Khrushchev and East–West relations, 1955–60 (Key Chronology)

The Austrian State Treaty; Federal Republic of Germany is admitted to NATO

May 1955

The Geneva Summit

July 1955

Krushchev’s secret speech is delivered

February 1956

The Polish Rising

June-October 1956

The Hungarian Rising

October-November 1956

Khrushchev and the Camp David talks

September 1959

The Paris Summit

May 1960

Kennedy and Khrushchev meet in Vienna

June 1960

Leader of Poland during the Polish Rising

Gomulka

What did the Polish Rising show?

that Moscow would allow its satellites
a measure of national independence if the regimes were led by
trustworthy me

What was the primary reason why Krushchev did not use force on the Polish Rising?

because China supported the Polish Communist Party.

Name four demands that students in Budapest made on the 22nd October.

* the appointment of Imre Nagy as prime minister
* the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Hungary
* freedom of speech and a free press
* multi-party elections.

What was one reason why Red Army forces began to withdraw from Budapest and declared they would withdraw from Hungary as a whole?

Pressure from China

When did Moscow reverse its decision to withdraw from Hungary?

31st October 1956

Who led the new government of Hungary after the USSR crushed the rising?

János Kádár

What was agreed in the Austrian State Treaty?

* withdrawal of all occupying powers
* the declaration that Austria would be a neutral state.

Was the Geneva Summit successful?

On the two major issues which the Geneva Summit discussed – nuclear disarmament and the future of Germany – no satisfactory outcome was reached. However, it appeared to mark the beginning of a dialogue between the superpowers.

Two things the superpowers could not agree on at the Geneva Summit

Eisenhower’s ‘Open Skies’ proposal and the future of Germany

What did Krushchev refuse to discuss at the Geneva Summit?

the future of the Eastern Bloc states

What did Krushchev want out of the Paris Summit?

Khrushchev wanted a deal over Berlin and he also wanted an agreement to prohibit nuclear weapons in the Pacific and a ban on such weapons in Germany.

Why did the Paris Summit collapse?

because of the news that an American U-2 spy plane had been shot down while on a mission over the Soviet Union.

What was discussed at the Camp David talks?

They discussed disarmament and the situation in Berlin. They also agreed to settle international issues through diplomacy, rather than through force