In 1958 Khrushchev issued the Berlin Ultimatum. He accused the allies of breaking the Potsdam Agreement, telling them that they should leave Berlin within 6 months; suggesting that it should become a neutral free city.
President Eisenhower seemed prepared to negotiate. He did not want to risk a war over Berlin.
Khrushchev’s visit to the USA in 1959 seemed to be successful, and it was hoped a summit meeting could be held the following year
ParisSummit1960
scheduled for 14 May 1960.
Khruschev and Eisenhower were due to meet. 9 days before the summit conference was due to open, the SU announced that it had shot down a U-2 spy plane near the Soviet city of Sverdlovsk. The pilot, Gary powers, was captured and put on trial.
Khrushchev demanded all such flights stop and USA apologise. Eisenhower ended the flights but refused to apologise.
At a preliminary meeting for the conference Eisenhower and Khuruschev had words – Khruschev stormed out; Eisenhower cancelled his visit scheduled to the USSR. The Paris Summit never happened.
