The Berlin Wall

Question 1

What was the refugee problem in Berlin in 1958?

Answer 1

The divide in quality of life between West and East Germany meant that, by 1958, 3 million East Germans had crossed the border into West Berlin. This was an issue for Khruschev as skilled workers were lost and it was a propaganda disaster for Communism.

Question 2

What was Khrushchev’s Berlin ultimatum?

Answer 2

In November 1958, Khrushchev demanded that Berlin be demilitarised and should become a free city.

Question 3

Why did the Ultimatum cause tension?

Answer 3

The West refused to accept the ultimatum as they believed Germany could be reunited and they saw Khrushchev’s actions as an attempt to spread Communism. This lead to a series of summit meetings.

Question 4

What summit meetings happened from 1959-61?

Answer 4

• Geneva (1959) - no real agreement made
• Camp David (1959) - Ultimatum withdrawn and more meetings agreed
• Paris (1960) - Khrushchev stormed out as Eisenhower refused to apologise for shooting down a Soviet plane
• Vienna (1961) - ended with no real agreement but the Ultimatum was restored. Khrushchev saw Kennedy as inexperienced.

Question 5

What was the impact of the Berlin Wall (1961)?

Answer 5

• Stopped the refugee problem
• Avoided a war
• Propaganda victory for the West as the Soviets were humiliated

Question 6

What was the impact of JFKs speech (1963)?

Answer 6

The Ich Bin Ein Berliner speech was crucial as his warm reception in West Berlin showcased to the world how popular Capitalism was. This provided an immense propaganda victory for the US.

Question 7

What impact did the Berlin Wall have on international relations?

Answer 7

• Became a powerful symbol of the divide between East and West for almost 30 years.
• As Kennedy said “a wall is better than a war”, therefore it somewhat reduced tensions slightly