U-2 incident

When was the U-2 incident?

May 1st 1960

Why had tension increased between the USSR and the USA in the 1950s?

Space Race, Arms Race, Hungary

When was the Paris Summit meeting planned for?

1960

What was one of the aims of the summit meeting?

Pass the Test Ban treaty to stop the testing of nuclear power. Helps with the peaceful coexistence.

What was the U-2?

A CIA spy plane tasked with surveillance of Soviet Bases

Why did the U-2 get shot down?

President Eisenhower ordered Gary Powers in the U-2 to fly lower to test how good the Soviet's S.A.M's were.

What are SAMS?

Surface to air missiles.

Who was the pilot of the U-2 plane?

Gary Powers

What happened to Gary Powers?

He was sentenced to 10 years in prison but was let out early in exchange for a Soviet spy who was being imprisoned in the USA.

What was Eisenhower’s response to the U-2 incident?

May 5th 1960 - Eisenhower defended that it was a weather plane but Kruschev found evidence of the surveillance footage that the U-2 had acquired.

What were the consequences of the U-2 incident?

* Led to the Construction of Berlin Wall
* Delayed the Nuclear disarmament talks which would have led to the Test Ban Treaty
* Kruschev walks out of the Summit meeting on the 16th of May 1960
* Eisenhower was pushing for an open skies policy (fly over anyone's country)