discuss the impact of two Cold War crises on superpower rivalry.

Argument for Berlin Crisis

Increased ideological rivalry, however, limited the risks of physical conflict in the long-term (by physically separating and severing causes of tension and by the East solidifying their control)

Argument for Cuban Missile Crisis

closest the superpowers got to nuclear war, however, though it did not eliminate ideological rivalry, it revealed that neither the US nor USSR were prepared to have a nuclear war

increased rivalry - Berlin Crisis

• There was now a divided Berlin with a physical wall

• Khrushchev 1958 ultimatum (in speech) to remove troops from West Berlin

• The relative economic situations of West Berlin increased ideological rivalry - direct indicator of USA, capitalism was a superior system

  • West Berlin (prosperous)

  • ast Berlin (not-prosperous and suffering from the Brain Drain - mass emigration of young, educated East Berliners

• Morning of August 13 1961 Berlin awoke to discover that overnight a barbed wire fence was erected to block access between the two sides – this was eventually replaced with a proper Berlin wall.

• 1961 Checkpoint Charlie Incident:

  • American and Soviet tanks faced off against the main border

  • lasted 16 hours and highlighted high tensions

• “Berlin is the testicles of the West. When I want the West to scream, I squeeze on Berlin.”
  Nikita Khrushchev, Soviet leader speaking in Yugoslavia, August 1963

increased rivalry - Cuban Missile Crisis

• The nations had gotten closer to Nuclear War – increased tensions between superpowers

  • 13 days of possible nuclear war were highly tense

  • highlighted Khrushchev brinkmanship

  • Presidential special assistant to Kenedy: “the most dangerous moment in human history.”

• There was still an unequal balance of power (since USA had Nukes in Turkey)

• It destabilised domestic security in USSR

  • wounded the pride and revealed weakness of Khrushchev’s policies (peaceful coexistence)

• Operation Mongoose

  • CIA’s attempt to overthrow Castro – destroying the Cuban revolution by assassination plots + sabotage economic targets

• US policy of Containment continues to prevent the spread of communism

• Arthur M Schlessinger (assistant to Kennedy)- “The most dangerous moment in human history”

Stabilised rivalry - Berlin Crisis

• Resolved the question of control over Berlin and ended the Brain Drain.

  • The Americans could feel secure in their position in Berlin - stopped demands from Khrushchev for Kennedy

  • , and the USSR felt confident that they were not losing people to the West. Stopped the brain drain

• Created definite border between the Soviets and West

• Peacefully stopped military tension within the Berlin border by stopping forces from facing one another. 

• “A wall is a hell of a lot better than a war.”
  John F. Kennedy, US president, August 1961 - Satisfaction

• Established far greater security for both sides with the border blocking conflict from both sides 

• Allowed for military presence from the US outside of the view of the Soviet soldiers. 

Stabilised rivalry - Cuban Missile Crisis

• The Cuban Missile Crisis concluded October 28, through a series of concessions from both the Soviet Union and the United States

• the first Khrushchev message was sent October 26 to remove nuclear weapons in Cuba for guarantee that Kennedy would not invade Cuba.

• Former US Secretary of State Robert McNamara on Khrushchev “Basically, he said, ‘If you’ll guarantee you won’t invade Cuba, we’ll take the missiles out’.

• This commenced communication that was significantly different to the previous years, lowering tensions. 

• In June 1963 – a “hotline” was installed between the Kremlin and White House for quick communication

• The White House stated that this was to “help reduce the risk of war occurring by accident or miscalculation”

  • This shows that efforts were made to stabilise tensions

• In the wake, The Soviets reorganised their command structure and nuclear launch protocols

• The legacy this crisis left was that of a cautionary tale of the dangers of nuclear aggression.

• this is shown in August 1963, US, UK and USSR signed the Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

• Moves towards détente - more relaxed relationship between US and USSR

• The CMC had come so close to the brink of nuclear war that both nations realised the limits of the aggressive foreign policies of brinkmanship that had been previously followed.  

Only Suppressed, Did not Eradicate Rivalry - Berlin Crisis

• Continued ideological rivalry: The East had to forcibly contain people in their system – fundamentally ideologically embarrassing

  • highlighted America to be the ideological winner 

• Khrushchev failed to force the Western allies to withdraw troops from West Berlin or to compel them to negotiate peace treaties with the two German states

• The construction of the Berlin Wall, achieved a limited but important success for Soviet policies

• The existence of the GDR was now assured, and by tolerating it, the Western powers, in effect, recognised East Germany – affirmed the sovereignty, stabilised but continues ideological divide

• Historian Hermann Weber observed in 1988, East German Communists were to look back on 13 August 1961, as ‘the secret foundation day of the GDR’

• The wall meant no true agreement had been made to bring the nations closer together, and acted as a symbol of the iron curtain that ideologically divided them

Only Suppressed, Did not Eradicate Rivalry - Cuban Missile Crisis

• Continued ideological rivalry - Soviet Union was the ideological winner 

• Cuban revolution survived 

• Fortified Castro’s position making him a symbolic figure of anti-US sentiment and resistance in Latin America

• Communist nation now 90 miles from American soils

However,

• The Soviet Union positioned itself as the world’s champion of communism, but giving in to Western powers was a sign of weakness

• Khrushchev’s paradoxical foreign policy of peaceful coexistence with West and erratic brinkmanship to push West to nuclear war

  • CMC led to downfall of his power, and strained relations with Mao and Castro

When was the Berlin Crisis?

1958-1961

Key dates:

• 1958: Khrushchev’s ultimatum

• August 13 1961: Berlin Wall erected (well barb wire)

• September 1961: Checkpoint Charlie incident

When was the Cuban Missile Crisis

13 days in 1962:

16 Oct 1962 – 29 Oct 1962

Key Dates:

• October 26 1962 the first Khrushchev message was sent to remove nuclear weapons

• June 1963 – a “hotline” was installed

• August 1963, Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty