the berlin wall Flashcards
in 1961 , around 2000 germans crossed over from east to west berlin every day. when it became clear that the situation wasnt going to be solved , krushchev contstructed the berlin wall.
talks about berlin broke down
. president eisenhower and krushchev had agreed to discuss the berlin question and the paris summit in 1960. days before the summit was due to take place, the ussr shot down a U2 american spy plan over soviet terittory.
. eisenhower denied that it was a spy plane, obut the ussr then produced the pilot and the planes wreckage as evidence.
when the usa refused to apoligise,krushchev walked out of the paris summit.
the incident made further negotionations happen. both countries met again , by this time john f kennedy replaces eisenhower as us president.
kennedy vowed to take a tougher approach towards communism
the berlin wall was put up
krushchev felt he had to act to stem the flow od refugees out of east berlin. on 13th august a mile barrier was biult across the city of berlin overnight, seperating east from west.
it was fortified with barbed wire and machine gun posts, and was later strengnthenend and made into a moe permanent barrier
. before east berliners had entered west freely , aftee they could no longer go to worj in berlin and were seperated from relatives
. anyone who tried to escape east berlin was shot
the berlin wall had stabilised the situation in europe
after the berlin wall was put up , cold war tensions over belin stabilised.
the west condemned krushchev , but was acc relieved
. immiediately after the berlin wall appeared. soviet and western troops were positioned either side, then both powers agreed to back down
. the usa condemned the building of the wall,but took no furhter military action.
.kennedy was actually relieved- hed been preparing for a conforntation of some sort
the wall succeded in stopping mass emigration, it also gave east germany the opportunity to rebiuld their economy and strenghten the communist state.
