IB History Cold War Crises - Berlin Wall Notes

Key Questions

1. Why did Khrushchev issue an ultimatum over Berlin in 1958?
2. How did the refugee crisis threaten the survival of East Germany?
3. What happened at the Vienna Summit (1961) and how did it lead to the Wall?
4. What was the significance of the Berlin Wall as a Cold War symbol?

Khrushchev's Ultimatum (1958)

1. In November 1958, Soviet leader Khrushchev issued an ultimatum demanding that the Western powers leave Berlin within six months.
2. He proposed that West Berlin become a demilitarised "free city", effectively ending Western protection and leaving it vulnerable to Soviet pressure.
3. Khrushchev was motivated by the continued existence of West Berlin as a capitalist outpost deep inside communist territory, which embarrassed the Soviet bloc.
4. The USA rejected the ultimatum, and the deadline passed without Soviet action - but the crisis was far from over.
5. The ultimatum reflected Khrushchev's desire to test the new US President and assert Soviet strength on the world stage.

The Refugee Crisis

1. Between 1949 and 1961, approximately 3.5 million East Germans fled to the West, many through the open border in Berlin.
2. Many of those leaving were young, skilled, and educated workers - a devastating "brain drain" that threatened the GDR's economic survival.
3. The refugee exodus was a propaganda disaster for communism - it demonstrated that millions preferred life under capitalism.
4. By 1961, around 1,000 East Germans per day were crossing to the West, creating an urgent crisis for the communist regime.
5. East German leader Walter Ulbricht repeatedly pressured Khrushchev for permission to close the border and stop the haemorrhage of citizens.

The Vienna Summit (June 1961)

1. In June 1961, President Kennedy and Khrushchev met at the Vienna Summit to discuss Berlin and other Cold War issues.
2. Khrushchev renewed his ultimatum, demanding that the Western Allies withdraw from West Berlin by December 1961.
3. Kennedy, still politically weakened by the failed Bay of Pigs invasion (April 1961), was determined not to appear weak on Berlin.