Why Was Germany A Source of Tension?

• West, larger population, greater industrial output

• Had received Marshall Aid

• Economic miracles in 50s and 60s

• Standard of living rapidly increased

• East, forced collectivization

• Many tried to flee to the West

Economic Differences in the Germanys

• West, democracy

• East, no free elections since 1946, rigidly Stalinist

• Riots in 1953, workers rose up

• Put down with Soviet tanks

• No further efforts to reunite as one country

• Seemed risky

• Still potential for the conflict

Political Differences in the Germanys

• Remained divided after the Berlin Crisis in 1948

• Clearly inequalities in the zones

• West Berlin appeared successful

• Political freedoms and open lifestyle

• East Germans seeking to escape through Berlin

• Could travel through West Berlin to East Berlin by train

• Emigration easy

• 1945-61, one-sixth of the German population moved

Berlin Crisis

• 1958, Khrushchev proposes formal recognition of two Germanys

• Demanded Berlin demilitarization, Western withdrawal, free city

• Threatened to take control of corridors, clever

• Dangerous situation

• West could not give in

• Resist could mean war

• Khrushchev’s line of thinking

• Fear of West Germany getting nuclear weapons

• Concern over East economy

• Pressure from leader of the GDR

Berlin Crisis

• Khrushchev dropped his ultimatum

• Allies forced to discuss German question

• 1959, foreign ministers’ conference at Geneva

• No agreement

• 1959, second summit, no agreement

• May 1960 summit called off after U-2

• Walter Ulbricht became frustrated with his people leaving for West

• Khrushchev seeks concessions with JFK in 1960

Berlin Crisis

• Flexible Response

• More conventional forces

• Larger nuclear arsenal

• CIA work

• Economic aid in proxy conflicts

• Negotiations with Soviets

• Communism changing, more diverse geographically and in assistance

• Broadened the range of options for resisting communism

• Not just humiliation of nuclear war

Kennedy and Flexible Response

• Kennedy met Khrushchev for the first time, Vienna Summit 1961

• Soviets thought they could exploit Kennedy’s lack of foreign policy experience, failure of Bay of Pigs

• Renewed ultimatum on Berlin

• Kennedy: Berlin “An island of freedom in a Communist sea”

• More nuclear spending and fallout shelters

• Number of refugees increased

• 40,000 on August 12

• Khrushchev gave in to Ulbiricht

• Close East German border to Berlin

• Barbed wire to concrete wall

Crisis of 1960

What Did the Wall Mean?

• Soviet propaganda admittedly ineffective

• Had to create a barrier to keep people there

• Khrushchev freed from the situation though, meant Ulbricht let up

• Did not sign a separate peace treaty to give access routes to GDR

• Ulbricht able to consolidate control

• Horrifying for citizens of Berlin, front lines

• Settled the question of Germany in the Cold War

• Constant complaints from US

• Tank confrontation at Checkpoint Charlie

• USA relieved no war

Symbolism of the Wall

• 1961-1989 powerful symbol of the division of East and West

• Iron Curtain was a reality

• Kennedy visits Berlin

• Hundreds killed attempting to defect

• East German guards instructed to shoot to kill

• 1989, vivid symbol of political reality: Cold War ending

Paper 1 Practice