The Global War, 1955–1963: Cold War Rivalries

Question 1

Space Race timeline

Answer 1

1957 Oct and Nov - USSR launches Sputnik I & II
1957 Dec - US launches ‘flopnik’
1958 - NASA formed, US invest $1 billion into this field
1959 - USSR launches 1st satellite to successfully orbit the moon
1961 - Yuri Gagarin, from USSR, first man in space
1962 - by now USA has launched 4x the no. of space missions than USSR

Question 2

What was ‘flopnik’

Answer 2

The US’s failed first attempt to launch a satellite into space
Only got a few feet above ground before exploding

Question 3

Arms Race timeline

Answer 3

1945 Aug - US drops Atomic bombs on Japan
1949 - USSR develop Atomic bomb
1952 - US develop Hydrogen bomb
1953 - USSR develop Hydrogen bomb
1955 - US develop bomber with intercontinental range
1957 - USSR develop first ICBM
1957 Nov - Gaither report warns of missile gap
1959 - US develop ICBM
1960 Jul & Aug - US then USSR develop SLMBs

Question 4

When did US develop the H bomb

Answer 4

1952

Question 5

When did USSR develop the H bomb

Answer 5

1953

Question 6

When did the USSR develop ICBMS

Answer 6

1957

Question 7

When did the US develop ICBMS

Answer 7

1959

Question 8

What was an ICBM

Answer 8

an intercontinental ballistic missile - nukes could travel further

Question 9

What was an SLMB

Answer 9

a submarine-launched ballistic missile

Question 10

What was the missile gap

Answer 10

The idea of a gap in the arms race
Like when Soviets had ICBMS 2 years before US

Question 11

What was the Gaither report

Answer 11

Report on arms race
Greatly exaggerated the missile gap to increase military funding

Question 12

When was the Gaither report

Answer 12

Nov 1957

Question 13

When was the Berlin Ultimatum

Answer 13

1958

Question 14

What was the Berlin Ultimatum

Answer 14

Khrushchev gave the USa window of 6 moinths to withdraw from Berlin, or else…
But US ignore it
The ultimatum is withdraw at the Camp David Talks on Khrushchev’s US visit

Question 15

What does the Berlin Ultimatum show

Answer 15

That the USSR had some leverage in the arms and space race at this point
(After Sputnik and ICBMs develop first)

Question 16

When was the U2 spy plane incident

Answer 16

1st May 1960

Question 17

What was the U2 spy plane incident

Answer 17

USSR shoot down Gary Power’s U2 spy plane
Powers and evidence of his spying survives

Question 18

What does Eisenhower say the U2 spy plane was

Answer 18

an off course weather plane - lies

Question 19

How does Khrushchev respond to Eisenhower’s U2 lie

Answer 19

He shows the evidence of Power’s spying

Question 20

When was the Paris Summit

Answer 20

May 1960

Question 21

What ruined the Paris Summit

Answer 21

The U2 spy plane incident
Eisenhower refuses to apologise when Khrushchev demands it
Khrushchev walks out
Not good look for US

Question 22

What was intended to be discussed at the Paris Summit

Answer 22

A possible Test Ben Treaty to control arms race
Soviets upset about brain drain in Berlin
Americans concerned about the new communist gov, in Cuba on their doorstep

Question 23

What happened after the Paris Summit

Answer 23

Khrushchev revoked his invitation for Eisenhower to visit the USSR
Big damage to PC - shows PC was never particularly secure?

Question 24

What was the Stalin note

Answer 24

1952 Stalin sent a proposal to unify Germany and remove all occupational forces
US rejected it as a ruse - which it was to test the US response

Question 25

When was the Stalin Note

Answer 25

1952 March

Question 26

What did the Stalin note show

Answer 26

Shows Germany had become a pawn to the Superpowers

Question 27

When was the General Treaty

Answer 27

1952 May

Question 28

What was the General Treaty

Answer 28

Turned all occupying forces into allying forces in the FRG
Signed by Western powers & FRG

Question 29

When was the East German Uprising

Answer 29

June 1953

Question 30

What started the East German Uprising

Answer 30

June 16th - 300 construction workers when on strike, marched towards the government after hearing of pay cuts
By the next day it spread to over 500 towns and 1 million people, demanding the East German gov. resign

Question 31

How did the East German gov respond to the uprising

Answer 31

Violently suppressed it w/ 20,000 soldiers

Question 32

How did the US respond to the East German uprising

Answer 32

Launched a large scale food relief plan to feed the East Germans and prolong the uprising
$15 million worth of food pledged
Lasted until Oct

Question 33

Why did the USSR have the Berlin Wall built

Answer 33

To prevent the collapse of GDR through the Brain drain
To address the power imbalance in Europe w/ FRG in NATO
Khrushchev called Berlin the ‘testicle of the west’ and wanted it in the Soviet territory

Question 34

How many had left in the East German brain drain

Answer 34

By 1961, 3.5 million East Germans had fled to the other side, 20% of the entire East German population.

Question 35

Consequences of the Berlin Wall

Answer 35

Gave the US a propaganda tool w/ JFK’s “Ich bin ein Berliner” 1963 speech
Stopped brain drain
Inaction of the West suggested it had somewhat recognised the GDR
The wall is reminiscent of Hitler’s ghettos, makes Soviets look bad

Question 36

When was the Checkpoint Charlie Crisis

Answer 36

Oct 27th to 28th 1961 - over 16 hours
AKA the Standoff or Berlin Crisis

Question 37

What caused the Checkpoint Charlie crisis?

Answer 37

East German officials began to deny US diplomats unhindered access to East Berlin as was agreed
General Clay then ordered the next US diplomat to try to enter to be escorted by US military army police
This was successful but East German officials continued to try and control the entry
So Clay ordered American M48 tanks to head for checkpoint charlie, a crossing point in the wall
Moscow did the same with Khrushchev’s approval w/ the same no. of T55 tanks

Question 38

What was the Checkpoint Charlie crisis?

Answer 38

US and Soviet tanks both faced each other, stood 75 meters from opposite sides of the border

Question 39

How did the Checkpoint Charlie crisis defuse?

Answer 39

JFK approved opening a back channel w/ the Kremlin in order to defuse situation
In response, Soviets pulled one tank back
US did the same with one
Both sides withdrew one at a time until none were left
Western allies and military personnel were allowed to attend opera and theatre in E. Berlin

Question 40

What did the Checkpoint Charlie crisis show?

Answer 40

Neither power wanted war