Part 3

• Tensions between east and west

  West Berlin

  > Divided Berlin gave USA foothold inside easter bloc

  > E Germany didn't want communist government- better jobs in W

  > 1949-1961- 2.7 million E germans crossed to W- economy benefited

  > E had skills shortage

  > Looked bad for soviets

  Khrushchev's ultimatum 1958

  > All Berlin belonged to E, troops must leave within 6 months

  > USSR couldn't push W out of Berlin due to less nuclear weapons
• Paris peace summit and process

  > Failed solution agreed in Geneva and camp David 1959

  > Paris summit 1960- Disaster- Khrushchev stormed out and USA failed to apologise for U2 plane

  > Vienna conference 1961- Khrushchev saw Kennedy's youth as a weakness to exploit
• Atmosphere of mistrust 


  > HUAC- 1938, investigate communist activity

  > 1950- Alger Hiss in state department found guilty on passing secrets to USSR

  > Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed for passing nuclear secrets

  > McCarthyism- based on untrue allegations
• U2 crisis and effects

  > spy plane for information

  > 1 May 1960- Gary Powers shot down + Captured

  > USA denied spy plane

  > Eisenhower refused to say sorry as USSR had spies too

  > Khrushchev stormed out of Paris Peace Summit
• Reasons for Berlin Wall

  > Khrushchev thought he could take advantage go Kennedy's inexperience issuing the Berlin ultimatum 1958

  > 4 summit meetings 1959-61 failed to resolve problem- Kennedy prepared for nuclear war

  > Khrushchev wanted to look strong but not start nuclear war

  > Western powers stayed in Berlin; W Berlin remained a symbol

  > 1961 E Germans defected every day to W

  > Khrushchev response was to build Berlin Wall Aug 1961
• Berlin Wall 


  > 12 August 1961

  > E germans erected a barbed wired fence around the city between E and W Berlin

  > 3 months.. fence heavily guarded concrete wall- soviet tanks deployed

  > end of oct 1961 oct - W Berlin was completely cut off from E
• Impact of the wall: Kennedy's response

  > USA official complaint to USSR- Kennedy needed to show his strength

  > Focus shifted away from Germany due to less military alerts

  > W Berlin became symbol of freedom

  > June 1963- Kennedy made a speech to fight communism

  "Thaw" is over
• Impact of the Wall: the ussr

  > solved refugee problem

  > Humiliation to USSR and propaganda win for USA

  > Showed soviet gave up unifying Berlin under communist rule as Khrushchev had demanded in 1958

  > Khrushchev thought Kennedy had shown weakness by allowing wall to be built which encouraged him to deploy Cuban missiles
• Kennedy's visit to W Berlin 1963

  > "Ich bien Berliner"

  > Outlined evils of communism

  > Expression of solidarity with the people of W Berlin

  > Kennedy's visit signified USA and NATO prepared to defend W Berlin from communist attack

  > Spoken after cuban missile to prove he was not weak
• Cuban revolution

  • USA helped Cuba gain independence from Spain in 1989
  • US businesses invested heavily in Cuba land and industry
  • 1933-1958 - Baptista's corrupt government profited
  • Between 1956 and 1958, Castro led a revolution that toppled the government- USA refused to talk to Castro
  • Castro seized USA owned businesses and set up socialist government, built economic links with USSR
• Why did the Cuban revolution turn into a crisis

  • USA refused to recognise Castro's government
  • Created a trading bloc between USA and Cuba
  • USA was threatened by socialist sphere so close
  • 1961- USA broke all diplomatic relations with Cuba
  • CIA tried to assassinate Castro and failed
  • Convinced Kennedy US backed invasion would solve the problem
• Bay of Pigs 1961


  CIA told Kennedy

  > Invasion would look like cuban revolt - trained ex Cuban exiles and disguised old US planes as Cuban

  > Castro's control is weak

  > Most Cubans hate Castro - they didn't want corrupt Batista back

  What happened:

  > Planes were recognised as US planes and photographed: World knew USA attacked

  > Castro new of the invasion in advamce and 1400 US troops met 20000 Castro troops
• Impact of bay of pigs

  > Kennedy was embarrassed and looked weak and inexperienced

  > Castro could claim great victory over mighty USA

  Cats announced he was communist

  Cuba and USSR built closer ties- including defence for Cuba
• Khrushchev roles in Missile crisis

