Section 5: 3 Cold War Crises Flashcards
How many Zones had Berlin been divided into?
4
Was Berlin in East or West Germany?
East
How many East Germans left for West Germany between 1949 & 1961?
2.7 million
What jobs did many people who were fleeing East Germany have?
Doctors, Lawyers (highly skilled jobs)
What the movement of people from East to West Germany called?
Brain Drain
What did this movement of people from East to West Germany prove?
People preferred capitalism to communism
In what month and year did Khrushchev declare Berlin officially belonged to East Germany and gave the USA 6 months to leave?
November 1958
Why did Khrushchev issue first 6 month ultimatum?
Stop people leaving East Germany and humiliate West
Who was the leader of the USA in November 1958?
Dwight Eisenhower
When and where did the first summit take place?
May 1959, Geneva
Was anything agreed at the Geneva summit?
No
When and where did the second summit take place?
September 1959, Camp David
What was agreed at Camp David?
No solution was agreed, but Khrushchev withdraw 6 month ultimatum and agreed would hold a third meeting
When and where did the 3rd meeting take place?
Paris May 1960
What happened just before the meeting at Paris?
USSR shot down USA U2 spy plane and captured its pilot
Did Eisenhower apologise for the spy plane being shot down?
No
What did Khrushchev do after Eisenhower refused to apologise for the U2 spy plane being in the SU?
Walked out of the conference
Who became President of USA in January 1961?
John F Kennedy
When and where did the 4th meeting take place?
June 1961, Vienna
What did Khrushchev re-issue at the Vienna Conference?
6 month ultimatum
Why did Khrushchev re-issue his 6 month ultimatum at the Vienna Conference?
Felt he could bully Kennedy due to his inexperience
What did Kennedy do in response to the 6 month ultimatum?
Refused to back down. Spent extra $3.2 billion on defence spending and extra $2-7 million on nuclear fallout shelters
Why could Khrushchev not start a war to get USA out of Berlin?
USA had 20 times more nuclear weapons and Soviet missiles could not reach USA
What plan did Khrushchev come up with to try and resolve the conflict after USA would not leave?
Built a barrier around West Berlin
When did he build the barrier?
12th August 1961
What was the barrier first made of?
Barbed wire
What did the barrier become?
A wall
What happened to people trying to cross the barrier?
They were shot
On 27th October what else did the Soviet Union do?
Used tanks to block Western troops from moving around the city
What did the Soviet Unions decision to block western troops moving around the city of Berlin lead to?
18 hour tank stand off before both sides backed down
What did Kennedy say about the Berlin Wall?
it is not a nice solution, but it is a hell of a lot better than war
Why was the building of the Berlin wall so significant?
Stopped East Germans leaving, Allowed SU to appear strong while avoiding war, became a symbol of the Cold War / East West divide
Which country was ahead in the arms race by 1960?
USA
How many Inter-continental ballistic missiles did the USA have compared to USSR?
450 vs 76
Which two countries did the USA have nuclear missiles in?
GB & Turkey
Why was this so important the USA had missile in Europe?
USA missiles could reach USSR
What planes did the USA have which could drop nuclear bombs on USSR?
B52
Could the USSR reach the USA with their nuclear weapons in 1960?
No
How many miles is Cuba from USA?
90
In 1956 how much of the Cuban electric supply was run by US companies?
90%
How many oil refineries on Cuba were owned by US companies?
All
What happened in 1959 in Cuba?
There was a revolution