Berlin Crises

(1948-9, 1958-61)

What caused the war, conflict or dispute?

What was the style of war, conflict or dispute?

What were the types of settlements which concluded the war, conflict, dispute?

USA • supply air lift • showed determination East Berlin/ USSR • West German blockade • free food/ food rations > denied

Soviet offense: German Blockade Results: divided Germany, cont'd 4 power control, NATO FRG (Federal Republic of Germany) NATO 4-power continued GDR (German Democratic Republic) West Germany in NATO Warsaw Pact

End of 1949

• Germany would not reunite - Soviets did not recognize Allied nations (visa versa) • No peacetime policy for USA - Marshall Plan (economically), NATO (militarily) • No formal peace treaty with Germany no formalized borders, Poland in danger • More unified Western nations

• • • Nuclear arms race West Berliners encouraged East Berliners to escape their hardships one sixth of Germany moved to west Berlin

• dispute was only restricted to the borders of Germany • However, there were conferences that took place outside of Germany (Geneva, Paris, US) • • • Kennedy wanted to continue and expand work of CIA There was the use of spies as espionage continued refugees

What is the message of this political cartoon?

" We intend to have a wider choice than humiliation or an all-out nuclear war" - JFK

This cartoon of 14 July 1948 by EH Shepard for the British magazine Punch shows Stalin watching as storks fly coal and food into Berlin. This cartoon by the British cartoonist Illingworth appeared in the Daily Mail on 9 September 1948.

3.

WHAT WERE THE TYPES OF SETTLEMENTS WHICH CONCLUDED THE WAR, CONFLICT, DISPUTE?

Measure of Victory

• Victory measured by how willing the other side would make concessions

US & Western Allies

Berlin Airlift- 1.5million tons of supplies Reform currency of the three zones to accelerate economic recovery

USSR

Berlin Wall- stopped 200,000 people leaving each year Berlin Ultimatum

Major Players

Stalin embarrassed

Result of Berlin Crisis

Stalin lifts blockade Allied Success Negotiation deadlocked Stalin’s permission for Berlin Wall Stalemate

Second Berlin Crisis

Camp David Sept 1959 • Eisenhower invited Khrushchev for talks • Khrushchev withdrew ultimatum Paris Summit May 1960 • Soviet missile shot down US U-2 spy plane • Eisenhower refused to apologize, summit cancelled Vienna Summit June 1961 • First meeting b/w Kennedy & Khrushchev- failure • No progress in negotiations

Second Berlin Crisis

June- Khrushchev gives permission to prepare for physical division of Berlin Aug 3-5- barbed wire fence erected Aug 13- complete Berlin wall Re-imposes 6 month deadline for West Berlin to become an international demilitarized zone Number of refugees increased to over 20,000 a month– double the rate of 1950s West did not react to barbed wires

The United Nations

• • • • • • “a threat to the peace within the meaning of Chapter VII of the Charter” Oct 4- Berlin question debated in Security Council Oct 5- resolution was voted 9:2 in favour of raising all restrictions on traffic to Berlin Oct 25- vote for resolution- USSR vetoed Preoccupation with other issues May 4, 1949- agreement signed to lift blockade

Result of the Crises

First Berlin Crisis (1948-1949)

Allied Success Stalin The Allies Embarrassed Lifted Berlin Blockade Germany became more pro-Western Sped up formation of FRG/GDR Formed NATO in April 1949

Second Berlin Crisis (1958-1961)

Stalemate Berlin Wall stopped flow of refugees from East to West Consolidated Communist control over East Germany Threat of immediate war disappeared

The Final Result

Improved East Germany’s economy US was against it but didn’t protest it No longer hot spot for war

Stable