Vienna summit

• Vienna Summit

  1961
• Vienna Summit

  Scheduled between Khrushchev and new president of USA, Kennedy
• Khrushchev believed he could use his experience to push Kennedy around


  BUT Kennedy had made clear promises to uphold the Truman Doctrine in his inaugural speech
• At the Vienna Summit in June 1961


  1. Khrushchev demanded the western forces leave West Berlin

  2. Said he would make a treaty with East Germany which would end all occupation rights, including access to Western Berlin
• Kennedy refused to withdraw


  Increased US military spending by $3.5 billion the following month
• In July 1961 the USSR announced an increase by 30% of their defence budget
• Kennedy promised not to surrender


  Khrushchev threatened the use of force, including nuclear attack
• Khrushchev said "War is bound to go thermonuclear..."
• Khrushchev closed the border between East and West Berlin

  13 August 1961
• Building the Wall

  1. Barbed wire fencing erected

  2. Barbed wire replaced by built wall with chain fences and minefields

  3. Area cleared so East German guards could fire at East Germans trying to escape

  4. Final wall 3.6m high and 1.2m wide, heavily guarded with patrolling soldiers, dogs, floodlights and trip-wire machine guns
• USA and allies did not react to the building of the Berlin Wall