Summit Diplomacy Flashcards
Austrian state treaty
1955 ‘Europe’s Korea’
Demonstrated peaceful coexistence bc elimination of tensions surrounding Austria being a potential flashpoint alike to Berlin
Agreed Austria would be neutral and recognised the neutrality and sovereignty of Yugoslavia and Finland and therefore not liable to joining the su.
Led to the withdrawal of troops from west Germany
Paved the way for summit diplomacy and the only sig agreement made
Only achieved bc it fits the ussrs strategic interests
Geneva conference 1955
After west Germany entry to nato and khr’s need to slow down arms race and promote economic development, there is incentive for khr to develop better relations with the west
2 major proposals=
- open skies: eis wanted to end the deadlock over the issue for inspecting each other’s nuclear arsenal- which would be a step closer to disarmament but khr rejected the proposal. But spirit of peaceful cooperation
- the future of Germany- eis also proposed a reunified Germany, free elections and Germany and nato. Khr would only consider this if Germany was demilitarised and neutral. There was an agreement on the principle of free elections, but no procedures were set up to make this reality.
Impact- despite no practical outcomes, marked a beginning of dialogue between superpowers and pave the way for future negotiations. Suggested that the foundations for peaceful coexistence were in place but events in 1956 would challenge this. Reactions to the unwillingness to let go of the fundamentals that underpinned the cw
Camp David 1959
Khr became the first soviet leader to visit the USA when he visited eis at his camp David estate in 1959
They discussed disarmament and the refugee crisis in Berlin. They also agreed to settle international issues through diplomacy, rather than through force.
Impacts=
Visit likely caused a deterioration between china and ussrs’s relationship- positive for the west as demonstrates that strong alliance between china and the ussr was not formed
Further reinforced the notion of peaceful coexistence as the talks served to calm the German issue and lead directly to the Paris summit in may 1960.
Paris 1960
Context= khr was committed to PC. Not only did khr want a deal over Berlin, he also wanted an agreement to ban nuclear weapons in the pacific and such weapons in Germany.
This vision was doomed when china announced it would not be bound by an agreement it was not involved with[ china’s nuclear weapons almost complete by 1960].
Summit collapsed with the news that an American u2 spy plane had been shot down while on mission over the ussr 2 weeks before summit.
Khr demanded eis to apologise for this blatant ‘open skies’ inspired spying, he refuses and khr storms out of the summit.
Impact- led to relations exacerbating between the superpowers. The spirit of PC had been compromised. Hark back to the cw status quo through militarisation, culture of mistrust and suspicions. Reactions to the unwillingness to let go of fundamentals [ containment and building the soviet union] that underpinned the cw.
Vienna 1961
Context- jfk becomes president in jan 1961- reaffirms TD and paints himself as a staunch anti- communist.
Kenndy’s vision threatens PC: increased defence budget, more flexible convention forces, expansion of us nuclear arsenal and its Polaris submarine force.
No agrrement made about Berlin despite khr’s willingness to get a deal
Consequently, little was achieved at Vienna. Although the recent bay of pigs debacle proves to khr that he can manipulate the vulnerable and inexperienced Kennedy.
Impacts=
Increasing differences over policy between the superpowers and a deadlock that proves summit diplomacy is not working.
Paves the way for tensions to spike for the next CW crises in Berlin and cuba
