U2 Crisis

• Date of U2 crisis

  May 1960
• Why did the USA use spy planes?

  They were effective at gathering intelligence.
• 1st May 1960 - u2 spy crisis


  American pilot Gary Powers was shot down in his spy plane. He was captured by the KGB.
• What did the American claim about Powers' plane?

  That his plane was simply gathering weather data.
• Why was the timing of the incident disastrous?

  It was a few days before the first major summit involving the US and Soviet leaders since Potsdam. It dashed any hopes of the leaders improving relations.
• How did the incident affect the peace process?

  The Americans did admit the plane was a U2 spy plane but Eisenhower did not apologise. Khrushchev was furious.