Tention over Berlin 1958-1961

Khruchshev tried to solve the crisis through threats, twice gave the US the threat to get out of west Berlin in six months first in 1958 and secondly in 1961and threatened to agree a formal treaty with east Germany ending all the temporary arrangements agreed in 1945
The USA was determined not to back down
Eisenhower seemed willing to negotiate when both sides meet in the Geneva conference in 1958 but a deal was not meet
The U2 spy plane incident (in 1960 when the USSR shot down the US spy plane and capturing its pilot, the US was forced to admit it had been flying spy planes over the USSR for years, the pilot was sentenced to 10 years but was released after 2 in a spy swap) ended talks in 1960
In 1961 Khruchshev hoped that the new president Kennedy would give up under his intimidation in Vienna but Kennedy refused to abandon west Berlin and increased defence spending by $3.5 billion
Khruchshevs ultimatums had failed to solve the refugee problem and had to think of a new solution
Tensions increased massively as the USA was now worried that the USSR would threaten west Berlin and spark war
The USSR could easily invade west Berlin increasing suspicions and tensions

Resource summary

	Created by Sophia Hinchliffe over 7 years ago