Cold War crisis

• Germany had been divided in two
• Differences between West Germany and East Germany

  • West Germany: Democracy, Capitalist, Part of NATO, Given Marshall Aid from the USA, High standard of living and prosperous, Social freedoms with freedom of speech
  • East Germany: Dictatorship, Communist, Part of the Warsaw Pact, Not given Marshall Aid from the USA, Low standard of living and poor, Restrictions and the population spied on
• Many East Germans wanted to leave home and move to West Germany for a better life. It was easy to cross the border from East Berlin into West Berlin, and then travel freely into West Germany
• 1958-3 million East German Refugees crossed to West Germany, which was 1/6 of the population of East Germany
• The type of people leaving were skilled workers such as engineers, teachers and electricians. This led to a brain drain in East Germany
• These people would earn more money in West Germany
• The large number of people leaving East Germany was an embarrassment for the Soviet Union, as people were obviously choosing capitalism over communism
• Khrushchev wanted the whole of Berlin to be controlled by East Germany, as Berlin was located deep in East German territory
• Khrushchev's Berlin Ultimatum


  1. Western Troops should be removed from East Berlin, 2. Berlin should become a free city
• The West were outraged by the Berlin Ultimatum and believed the Soviet Union were simply trying to take over more land
• Both the Soviet Union and USA believed that if the military was used, it could start a nuclear war, so they hoped that by meeting together, a solution could be found
• The Geneva Summit, Camp David Summit, Paris Summit, and Vienna Summit all failed to reach an agreement on Berlin
• The Soviet Union had shot down an American spy plane, and America refused to apologise for spying
• On 12th August 1961, Khrushchev ordered the building of the Berlin Wall to stop people moving from East to West Berlin
• The Berlin Wall cut through streets and even buildings, and was heavily guarded with barbed wire, watch towers, searchlights, guard dogs, minefields and machine guns
• Over 130 people were killed trying to cross the Berlin Wall
• The Berlin Wall became a powerful symbol of the differences between East and West for almost 30 years until it came down in 1989
• The building of the Berlin Wall was a negative outcome for the Soviet Union as it showed the Soviet Union had to literally lock people in East Germany to stop them leaving
• The building of the Berlin Wall was a positive outcome for the Soviet Union as it was a message of strength to the USA
• The building of the Berlin Wall reduced the tension between the USA and Soviet Union as both sides accepted it and there was little else they could do apart from fight
• President Kennedy's visit to West Berlin in 1963 and his famous 'Ich bin ein Berliner' speech proved he was not soft on communism and showed his support for West Berlin remaining part of the West
• John F. Kennedy: 'Ich bin ein Berliner (I am a citizen of Berlin)'
• This speech proved he was not soft on communism
• The fact he travelled there was a symbol of how much he wanted West Berlin to remain part of the West
• 3 million Germans from East Germany move to the capitalist West Germany. Mainly skilled workers.


  1958
• Khrushchev gives his 'Berlin Ultimatum' - For western troops to withdraw from Berlin.


  1958
• Geneva Summit held - no agreement on Berlin made.


  1959
• Camp David Summit held - no agreement on Berlin made but relations positive.


  1959
• Paris Summit held - no agreement made and relations poor.


  1960
• Vienna Summit held - no agreement made about Berlin and increased tension between the two sides.


  1961
• 12th August Khushchev ordered the building of the Berlin Wall to stop people moving West.


  1961
• President Kennedy visits West Berlin and makes his famous 'Ich bin ein Berliner' speech.


  1963
• Cuba is a country located in the Caribbean near North America
• In 1959, a group wanting a revolution in Cuba brought down General Batista and his government who were supported by America
• These revolutionaries were led by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara
• Cuba's new leader, Fidel Castro, no longer wanted anything to do with America
• President Eisenhower was worried as there was a lot of American business, industry and trade with Cuba
• The tension between the USA and Cuba, soon grew into another worry for the Cold War with the Soviet Union
• Any land owned by Americans in Cuba, was taken away from them and taken under the control of the Cuban government
• Fidel Castro had started putting communists into his government