Why did tensions return to the Cold war in the late 1950s?

Learning objective – to be able to explain the reasons for the Cold War becoming tense in the late 1950s.

I can describe the key developments of the Cold War in the late 1950s and early 1960s

Grade D

I can explain the causes of the growing tension in the Cold War from the late 1950s.

Grade B

I can evaluate the impact of the events that led to greater tension in the Cold War from the late 1950s.

Grade A

Starter – what do you think the story of this image is?

Growing division of Germany in the late 1950s.

Why?USA and USSR unable to agree upon how

Germany should be governed.

What?Diplomatic tensions as both sides did not

recognise the part of Germany it did not control.

East German government was very unpopular and a steady stream of refugees escape from the East to the West through Berlin.

In 1958, Khrushchev declared the whole of Berlin belonged to East Germany.

He ordered US troops to leave Berlin and gave them a six month notice to do so.

The Geneva Summit – May 1959Why?USA wanted to stay in Berlin and defy

Khrushchev’s demands.To avoid confrontation and war over Berlin.

What?The Summit meeting was designed to

discuss what to do with Berlin between high level representatives from USA and USSR.

Significant?The talks achieved little but did play an

important part in arranging Khrushchev to visit the USA and meet Eisenhower.

Camp David and Khrushchev’s visit to USA - 1959

Why? Khrushchev wanted to move away from the oppressive

image that Stalin projected.

What? The Summit between the two presidents took place at

Camp David – the USA President’s rural retreat – in September 1959.

It was a positive and honest meeting which was accompanied by Khrushchev visiting various American landmarks.

Nothing was agreed.

Significant? The Camp David Summit laid the foundations for future

discussions. Khrushchev agreed to abandoning the six month

ultimatum given to US troops in Berlin.

The U2 incident - 1960Why? U2 was a spy plane which could fly at high altitude

and take photographs for intelligence purposes.

What? In May 1960, the USSR shot down a U2 plane caught

flying over their territory and captured the pilot, Gary Powers.

President Eisenhower had denied that the USA had sent planes to spy on the USSR.

Khrushchev then produced photographs of the wreckage of the U2 shot over USSR.

Proved he was lying, Eisenhower refused to apologise.

Significant? Undone all the good diplomatic work of 1959 and Cold

War tensions increased.

Paris Summit - 1960Why?The Paris Summit had been agreed at the

Camp David Conference the previous year.Nine days before the Paris Conference,

the U2 Incident had broken and tensions had increased.

What?The Paris Summit was a disaster.Khrushchev walked out of the Paris

Summit in protest making a series of angry statements, clearly unhappy and not interested in establishing a working relationship with the West.

The Vienna Conference - 1961Why? John F. Kennedy had just been elected President of USA

and wanted to meet with Khrushchev.The problem of Berlin remained and needed further

discussion.

What?Both sides refused to back down with the USSR wanting

USA out of Berlin and the USA refusing to leave.Khrushchev reaffirmed his previous ultimatum of a six

month deadline to leave Berlin.

Significant?Khrushchev saw Kennedy as young and weak. Someone

he could push around. He decided to push his luck with Kennedy and force him to back down over international problems.

TaskDraw a continuum in your exercise book like the one below.

Relieved tensions Increased tensions

The Berlin question1958-61

Geneva Summit 1959

Khrushchev’s US visit 1959

The U2 Incident 1960

Paris Summit 1960

Vienna Conference1961

Place the events below on your continuum and for each event write a paragraph which explains why you have placed it where you have on the continuum and why the event is significant in the Cold War during the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Choose your plenary