Castro was told that there would be an invasion but did not know the scale of it so he mobilised all troops (20,000 soldiers ready to fight 1400 invaders)
all exile captured within 7 hours
this lead to Castro decide that they need soviet military support to defend it’s self
consequences of the Bay of Pigs
for usa
humiliating and embarrassing failure
doing what they condemn ussr for
fresh plan to get rid of castro
for ussr
closer relationship with cuba
propaganda victory
august 1961 khrushchev placed nuke in cuba
for cuba
become communist
military support from USSR
Castro felt vulnerable
cuban missile - cause
The reason why Khrushchev placed missile in Cuba was because NATO had missile in turkey and so they have to have a deterrent near America
cuban missile - consequences
- Hotline established so Moscow and Washington could communicate more directly and more quickly in event of a crisis
- all nuclear missile removed from Cuba, then from Turkey by 1963
- Kennedy emerge from the crisis as a hero who stood up against thread of communism
- Khrushchev was discredited, he forced the USA to remove missile from Turkey but agreed to keep the deal a secret. In the eyes of the public he failed and resigned in 1964
- in the long term it also prompted new measure to bring the build up of of missile under control, eg test ban treaty, outer space treaty, nuclear non proliferation treaty.
discovery of missiles in Cuba
on 23 October 1962
An American U2 spy plane took picture of the missiles in Cuba that was discovered on the 14th oct.
order of events happend on “the 13 day “
16 oct 1962
Kennedy called the Executive comitee (ex comm) to discuss how America should react to the missile, they met every day for 13 days,
22 oct 1962
Kenedy decide to not launch an attack,
he set up naval blockade and announced about the missle on TV
24 oc 1962
USSR agree to remove missiles in cuba if they agreed to not invade them,
27 oct 1962
an U2 spy plane shot down
Khrushchev would remove the missiles if America remove theirs in Turkey
28 oct 1962
America ignored the second proposal and agreed to the first, however they later agreed in private they would remove their missile in turkey
What were the Hawks and Doves in CMC
Members of the excom
Hawks are the ones wanted to attack Cuba
Doves are the ones who wanted to negotiate
importance of CMC
it forced everyone to face up how quickly a tense situation could escalate to absolute catastrophe,
Why had the refugee issue in Berlin become such a problem for the USSR by 1957?
- the flow of refugees was humiliating for the USSR
- Many were skilled workers, important to the economy
- the existence of West Berlin as an island of capitalism within East Germany had always been resented by the USSR
What was the Berlin ultimatum
A statement by Khrushchev that the west had 6 months to demilitarise Berlin or “els”
-Berlin should become a “free city”
Geneva 1959
No real agreement but arrangements made for Khrushchev to visit US
The Berlin Wall August 1961
During the night on 12 August 1961, the East German government surrounded Berlin with barbed wire, closed the border between East and West Berlin. On 15 August construction of the Berlin Wall began.
The Wall remained in place until November 1989, during which time more than 300 people were killed trying to cross it.
‘The Berlin Wall was a successful resolution to the Berlin Crisis’
For Khrushchev
Yes
It stopped the refugee problem.
It allowed Khrushchev to avoid war whilst appearing strong
No
Khrushchev had been unable to force the West out of West Berlin
Humiliating that the Soviets had to build a wall to keep the people of East Germany in!
For Keneddy Yes It avoided a war Khrushchev had admitted he was not able to force the West out of Berlin it was a propaganda victory for the West
No
West Berlin was now encircled by a wall which limited their freedom and America had not done anything to stop this being built.
Consequences of Cuban Crisis
Hotline set up – communication between two sides made easier
Limited Test Ban Treaty – all overground nuclear tests banned
Khrushchev’s authority affected – eventually replaced in 1964
USSR more determined to catch up in Arms race
Theory of MAD widely accepted
when was Krushchev’s Berlin Ultimatum?
27th Nov 1958
What was Khrushchev’s Berlin Ultimatum and what was it’s impact
Stalin gave west 6 months to:
- Berlin should demilitarise,
- Berlin should became a free city
major impact as:
- West outraged and action seen as attempt to spread communism
- Khrushchev saw the demand as necessary to stop the flood of skilled citizen
when was Geneva summit
may 59
Geneva summit
first summit,
- both sides made proposals
- but no agreement was reached
- Eisenhower invited Khrushchev to the USA for further talks
Krushchev visit the USA
sep 1959
Khrushchev visited USA
- enjoyed himself as he met ordinary people and ate hotdog
- however after a meeting Eisenhower conviced was not convinced that soviet policy on Berlin had changed
camp david
May-60
first time face to face at presidential ranch
- Soviet agree to withdraw the Ultimatum.
improved relations
U2 crisis
1st may 1960
soviet shot down an American U2 spy plane
- Gary Powers admitted it being a spying mission
paris summit
May-60
Eisenhower embarrased by what happened but refued to apolegise
no decision made by Khrushchev”
Vienna summit
Jun-61
“January 1961, John F kennedy beame president at age 41
- Krushchev attempt to exploit his inexperience and he knew that his reputation has suffered due to bay of pigs
- Krushchev renewed the Berlin Ultimatum 1958
- no final decision on Berlin, personal relationship between the two is damaged”
causes of the building of the Berlin Wall
12th August 1961
“Khrushchev’s tough line on berlin forced Britain and France and the USA to get involved.
- it leads to tension between the west and East.
- Just in case Khrushchev will close the border
- August 1961, 40,000 east Germans crossed to the west
Walter Ulbricht urged Khrushchev to close the boarder. So on 12 august 1961 barbed wires are put up.
soon 165km concrete wall splited the west and the east”
Berlin wall was a successful resolution t the Berlin Crisis
12th August 1961
many escape attempts for example Peter Fechner was shot and left dead for 45 minutes.
for Khrushchev
positive:
- stopped the refugee problem
- Khrushchev appeared strong whilst avoiding war
negative:
-unable to force the west out of berlin
-humiliating as communism had to lock their own people in
for Kennedy:
positive:
- avoided war
- propaganda victory
- admitted west was unable to be forced out
negative:
- West Berlin is now encircled by a wall that limited freedom and democracy yet USA cant do anything
Kennedy’s ‘Ich bin ein Berliner speech
26 June 1963
Meaning I an a citizen of Berlin but the way he said it makes it means that he is a doughnut. Despite this Berliner loved Kennedy’s message and that he tried to say that he is German.
