The Second Berlin Crisis Flashcards

1
Q

Why did West Berlin present a problem for Khrushchev?

A
  • People in East Berlin could see how much wealthier West Berlin was
  • People could easily cross from East Berlin to West Berlin, and from there flee to West Germany
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2
Q

Between 1949 and 1961, how many East Germans left East Germany?

A

2.7 million (although some put the number as high as 4 million)

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3
Q

What was the name given to the mass loss of skilled workers from East Germany to West Germany?

A

A ‘brain drain’

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4
Q

What did the maths department at Leipzig University do in January 1961?

A

The whole department defected to West Germany on the same day

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5
Q

Why was the brain drain a problem for Khrushchev and the USSR?

A
  • The drain threatened to severely damage the economy of East Germany
  • It was a propaganda disaster for the USSR
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6
Q

What did Khrushchev do to try and solve the refugee crisis/brain drain?

A

In November 1958 he issued an ultimatum. He declared the whole of Berlin belonged to the USSR and the USA had to withdraw its troops within 6 months.

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7
Q

How did Eisenhower respond to Khrushchev’s ultimatum?

A
  • Cautiously: Eisenhower did not want to lose Berlin but nor did they want to start a war
  • They arranged for talks to take place about the future of Berlin
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8
Q

Out of the four summits, which one was attended by JFK? Camp David, Paris, Geneva, Vienna

A

The Vienna Summit (1961) was the only one attended by JFK. All the rest were Eisenhower or representatives of Eisenhower’s administration.

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9
Q

Who attended the Geneva Summit in May 1959?

A

The Geneva Summit (May 1959) was attended by representatives of both the USSR and USA (but not the leaders themselves).

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10
Q

What was agreed at the Geneva Summit in 1959?

A

Not much was agreed about Berlin. However, the groundwork was laid for Khrushchev to visit the USA and meet Eisenhower.

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11
Q

What was the significance of the Geneva Summit to international relations?

A
  • Important because it showed that a) the two nations were trying to solve the Berlin problem peacefully and b) that even though they didn’t solve it, they were arranging further talks. Thus war seems less likely.
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12
Q

What happened at the Camp David Summit in September 1959?

A

Eisenhower and Khrushchev met face-to-face in Camp David (USA). They spoke frankly but failed to agree on a solution. However, they agreed to meet again the following year. Moreover, Khrushchev withdrew his ultimatum.

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13
Q

What was the significance of the Camp David Summit to international relations?

A

Camp David was important for a number of reasons:

  • The leaders of the two nations were talking in person, this made war less likely
  • They agreed to carry on talking the following year
  • Khrushchev withdrew his ultimatum. This removed, for a time, the threat of war.
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14
Q

What happened shortly before the Paris Summit in 1960?

A

Shortly before the Paris Summit in 1960 the USSR shot down an American U-2 spy plane and captured its pilot.

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15
Q

What happened at the Paris Summit in 1960?

A

Khrushchev walked out the summit after Eisenhower refused to apologise for spying on the USSR.

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16
Q

What was the significance of the Paris Summit in 1960 to international relations?

A
  • It made relations much worse
  • The two leaders were now no longer talking
  • The trust that had been built up through previous meetings had been broken by the U2 spying incident