Second Berlin Crisis

• What event culminated in the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961?

  The crisis in Berlin
• Why did Khrushchev feel anxious about West Germany in the late 1950s?

  Because West Germany joined NATO and the European Economic Community, posing a military threat
• What did Khrushchev want to achieve by persuading the Allies to leave West Berlin?

  He wanted to eliminate a symbol of capitalist prosperity within communist territory
• How many East Germans fled to the West through Berlin between 1949 and 1961?

  About 4 million
• What were some reasons for East Germans fleeing to the West?

  Economic dissatisfaction and shortages of consumer goods
• What was the impact of the refugee crisis on East Germany's economy?

  It threatened to bring about economic collapse due to the drain of labor
• What did Khrushchev's Berlin Ultimatum demand in 1958?

  That the Allies leave Berlin within six months
• What was the outcome of the Paris Summit in 1960?

  The summit did not take place due to tensions over the U-2 incident
• How did Khrushchev perceive Kennedy during the Vienna Summit in 1961?

  He thought he could easily manipulate the inexperienced Kennedy
• What significant action did Khrushchev take on August 13, 1961?

  He closed the border between East and West Berlin
• What was the initial structure built to separate East and West Berlin?

  A barbed wire entanglement
• What measures were taken to prevent East Germans from crossing the Berlin Wall?

  Patrolling soldiers, dogs, floodlights, and trip-wire machine guns
• How did the construction of the Berlin Wall affect US-Soviet relations?

  It led to a serious standoff and increased military tensions
• What did Kennedy promise Khrushchev during the standoff in October 1961?

  That the USA would remove its troops if the Soviet Union did the same
• What was the impact of the Berlin Wall on families in Germany?

  It split families and made travel difficult
• How did Khrushchev interpret the construction of the Berlin Wall?

  As a victory over Kennedy and a solution to the refugee crisis
• What did Kennedy's visit to Berlin in 1963 symbolize?

  The division of the world and the ongoing tensions of the Cold War
• How many people attended Kennedy's speech in West Berlin?

  About 200,000
• What was the significance of the cheering crowds during Kennedy's visit to West Berlin?

  It demonstrated the support for the USA among West Berliners