  • Cuba- fix to scout strategic problems
  • USA had missiles close to USSR (Italy)
  • Khrushchev saw Kennedy as weak and he was keen to increase soviet influence around S America
  • castro saw Soviet missiles as a great way to prevent the USA from invading Cuba
• Kennedy role and US fears to Cuban missile crisis

  • USA panicked, Kennedy acted decisively- but did not want war
  • USA closed its boarders to precent spread of communism
  • Kenned announced blockade of Cuba
  • US troops were put on DEFCON 3 - close to nuclear war
• Thirteen days 1962


  Sep- soviet ships carry nuclear warheads and missiles to Cuba

  16 Oct- Kennedy informed that US planes have found missiles on site of Cuba

  20 Oct- Kennedy decides against attack and orders blockade

  24 Oct- USSR say blockade is act of aggression

  25 oct- USA and USSR prepare for nuclear war

  27 Oct- Khrushchev offers to remove missiles form Cuba if USA did from Turkey

  28 OCt- Khrushchev agrees to deal: Missiles withdrawn and USA never attacks Cuba and removes out of Turkey
• Results of crisis- short term

  Short term :

  > Communist cuba survived as Kennedy gave assurance of no invasion

  > USSR publicly wthdraws missiles, to promote world peace- USA secretly withdrew from Turkey

  > USSR looked weak, Brezhnev replaced Khrushchev

  > US peace lobby gained influence, as their desire to avoid war was withdrawal of US missiles
• Results of cuban crisis - long term

  Longterm:

  > Détente (ease of tension)

  > Hotline between Washington and Moscow

  > Limited Test Ban treaty (1963) - ban all nuclear weapons testing

  > MAD- due to USSR catching up with USA

  > Nuclear non Proliferation treaty- no passing nuclear to other countries
• Dubček and Prague Spring

  • 1968- made Czechoslovakian leader
  • Good friends with Brezhnev- who believed Dubcek would calm reforms
  • Dubček was communist and supporter of Warsaw pack but wanted communism to be better and easier to live under
  • "Socialism with a human face"
• Dubček's reforms - Prague Spring

  • Press censorship ended
  • Other parties allowed alongside communist
  • More power given to Czechoslovakian parliament
  • Allowed more capitalist elements
  • Secret police were restricted
• Effect of Warsaw pact countries of Prague spring

  > Polish students called for their Dubček against their government

  > Brezhnev had a dilemma
• USSR response to Prague spring

  • thought it would break up Warsaw pact
  • Brezhnev failed to stop Dubček from going further
  • 1968- tanks sent to Prague spring and Dubček arrested
  • Czechoslovakia returned to strict soviet control
• Brezhnev Doctrine

  • USSR Declared right to invade any eastern block country that was threatening the security of easter bloc
  • USA condemned invasion but did nothing due to dear of war
  • Western European communist part horrified and declared themselves as Independent
  • Yugoslavia and Romania backed off from USSR and USSR was weakened
• Effects of Brezhnev Doctrine on west

  • USA and W Germany condemned invasion and improving relations ended
  • offered no military support or assistance
  • USA was occupied in Vietnam
  • France and Italy cut links with USSR
  • did not damage Détente
  • fewer than 100 Czechs died form invasion
• Effect on east of Brezhnev Doctrine

  • Limited reforms in other Warsaw pact countries
  • Poland doll lowed policies hat ignored public opinions- demanded change
  • Invasion strengthened society grip on Eastern bloc
  • Romania and Yugoslavia signed alliances with Communist china
  • Protest in china- increased division between China and USSR
• Reasons of Détente

  • China-soviet split
  • Arms race- Cuba marked attempts of reduced tension, hotline, partial test ban treaty
  • Domestic- arms and space race cost billions of dollars- USSR faced bankruptcy - USA faced social issues and protests at home
  • Vietnam- War showed military dominance didn't guarantee victory- both USA and USSR focused on indirect action
• SALT 1 ( Strategic Arms limitation treaty) 1972

  • No further production of strategic ballistic weapons
  • no increase number of international ballistic weapons
  • NO nuclear isle launchers
  • Anti-ballistic missiles treaty limited both sides
• Roles of Brezhnev and Nixon

  • Nixon- anti- communist whole life- Eisenhower's VP
  • Brezhnev- successor of Khrushchev and Politburo of Stalin
  • Their experience helped them make progress where young leaders failed
  • Nixon mad historic visits to Moscow and china