The fourth Berlin crisis

• What was the fourth berlin crisis

  The building of the Berlin wall
• When was the Berlin wall built?

  1961
• What was the refugee crisis?


  in 1949 3 million refugees fled to the West, (mostly economically active people). By 1961, 10,000 people per week were leaving to go to the more prosperous west. The East German govt. and the USSR wanted to stop this exodus.
• The Bay of pigs incident


  Newly elected president JFK had gone ahead with the CIA plan to overthrow the cuban leader, Fidel Castro. The attempted invasion by CUban exiles was an unmitigated disaster; it embarrassed the kennedy administration, and increased tensions between the superpowers
• what was Khrushchev's position during this time period?

  He needed to consolidate his position in the USSR, he was facing increasing pressure from his politburo with regards to domestic problems and the split with china. So, he needed to make a stand w.r.t. BERLIN
• WHat happened in 1961?


  John F. kennedy became the new US president
• Why was Khrushchev determined to gain the upper hand?

  Because Kennedy was young and inexperienced
• What did Khrushchev want to gain when he gained the upper hand on Kennedy?


  The whole of berlin under control of east germany
• What happened in 1961?


  Kennedy and Khrushchev met in Vienna. and Khrushchev was determined to use the opportunity for a foreign policy success and demanded a settlement of the berlin problem. however Kennedy refused to give up berlin
• During the meeting in vienna, what was the rate of East Berliners escaping to the west?

  500/ day
• How many Berliners defected in 1961?

  30 000
• Why was the large number of defectors embarrassing for Khrushchev?


  West Berlin = Capitalist infection in the heart of east germany. afraid his people would see capitalist way of life = better quality of life causing defectors
• What happened on Sunday 13 august?

  East German troops sealed off west berlin with roadblocks and barbed wire. Then constructed a concrete wall around western zones of the city
• How often was the Berlin wall guarded?

  24 hours a day with machine gun posts and search lights.
• What happened as a result of the berlin wall?


  Berlin was divided and its citizens were cut off from famly, friends, and jobs
• How did the west feel about this wall?


  They felt powerless to stop the building of the wall. Initially worried the soviets would seize berlin by force,
• What did Kennedy warn the Soviets when he believed they would take Berlin by force?


  That the USA would fight to protect West Berlin
• What did Kennedy do on the 26th of June 1963?


  He presented a speech to a crown that gathered in front of the Berlin wall. in which he bashes communism saying the capitalists never had to build a wall to keep their people in