Why was Berlin a Problem Between the USA & the USSR? (AQA GCSE History) : Revision Note
Why did the USA and the Soviet Union want influence in Berlin? - Timeline & Summary
Although Berlin was deep inside Soviet-controlled East Germany, the Allied countries controlled West Berlin. The USA wanted influence in Berlin because it was a key symbol of capitalism and freedom. By supporting West Berlin, the USA could show that life under Capitalism was better than under communism. West Berlin also allowed the USA to have influence in the heart of Eastern Europe.
The Soviet Union also wanted full control over Berlin. Stalin saw Berlin as part of East Germany and believed that the Allies had no right to stay there. Berlin was important to the USSR as controlling it would help secure the Eastern Bloc. The Soviet Union also feared that the Western zones of Berlin would be used to spy on the East and spread anti-communist ideas.
Issues with the division of Berlin
After the Berlin Blockade, Germany was formally divided into:
The FRG (Federal Republic of Germany) – West Germany
The FRG was supported by the West and had a capitalist democracy
The GDR (German Democratic Republic) – East Germany
The GDR was a communist state, with strict Soviet control
The more formal division between East and West Germany had consequences for Berliners
The FRG gave access to more rights and freedom
The FRG's economy was strong in the 1950s due to Marshall Aid
The Western powers governed West Berlin as a democracy
The GDR had many issues
East Germans experienced food shortages
The Soviet Union's economic policies had not improved the East German economy
Many East Berliners lived in poor-quality houses and did not have freedom of speech or protest
The secret police, the Stasi, monitored for dissent. They arrested many East Germans, subjecting them to torture and imprisonment
On 16th June 1953, East Berlin construction workers protested against the East German government
Berlin's refugee crisis, 1958
By the 1950s, many East Germans began to leave
There was free movement between East and West Berlin
East Germans needed to reach East Berlin and travel to West Berlin
From West Berlin, East Germans could fly to the FRG
Fleeing East Germans created a refugee crisis
This means that there were too many people leaving East Germany
West Germany struggled to house these new citizens
East Germany had a significant decline in their population
There were not enough people to fill important job vacancies in the country
How serious was the refugee crisis?
By 1958, approximately three million Germans had left the GDR
This was a sixth of the population of East Germany at this time
The refugee crisis created a skills gap in the GDR
The majority of the refugees came from the middle classes, such as doctors, lawyers, teachers and engineers
The middle classes knew that West Germany would pay them higher wages than East Germany
This is sometimes referred to as the 'Brain Drain'
Historians estimate that the loss of labour alone cost the GDR between $7 billion to $9 billion
The loss of workers became embarrassing for Khrushchev
It was a propaganda failure for the Soviet Union
Khrushchev's ultimatum, November 1958
What is an ultimatum?
An ultimatum is when a person or country warns another that, if they do not do or stop a certain action, an unpleasant consequence will happen
The consequence is usually a threat of physical violence or war
An ultimatum is usually delivered as a last resort
An ultimatum gives a time limit for a decision before the consequence occurs
The time limit is usually short to pressure the person or country to react
What did Khrushchev's ultimatum threaten?
On 27th October 1958, Khrushchev issued his ultimatum to the West
Impact of Khrushchev's ultimatum
Khrushchev's ultimatum put the USA in an awkward position
Asking for Berlin to become a 'free city' showed the Soviet Union as a peaceful nation
If the USA refused, it would make them look power-hungry
In reality, Khrushchev had no intention to make Berlin independent
Giving control of Berlin's transport network to the GDR played a clever political tactic
To secure access to West Berlin, the West would have to enter into negotiations with the GDR
This would force the USA to acknowledge that the GDR was an independent country
Examiner Tips and Tricks
A significant skill in Conflict and Tension Between East and West is the ability to identify causes and consequences. Events such as the Khrushchev's ultimatum had significant consequences to Cold War tensions, such as the building of the Berlin Wall.
The Vienna Summit, 1961
By 1961, there was a significant change in the USA
In January 1961, John F. Kennedy replaced Eisenhower as the President of the USA
Kennedy was an anti-communist
In 1952, in a speech to campaign for his election to the Senate, Kennedy stated that communism was:
'an enemy, power[full], unrelenting and implacable who seeks to dominate the world '
Kennedy took office at the age of 43
He is one of the youngest US presidents in history
Khrushchev took Kennedy's age as a sign of his inexperience in politics. He believed that he could manipulate Kennedy to remove US influence from Berlin
The leaders of both countries met in Vienna on 4th June 1961 to discuss:
a solution for Khrushchev's ultimatum
a way that the USA and the Soviet Union could govern Berlin
Outcome of the Vienna Summit
The summit ended with no resolution on Berlin
Kennedy and Khrushchev established a negative relationship with each other
Neither leader wanted to compromise on Berlin
By 1961, US-Soviet relations were very bad
Kennedy increased the US armed forces budget to $2 billion
In August, Khrushchev made the decision to resolve the Berlin refugee crisis himself
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Students often mix up the Vienna Summit with the Paris Peace Summit.
Try to remember that Paris collapsed because of spying, while Vienna failed because of leadership tension and Berlin.
To help you with this, you could create a mnemonic or saying to remember the purpose and failure of each summit.
Worked Example
"The Berlin refugee crisis was the main reason for the building of the Berlin Wall."
How far do you agree with this statement?
[16 marks + 4 SPaG]
Partial answer:
The Berlin refugee crisis was a major reason for the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961. Between 1949 and 1961, around 2.7 million East Germans fled to the West, many through Berlin. These were often skilled workers, students and professionals. This became known as the Brain Drain, and it weakened the East German economy and embarrassed the Soviet Union, as it showed that people preferred life in the West. Khrushchev was under pressure to stop the flow of people and to show strength after the failure of his Berlin Ultimatum. Therefore, the refugee crisis was a key reason why the wall was built. It was a way to physically block East Germans from escaping, and to protect Soviet control over East Berlin and the wider Eastern Bloc.
Examiner Tips and Tricks
In Paper 1B, students have access to an additional four marks for answering Question 4. This is awarded for SPaG (Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar).
You can boost your SPaG marks by:
Ensuring key terms mentioned in the question are spelt correctly in your answer
Making sure that you use paragraphs in your answer
Allowing yourself an appropriate amount of time to re-read your answer to check for mistakes
Reading the answer in your head as if you were speaking it. Where you would take a breath, make sure there is a comma or full stop
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