The Berlin Crisis

Question 1

Why was there a refugee crisis in Berlin?

Answer 1

The Eastern German government was extremely unpopular and therefore many Eastern Germans fled to Western Germany. Western Germany was highly attractive as its citizens enjoyed greater freedom and wealth than those of Eastern Germany. There had been no physical border in Berlin after 1945 and it was easy for people to move between the zones of occupation. As the Soviet Union imposed its rule on its zones, many Germans began to seek refuge in the West.

Question 2

What was the Berlin refugee crisis?

Answer 2

2.7 million Eastern German refugees, many of whom were highly skilled, escaped to Western Germany, causing a “Brain Drain” in the East. Berlin was the centre of Eastern Germany;s refugee problem because it was easy for Eastern Germans to get from Eastern Berlin to Western Berlin and from there to Western Germany.

Question 3

When was the Berlin refugee crisis?

Answer 3

1949-1961.

Question 4

How did Khrushchev respond to the refugee crisis?

Answer 4

The refugee problem was a propaganda disaster for Khrushchev because it proved that many people preferred the capitalist Western to the Communist Eastern. In November 1958, Khrushchev declared that the whole of the city of Berlin officially belonged to Eastern Germany and gave American troops six months to withdraw. Khrushchev wanted to prevent Eastern Germans from fleeing to the Western and to humiliate America.

Question 5

When was the Geneva summit?

Answer 5

May 1959.

Question 6

Why was there a Geneva summit?

Answer 6

The Americans were uncertain about how to react to Khrushchev’s challenge. Eisenhower, who was the US President at the time, didn’t want to lose Western Berlin, but he didn’t want to start a war either. Consequently, it was agreed to hold an international meeting in order to discuss Berlin’s future.

Question 7

What happened at the Geneva summit?

Answer 7

No solution to the problem was agreed, although it lay the groundwork for Khrushchev to visit the USA and hold talks with Eisenhower.

Question 8

When was the Camp David summit?

Answer 8

September 1959.

Question 9

Why was the Camp David summit held?

Answer 9

Because no agreements had been made at the Geneva summit.

Question 10

What happened at the Camp David summit?

Answer 10

They could not agree to a solution. It was decided that a third summit would be held the following year between the two leaders. Khrushchev agreed to withdraw his six month ultimatum.

Question 11

When was the Paris summit?

Answer 11

May 1960.

Question 12

Why was there a Paris summit?

Answer 12

No solution had been agreed at Geneva or at Camp David.

Question 13

What happened at the Paris summit?

Answer 13

It was a disaster. Just before the conference, the USSR had shot down an American spy plane over Russia and captured its pilot. Khrushchev walked out of the conference in protest when Eisenhower refused to apologise.

Question 14

When was the Vienna conference?

Answer 14

June 1961.

Question 15

Why did the Vienna conference happen?

Answer 15

John F. Kennedy became President and the summit was arranged to discuss Berlin.

Question 16

What happened at the Vienna conference?

Answer 16

Neither side was willing to back down over the US presence in Berlin. Khrushchev saw Kennedy’s inexperience as weakness to be exploited and gave the USA another six month ultimatum to remove its troops from Berlin with the idea that Kennedy would back down if pushed.

Question 17

What were the effects of the Vienna conference?

Answer 17

Kennedy refused to back down. He declared that he would not remove American troops from Berlin. He started preparing America for war, committing the US government to an additional $3.2 billion of defence spending. He decided to spend an extra $207 million on building nuclear fallout shelters. A point of stalemate had been reached.

Question 18

What was the Berlin wall?

Answer 18

A wall built by the USSR around the whole of Western Berlin to prevent Eastern Berliners from leaving Eastern Berlin to live in Western Berlin.

Question 19

When did construction of the Berlin wall begin?

Answer 19

On August 12th, 1961, a barbed wire fence appeared overnight that split Berlin into 2.

Question 20

What were the causes of the Berlin wall?

Answer 20

Berlin had been a source of conflict between the Soviets and Western Allies. Khrushchev knew that the USSR could not win a nuclear war as in 1961, America had almost 20 times more nuclear weapons that were able to reach the USSR, whereas the Soviet weapons couldn’t reach America. Kennedy’s refusal to back down called Khrushchev’s bluff, forcing the Russian leader to back down. Khrushchev couldn’t force the Americans to leave Western Berlin, but he still had to solve the refugee problem. Khrushchev’s solution was to build a wall separating Eastern and Western Berlin, making it impossible for Eastern Germans to escape to the Western.

Question 21

What were the key features of the Berlin wall?

Answer 21

In August 1961, Eastern German troops secretly erected a barbed wire fence around the whole of Western Berlin. The next morning, Berliners awoke to a divided city. In the coming months, the fence was reinforced and became a heavily guarded wall. The Americans were unable to prevent the wall’s construction.

Question 22

What were the effects of the Berlin wall?

Answer 22

It stopped Eastern Germans from escaping to the Western and therefore ended the refugee crisis. It allowed Khrushchev to avoid war with America. Western nations won a propaganda victory since it appeared that Communist states needed to build walls to prevent their citizens from leaving. It became a powerful symbol of the division of Germany and the division of Europe. In 1963, Kennedy toured Western Berlin expressing his feelings of solidarity with its people. He was received by crowds shouting his name. He said that the city was a symbol of the struggle between the forces of freedom and the Communist world. He wanted to show the world that the USA would not let West Berlin down and would protect it whatever happened with the Soviet Union.