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Flashcards in A Divided Berlin Deck (14)
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1
Q

How was divided Berlin advantageous for the US?

A

It gave them a foothold inside the Soviet Eastern Bloc

2
Q

What did many Germans do and why?

A

Crossed over from East Berlin to West Berlin because they didn’t like having a communist government, East Germany was repressed

3
Q

Why was East Germans crossing to the western side problematic for the USSR? (Give two reasons)

A
  • Many skilled workers left for west Germany, this resulted in a shortage of skilled workers in the east
  • It made it look like people preferred west Germany to east Germany
4
Q

Why didn’t the USSR push the west out of Berlin by force?

A

A war would start and the USSR knew they couldn’t win because the USA had developed the hydrogen bomb by 1952

5
Q

What was Khrushchev’s six-month ultimatum?

A

He demanded that the western powers must leave Berlin in six months - or else.

6
Q

When did Khrushchev put forward his demand for the western powers to leave Berlin?

A

1958

7
Q

How did the USA respond to Khrushchev’s ultimatum? (3 marks)

A
  • Didn’t want to leave Berlin as it would be too humiliating
  • Yet.. they didn’t want to start a war either
  • Instead the USA suggested a conference to sort out the problems
8
Q

How many big conferences were there and what were they known as?

A

4 Summits

9
Q

When was the Paris summit and why was it important?

A

1960: It was a disaster, Eisenhower refused to apologise for an american spy plane in the USSR and the summit collapsed

10
Q

When and where was the final summit and what is it’s significance?

A

1961, Vienna: Neither side was willing to back down, Kennedy began to prepare the USA for nuclear war.

11
Q

Khrushchev backed down as he knew he couldn’t win a nuclear war, but how did he sort out his problem in Berlin?

A

He built the Berlin wall

12
Q

When was the Berlin wall built?

A

August 1961

13
Q

Why was the Berlin wall so awful for the German people?

A

Anyone trying to cross the border was shot at and many people were killed

14
Q

What was the importance of JFK’s visit to west Berlin in 1963?

A

His speech made West Berlin into a symbol of freedom