Cold War Crises, 1958-70

• Who succeeded President Truman? When?

  Eisenhower, January 1953
• What did the US and USSR discuss in Geneva in 1955?

  • agreed to communicate more openly
  • USSR officially recognised West Germany as a sated
  • Khrushchev freed some prisoners and reduced censorship
• By 1961, at least 3 million Germans had emigrated from East to West Berlin. This was very embarrassing for Khrushchev, as it suggested that people preferred life under capitalism to communism.
• People escaping to West Berlin also worsened East Berlin's economy, as they were mostly skilled workers in search of a better life.
• What did the refugee crisis lead Khrushchev lead issue in 1958?

  The Berlin Ultimatum
• What did the Berlin Ultimatum demand?

  For US, British and French troops to leave West Berlin within 6 months, so it would be a free city.
• Who refused the Berlin Ultimatum?

  Eisenhower
• What was the Soviet attitude towards Berlin after the ultimatum was refused?

  • the USSR felt threatened by the economic success in West Berlin
  • East Berlin had become dependent on trade links with West Berlin
  • the USSR worried the West was trying to use its strong economy to interfere in Eastern Europe
• What was the Western attitude towards Berlin after the ultimatum was refused?

  • after the airlift, West Berlin became a symbol of democracy, it had to be supported or the West would lost credibility
  • people fleeing from East Berlin suited the West, it was good propaganda because it made communism look weak
• Where did Eisenhower and Khrushchev agree to discuss the Berlin question?

  the Paris Summit 1960
• What were the issues with the Paris Summit 1960?

  • the USSR shot down a U2 American spy plane
  • Eisenhower denied that it was a spy plane, but the USSR then produced the pilot and the plane's wreckage as evidence.
  • When the USA refused to apologise, Khrushchev walked out of the Paris Summit
• The U2 incident hindered further negotiations about Berlin. Both countries met again in Vienna in June 1961, by this time, JFK had replaced Eisenhower. Kennedy vowed to take a tougher approach towards communism, and refused to compromise over Berlin, meaning no resolution was reached.
• When was the Berlin Wall put up?

  13th August 1961
• The Berlin Wall was fortified with barbed wire and machine gun posts, and was later strengthened and made into a more permanent barrier. Military checkpoints policed any movements into or out of East Berlin.
• Did the Berlin Wall stabilise or worsen the situation in Europe?

  stabilise

  • before the wall, soviet and western troops were positioned either side of the wall, but then both powers agreed to back down
  • the USA condemned the building of the wall, but took no further military action
  • Kennedy was relieved - he'd been preparing for a confrontation of some sort.
• The Berlin Wall succeeded in stopping mass emigration to West Berlin. It also gave East Germany the opportunity to rebuild its economy, and strengthen itself as a communist state.
• In the West, the Berlin Wall became a symbol of oppression and the failure of communism. In the East, it was seen as a sign of strength.
• JFK visited West Berlin in 1963 and gave his 'Ich bin ein Berliner' speech stating his solidarity with West Berlin and its people.
• Who ruled Cuba from 1952 onwards?

  Batista, he allowed American businessmen and the mafia to make huge profits in a country where most people lived in poverty
• What was the name of the rebel that began a guerrilla war in 1956?

  Fidel Castro
• What is a guerrilla war?

  small military units use tactics like raids to fight a larger opponent
• When did Fidel Castro successfully overthrow the government?

  1959
• Why did Castro's overthrow worry the USA?

  they had long economic history with Cuba. it owned half of Cuba's land and held most of the shares in all cuban industries.
• The USA felt it had a right to be involved in Cuba's affairs, but Cubans had grown to resent American influence on their country. They didn't feel like an independent state.
• What did Castro do when he seized power in 1959?

  • he nationalised US companies
  • increased taxes on goods imported from America
• What is nationalisation?

  taking a privately owned industry and placing it under public ownership
• What did Eisenhower threaten to do because he was worried about Cuba's nationalisation meaning they were moving to communism?

  stop importing cuban sugar. sugar was Cuba's main source of wealth, and the US was sure that Castro would back down.
• What did Castro do instead of backing down to Eisenhower's threat of stopping importing Cuban sugar?

  signed a trade agreement with the USSR - the USSR promised to buy all sugar exports. all remaining American property in Cuba was confiscated.
• In __, the USA severed all diplomatic relations with Cuba

  January 1961
• How did JFK intervene with a communist state (Cuba) being on America's border?

  • in 1961, Kennedy authorised an invasion of Cuba by anti-Castro rebels
  • in April 1961, the rebels landed in the Bay of Pigs, but they were easily defeated and the USA didn't help
  • the USA was humiliated, and had pushed Cuba even closer to the USSR
• In December 1961, Castro publicly announced that he was a communist.
• When did Cuba ask the USSR for weapons to defend itself against further American intervention?

  September 1961
• Although Khrushchev already had missiles that could reach the USA, missiles in Cuba would allow him to launch a nuclear attack on all of central and eastern USA with very little warning.
• When did American U2 planes spot nuclear missile bases being built in Cuba?

  October 1962
• How did JFK respond to nuclear missile bases being built in Cuba?

  he ordered a naval blockade of Cuba, all soviet ships were to be stopped and searched.

  US bombers were also put in the air carrying nuclear bombs and the USA prepared to invade Cuba.
• When did Khrushchev make a deal to dismantle the missile bases in Cuba?

  27th October 1962
• The Cuban Missile Crisis helped to defuse tensions and improve communication between the powers as it forced everybody to face up to how quickly a tense situation could become a nuclear catastrophe.
• What actions were taken to improve relations between the two powers after the Cuban Missile Crisis?

  • in 1963, a telephone hotline was established between Washington and Moscow
  • all nuclear missiles were removed from Cuba and then turkey by April 1963
• How did Kennedy and Khrushchev come out of the CMC looking to the world?

  Kennedy: hero, stood up to the threat of communism

  Khrushchev: discredited, he'd forced the US to remove the missiles from Turkey but agreed to keep it a secret, in the eyes of the public he'd failed and resigned in 1964
• What was the Limited Test Ban Treaty?

  • 1963
  • stated all future tests of nuclear weapons had to be carried out underground to avoid polluting the air with nuclear radiation