Paper 2 Notes Flashcards
How many people from East Berlin defected to west berlin betweein 1949 and 1961
2 million
How many people from East Berlin defected to west berlin betweein 1949 and 1961
over 2 million
why did people defect to west berlin
Wanted a better life
- American aid made the city (like the rest of west germany) very wealthy while East Berlin and East Germany were very poor, had to work long hours and suffered food shortages
The crushing of 1956 Hungarian rising made people think they could not remove communist rule so the only option was to flee
the border between East and west Berlin was not as well guarded as the rest of west/east Europe (which had minefields, armed patrol and barbed wire) so a lot of people fleeing communism went through east berlin to west berlin
what type of people defected to west Berlin
young and skilled people with fewer family ties
30,000 students fled to the west after having their education paid by the communist state
when was fleeing to the west made a criminal offence
1957
Describe Khrushev’s ultimatum regarding the military occupation of Berlin
Khrushchev got cocky after successful launch of Sputnik in October 1957, thought that soviet countries were now superior to capitalist nations
On 10th November 1958 he ordered the military occupation of Berlin should end. 2 weeks later, he gave the West a 6 month ultimatum to withdraw
Eisenhower refuses and even considers escalating. When Khrushchev realised this, he quietly withdrew his ultimatum
what did Eisenhower suggest at the 1959 summit with Khruschev
Summit in September 1959 with Eisenhower who said he was willing to make concessions
Why did relations between Khruschev and the US sour in 1960
Relations soured in 1960 because
- chinese expressed disappointment with Khruschev for becoming more friendly with the west
- U2 crisis: american spy plane shut down over soviet territory, US originally say the plane was looking at weather patterns but Khrushchev revealed that the pilot survived and admitted to spying
- new president in 1961 (kennedy), who Khrushchev thought he could take advantage of because he was inexperienced, was a lot tougher than expected
why did the Paris peace conference between soviets ad the west collapse before it began in May 1960
- U2 crisis: american spy plane shut down over soviet territory, US originally say the plane was looking at weather patterns but Khrushchev revealed that the pilot survived and admitted to spying
what happened when Kennedy and khrushchev met in Vienna in June 1961
Khrushchev demands west leave Berlin by the end of the year
Kennedy refused
