Cold war 1956-84

Problems in East Germany by 1961

3.5m by 1961 emigrants cause long term economic damage to DDR, 20% of DDR left including some of the best trained and educated for better conditions in the west reducing working age figures

West German economic miracle with capitalist consumer economy, trade links with common market and US aid

East faced shortages, old fashioned economy based on restrictive controls and wasteful production

Reasons for Berlin Wall by 1961

1961 Khrushchev approved closing the Berlin border

Aug 1961 alone 36k left via Berlin, Khrushchev needed to show to the world and critical Chinese communists that Soviet economic policies worked, prevent continued loss of skilled labour

17 Aug wall built to divide 3 western zones from the eastern zone, second inner wall with zone of death in 1962 result in 136 deaths, 5k managed to escape 1989

Berlin wall 1961 significance

Wall was seen by US Rusk as a monument of communist failure, its purpose wasn’t separation but to merely keep East Germans from leaving

Lead to a show of determination by USA to not abandon West Berlin as Kennedy increased troop numbers and make famous speech in 1963 associating himself with people of Berlin

West propaganda as a symbol of oppression, confirm existing status quo in Europe and end hopes that detente or resolving tensions might lead to fundamental change, communist leaders now wedded to defense of a failing system not resolving problems by expansion

impact of Detente after 1969

USSR worsening relations with china as have plans for nuclear war against it so need to reduce potential enemies, 1972 Nixon visit China putting pressure, slow growth rates k problems in food production so high prices, more pragmatic leaders like Brezhnev are in charge

USA Vietnam war costly, sudden rise in oil prices in 1973 result of war in Middle East, concerns of dangers of nuclear war, Nixon era with policy on national interest not ideology

SALT 1 1972

Outlaw biological weapons

SALT 2 1979 (not ratified)

Negotiations hope to culminate in permanent limitations of nuclear weapons, further reduction in missile launchers and MIRV warheads

Better relations in 1960a

1963 Partial test ban treaty

1967 Outer space treaty, Nuclear non Proliferation treaty