The Berlin Wall and Blockade Flashcards
What did Minister Molotov say about Berlin
‘What happens to Berlin, happens to Germany; what happens to Germany, happens to Europe.’
(Berlin is a microcosm of the Cold War)
What was the problem with East and West Berlin?
- There was a stark contrast in standards of living in Berlin
- Many East Germans were leaving to go to West Germany through West Berlin - between 1949 and 1961, 2.6 million East Germans had left this way (15% of the pop)
- The people leaving were often the educated and highly skilled
- The fact that people were leaving undermined Communism from Khrushchev’s point of view
Why was there such a sharp divide between the two halves of Berlin
The Allies had heavily invested in West Berlin to show the variety of goods, wealth and prosperity of Capitalism, while the USSR had sucked the resources out of the DDR for themselves
Why did people want to leave
- The leader of East Germany was Walter Ulbricht, a very had line leader
- Wages were better in other countries - attracting especially the highly skilled workers
- Those in East Berlin could watch West German television which further showed the prosperity of the Capitalist nations
- There was nothing to stop someone moving and you could fly from West Berlin to the rest of West Germany
- Stat - by 1960, only 61% of pop was of working age compared to 70% before the war
What was the solution to this problem?
Prevent people from getting to West Germany from West Berlin, either by blocking it or taking it over
Why did Khrushchev think he could take over Berlin
John Kennedy had been elected president in Jan 1961 and he was young and relatively inexperienced. Khrushchev believed that awe could bully Kennedy and pick a fight over Berlin.
What did Khrushchev demand of Kennedy at first and what did Kennedy do
He demanded that American troops were withdrawn from the city, but Kennedy refused
What happened as a result of Kennedy’s refusal
On Sunday 13 August 1961, East German soldiers erected a barbed-wire fence along the entire frontier between East and West Berlin, ending all free movement. It was soon replaced with a concrete wall, 87 miles long.
What was the immediate reaction from the West
Reaction was muted. This was because their own interests were not affected - troops could still be sent to West Berlin - and it made an invasion from the East less likely. It was also great for propaganda that the Communists had to build a wall to stop people leaving.
What crisis occurred a few months later
On 27-28 October 1961 there was a tense tank standoff at Checkpoint Charlie
What had begun to happen in October 1961 that started the Crisis
East German officials had begun to deny US diplomats unhindered access to East Berlin which was part of the agreement on the occupation.
Who was stopped on 22 October from crossing
E Allan Lightner Jr, a senior US diplomat on his way to the state opera house in East Berlin. East Berlin border guards demanded to see his passport, which he insisted only Soviet officials had the right to check. He was forced back
What did General Clay order after the incident on 22 October 1961
He ordered that the next American diplomat entering East Berlin was to be escorted by armed US military police in jeeps.
What followed General Clay’s order
the manoeuvre succeeded but the East Germans continued to attempt to assert their claim to control allied officials entering East Berlin
What did Clay do in response to continued resistance against him
He ordered American M48 tanks to idle at Checkpoint Charlie ~75m away making noise from their engines and sending smoke into the air
How did Khrushchev respond to the tanks
He sent an equal number of Russian T55 tanks to face the Americas and faced them, a similar distance away from the border
How long did the tanks remain there for
16 hours
What happened as a result of the tank standoff
- Clay was reminded that Berlin was not so “vital” an interest to be worth risking a conflict with Moscow over
- A back channel with the Kremlin was opened by Kennedy to defuse the situation
What happened at the end of the situation
The Soviets and Americans each pulled back their tanks one at a time until they were all gone.
What were the consequences of the October Crisis
- General Clay’s reputation among West Berliner’s rose but his warrior days were effectively over
- Diplomats from both sides attended functions in either half of the city unhindered
When was president Kennedy’s speech about Berlin
June 1963
How many people was in Kennedy’s audience for his June 1963 speech
120,000
What did Kennedy say about Communism in his speech
‘we have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in’
