1.3, 1.4 - Cold War Intensification and Berlin Crisis

Vocabulary terms and definitions covering the nuclear arms race, the Hungarian Uprising, and the various summits and crises surrounding Berlin between 1952 and 1961.

'Ivy Mike'

The first Hydrogen Bomb tested by the USA in 1952, which was 1000x more destructive than the Atomic Bomb.

ICBMs

Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles, first introduced in 1957.

Nuclear Deterrent

A force which prevents something from happening - country would be dettered from using nuclear weapons if it expected to recieve the same response back

New leaders

Soviet leader who died on 5 March 1953, leading to Khrushchev becoming the new leader, and Dwight Eisenhower in 1952

Imre Nagy

New leader in Hungary who wanted reforms and announced on November 1956 that he wanted to leave the Warsaw Pact; he was executed in 1958

consequences of hungarian uprising + causes

Causes - Fuel shortages, discontent about lack of freedom, Imre Nagy’s reforms

Consequences - Khrushev’s tighter control over Eastern bloc through warsaw pact, usa reputation as protector of freedom ruined, relations worsened

4 November 1956 - Hungarian Uprising

The date 1000 Soviet troops invaded Hungary, killing 2500 Hungarians. - USA condemns but doesn’t intervene

Berlin Ultimatum

• A demand issued by Khrushchev to the West on October 1958, stating they must leave Berlin within SIX months and Berlin to be demilitarized

• Threatened to hand over all routes into Berlin to East German government

Brain drain

A skills gap caused by 2.7 million East Germans fleeing to the West during the refugee crisis, as West was a better place to live

Berlin Wall

A wall built by Khrushchev over nightfall of August 12 1961, due to:

• many skilled workers leaving for the West

• economy was worsening

• made communism look like a failure

• East had lower living standards and poorer paying jobs

Impacts of wall on relations

• USA - soviets closed border without consulting USA, people can’t escape communism, however showed Khrushev had to accept control of the West in Berlin, and West Berlin became symbol of freedom agaisnt communism

• USSR - plans to reunited Berlin abandoned, showed wall had to lock people in, however stopped people fleeing, sent a message to the West communism would survive

Geneva Summit (May 1959)

A meeting regarding Berlin where relationships slightly improved but no agreements were reached.

Camp David Summit (September 1959)

• A meeting where relationships improved with no agreements made, however soviets did withdraw Berlin ultimatum

• agreed to meet in Paris the following year

Paris Summit (May 1960)

A meeting that ended without resolution after Khrushchev walked out because Eisenhower refused to apologise for the U-2 spy plane incident.

U-2 spy plane incident

american spy plane was shot down over Soviet territory, pilot, Francis Gary Powers, survived, was captured, and confessed to his spying mission

Vienna Summit (June 1961)

• A meeting where Khrushchev restated his ultimatum, resulting in a negative relationship between Kennedy and Khrushchev

• Kennedy refused to make any concessions

• USA increased spending on Army by 2 billion