Another Cold War Crisis East West rivalry Berlin divided contrast the two halves WEST Prosperous helped by US attracted people from the East Seen by USSR as infection in the heart of Communist East Germany ID: 464789
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Slide1
THE BERLIN WALLSlide2
Another Cold War Crisis
East – West rivalryBerlin divided – contrast the two halves:
WEST: Prosperous, helped by US, attracted people from the East. Seen by USSR as infection in the heart of Communist East Germany.
EAST: Much less prosperous and under Communist controlSlide3
Life in East vs WestSlide4
Focus on refugees from East Germany
or East Berlin to West1949-129,2451951- 165,6481953- 331,390
1955- 252,870
1957- 261,622
1959- 143,917
1961- 207,0261962- 21,3561963- 42,6321964- 41,876Slide5
What They Wanted
The WestPrevent USSR from gaining control of East GermanyTo see a united, democratic Germany
The East
Maintain control over East Germany
Make the West recognize it as an independent state
Stop the flood of refugees, especially the skilled and professional ones – much needed in East GermanySlide6
1958 - Soviet Demands
West should:Recognize GDR (German Democratic Republic, a socialist government)Withdraw troops from West BerlinHand their access routes over to the East German government
Khrushchev bluffed that he would hand East Berlin over to the GDR. West refused and Khrushchev backed down.Slide7
Events of 1961
June - Vienna SummitKhrushchev pressured new American President John F Kennedy
Demanded withdrawal of Western forces from West Berlin – Kennedy refusedSlide8
Events cont’d
July – Western powers reject Khrushchev’s Vienna demandsJuly 23 – Flow of refugees from East to West = 1000 a day
July 25
–
Kennedy repeats support for West Berlin and announced increase in arms spendingSlide9
Events cont’d
13-22 August – Khrushchev and East German gov’t orders barbed wire barrier across Berlin, followed by a wall of concrete blocksAll of West Berlin surrounded
apart from access points
This was against the Four Power agreement reached in Paris on 20 June 1949. Slide10Slide11
Results
Important results for Berlin, Germany and the Cold WarBerlin was divided, free access ended between East and Westmany families split, many attempted to escape to the West-between 1961 and 198986 people died trying to cross the Berlin WallSlide12Slide13Slide14Slide15
Results cont’d
Kennedy accepted the Soviet action. He refused to use US troops to pull down the wall to avoid war.Kennedy looked weak but West turned it into propaganda – why, if Communism was so attractive, was a wall needed?
1963 – Kennedy visited West Berlin – pledged continued support – ‘
Ich
bin
ein Berliner’ (I am a Berliner) – famous speechKhrushchev lost face by failing to remove the West from BerlinSlide16
Rise & Fall of the Berlin Wall
How did the wall impact people’s lives?Compare life in East Berlin and West BerlinHow did people escape?Why and how does the wall come down?