Political reasons for the rise of the Berlin Wall

Who was Krushchev?

Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union.

What did Krushchev want?

All of Berlin to become part of East Germany.

He issued his Berlin ultimatum on 27 November 1958.

What did Krushchev demand?

• Demilitarisation and withdrawal of Western troops.

• Berlin should become a free city.

What happened as a result of the ultimatum?

The West had 6 months to make these changes or he would hand over control of all transport routes into Berlin to the East German government.

This would mean the West would have to negotiate with the East German government which it refused to do.

What was Ulbricht desperate to do regarding refugees?

Find a solution.

The most obvious was to close the board to West Berlin.

What happened when rumors of a wall began?

In 15th June, he said no one intends to build a wall.

Ultimately, the SED leaders decided isolating West Berlin was the only way to end danger to their state.

When was the Paris Summit?

It was supposed to occur on the 14 May 1960.

However, 13 days before the summit meeting, a US U2 spy plane was shot down while on a mission over the Soviet Union.

What happened to the pilot in the US U2 plane?

He was captured and put on trial.

Eisenhower agreed to stop the flights but did not apologise as he said such missions were unavoidable.

What did preliminary meetings between Krushchev and Eisenhower end with?

Krushchev stormed out and Eisenhower cancelled his planned meeting to the Soviet Union.

The Paris summit did not take place.

What happened during the Geneva summit?

Various foreign leaders from different countries met in Geneva, in neutral Switzerland.

What did both sides of the Geneva summit put forward?

Put forward plans on how Berlin should be governed but no agreement was reached. Eisenhower invited Krushchev to America for further talks.

What was the summit meeting at Camp David?

Krushchev and President Eisenhower met for the first time at the presidential ranch in Maryland, US.

What did Soviets agree to at Camp David?

Agreed to withdraw the Berlin Ultimatum, but there was no overall resolution about how to move forward.

What was the result of the summit meeting at Camp David?

Seemed to be an improvement in relations, and Eisenhower and Krushchev agreed that further talks should be held in Paris the following summer.