Topic 2 - 1957-69 Flashcards
Why were people escaping E Germany to go to West Germany ?
The EastGerman government was extremely unpopular and there was much more freedom in East Germany - Berlin was the centre of East Germany’s refugee problem
Why was the refugee problem in Germany a propaganda disaster for Khrushchev ?
It proved that many people preferred the capitalist West t the communist East
What did Khrushchev do in response to the refugee problem in 1958 ?
In November 1958 he declared the whole city of Berlin officially belonged to the East and he also issued an ultimatum, giving US troops 6 months to withdraw from Berlin
What was Eisenhower’s response to to Khrushchev’s ultimatum ?
It was agreed that an international meeting would be held to discuss the future of Berlin
When did the Geneva Summit take place ?
May 1959
What happened at the Geneva summit ?
Foreign representatives from the USA and USSR met but no solution was agreed to the issue in Berlin - however it laid the groundwork for Khrushchev to visit the USA and talk face-to-face with Eisenhower
Where did Eisenhower and Krushchev meet for a second summit meeting and when ?
September 1959 in Camp David
What was agreed at Camp David ?
No solution was agreed however a further summit in the following year was agreed to be held. Khrushchev also agreed to withdraw his 6 month ultimatum
How many East German refugees escaped to West Germany between 1949 and 1961?
2.7 million
When did Kennedy become president ?
January 1961
Paris summit
Took place in May 1960 but was a DISASTER :
- before the meeting the USSR had shot down an American spy plane over Russia and captured the pilot. Khrushchev walked out of the conference when Eisenhower refused to apologise.
Vienna Conference
January 1961 between Khrushchev and Kennedy;
Neither side was willing to back down over the U.S. presence in Berlin
Khrushchev saw Kennedy’s inexperience as a weakness to be exploited and so reissued the 6 month ultimatum,confident Kennedy would back down
Kennedy’s response to the ultimatum
Declared he would not remove troops and started preparing America for war - committing $3.2 billion on defence spending
An extra $207 million spent on building nuclear fallout shelters - stalemate had been reached
What happened at the Paris summit in May 1960 ?
Just before the conference the USSR shot down a US spy plane over Russia and captured the pilot
Khrushchev walked out of the meeting in protest when Eisenhower refused to apologise
When was the vienna Conference
June 1961
When did John.F. Kennedy become president ?
January 1961
What happened at the Vienna conference ?
Neither side was willing to back down to over US presence in Berlin
Khrushchev saw Kennedy’s inexperience as a weakness to be exploited and confident that he would back down, he reissued the ultimatum
What was Kennedy’s response to the ultimatum ?
He refused to back down and declared he would not remove troops
He also started preparing America for war by committing $3.2 billion on defence spending and an extra $207 million on building nuclear fallout shelters - stalemate was reached
What was Khrushchev’s solution to the refugee problem ?
To build a wall separating East and West Berlin - making it impossible for E.Germans to escape to the West
When did East German troops secretly erect a barbed wire fence around the whole of West Berlin? - what would become the Berlin wall
12 August 1961 ?
What happened on the 27th October 1961 ?
Soviet tanks were deployed to block further Western access to the East, causing a day-long stand-off with US tanks
After 18 hours the tanks began to pull back and the crisis had passed
Impacts of the Berlin wall
- it stopped E.Germans escaping to the West and stopped refugee crisis
- allowed Khrushchev to avoid war with US while still appearing strong
- became a powerful symbol of the division of Germany and the division of Europe
When did Kennedy tour West Berlin and what did it allow West Berlin to become the symbol of ?
1963 - West Berlin became a symbol of freedom
Arms race 1945-61
USA had nuclear weapons in Italy, U.K., France, and Turkey that could accurately hit Moscow. USSR did not have any nuclear weapons close enough to the USA to be accurately fired.
When was the Cuban revolution ? And what happened ?
1959 - Cuban people overthrew the pro-American government and became communist (USA owned 80% of Cuban Land)
The new revolutionary regime was lead by Castro and wanted greater independence from USA
America banned the import of Cuban sugar threatening the Cuban economy
Castro quickly became an ally of Khrushchev, which worried America as Cuba was only 90 miles from USA soil
The Bay of Pigs invasion
17 th April 1961
The CIA convinced Kennedy that they could remove Castro and make it look like a Cuban revolt and put Batista (old corrupt ruler of Cuba who was loyal to USA) back into power. This ‘secret’ plan was actually known to Castro’s government, the invasion was a total failure
Why was the Bay of pigs a disaster ?
The cuban-exile army of only 1400 were up against about 20,000 of Castro’s troops
Kennedy sent in Planes but it was too late - Exiles surrendered
It ended any chance that the USA and Cuba might negotiate a friendly relationship
Soviet missiles in Cuba
In August 1961 Soviet nuclear weapons were placed in Cuba after Castro asked for Khrushchev’s help - in striking range of the USA, balancing The US presence in Turkey
How did the USA learn of Khrushchev’s plan to put nuclear bases on Cuba ?
American spy planes had been watching Cuba
When and what was the thirteen days ?
Period in 1962 between the 16-28th at the height of the Cuban missile crisis during which there seemed the greatest threat of nuclear war
Key events of the Thirteen Days
16th October - Kennedy is informed about nuclear missiles on Cuba
20th October - Kennedy imposes naval blockade around Cuba
22nd October - Kennedy calls on Khrushchev to withdraw ships
23rd October - Khrushchev sends letter to Kennedy saying that Soviet ships will break the blockade
24th October - Soviet ships approach blockade (500 miles from Cuba) Khrushchev issues a statement that the USSR is prepared to go to launch nuclear weapons if Us goes to war
25th October - American and soviet forces are on high alert. Kennedy writes to Khrushchev asking him to withdraw missiles from Cuba
26th October - Khrushchev promises to withdraw nuclear weapons if USA doesn’t invade Cuba
27th October - Khrushchev receives intelligence that the USA is planning to invade and purposes that the US are now to also withdraw nuclear missiles in Turkey.
Robert Kennedy accepts Khrushchev’s deal but demands that the withdrawal of missiles from turkey be kept secret
28th October - Khrushchev accepts this secret deal
Immediate consequences of the Cuban Missile Crisis
- A ‘hotline’ was set up in June 1963 between the President and Russian Premier
- In August 1963 the LIMITED TEST BAN TREATY was enforced in which testing of nuclear weapons in space, sea and above ground was banned (underground testing still permitted)
- The beginning of detente - signalled in Kennedy’s speech of June 1963 where he argued both superpowers needed to focus on their “common interests”
Long term consequences of the Cuban Missile Crisis
- Soviet caught up with the USA in the Arms race bringing stability through Mutually assured destruction (MAD)
- France left NATO
Czechoslovakian opposition to soviet control
Czechoslovakia was a satellite state run by Novotny
Still run by the oppressive secret police in 1960s
Economy was struggling = declining standard of living during the 1960s
When did Dubcek become the Communist party leader in Czechoslovakia ?
5 January 1968
Prague Spring reforms
Dubcek wanted to reform communism that allowed more freedom and was less oppressive - these liberal changes were brought about in April 1968
“Socialism with a human face”
Reforms weakened soviet control over Czech and Brezhnev doctrine (1968) could not allow this, so he had to invade, putting Novotny back in power
What reforms did Dubcek introduce ?
- relaxation of press censorship
- legalisation of political opposition groups
- official government toleration of political criticism
- more power to regional governments
- more power to Czech parliament
- REINTRODUCTION OF CAPITALIST ELEMENTS INTO CZECH ECONOMY
What did the Brezhnev doctrine state ?
The USSR had the right to invade any country in Eastern Europe who’s actions appeared to threaten the security of the whole eastern bloc
When did the invasion of Czechoslovakia begin ?
Tanks first rolled in on the evening of the 20 August 1968
Dubcek was arrested and taken to Moscow for betraying socialism and forced to sign the Moscow Protocol which would reintroduce censorship and remove political opposition from Czech
America’s response to Czechoslovakia
It publicly condemned the invasion but offered no military support as it wasn’t spreading communism (Truman doctrine) and did not want retaliation
Western European response to Czechoslovakia
Publicly condemned the invasion but offered no military help
Communist parties in Italy and France were outraged by the invasion and declared themselves independent of Soviet communist party - creating rival forms of European communism (Soviet communism & Eurocommunism) - Soviet communism lost authority and support
Eastern European response to Czechoslovakia
Yugoslavian and Romanian governments condemned the invasion and distanced themselves from the Soviet Union - they later formed alliances with China
East German and Polish governments welcomed the Soviet response
