Khrushchev's Ultimatum, November 1958 (Edexcel GCSE History)

How did Khrushchev's Ultimatum Reflect his Leadership Style? - Summary

Khrushchev became the General Secretary of the Soviet Union in 1956. This change in leadership marked optimism in the West for better US-Soviet relations. Khrushchev's speeches indicated his openness to reform within the Soviet Union. His actions proved this incorrect. In 1956, Khrushchev sent Soviet troops to repress the Hungarian Uprising. This response indicated that Khrushchev would not allow the reforming of communism.

Khrushchev's ultimatum to the West in 1958 fits into his pattern of leadership. He could not accept that millions of East Germans had travelled through Berlin to seek refuge in the FRG. He reacted aggressively to preserve the reputation of the Soviet Union. Similar to the Hungarian Uprising, Khrushchev could not allow the world to view the Soviet Union as undesirable or inferior to the capitalist West.

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

  • Before delivering an ultimatum, a series of issues have to occur between the two countries 

  • It indicates a breakdown of effective communication between two people or countries

• 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

Why did Khrushchev Issue an Ultimatum to the West?

• As shown in Berlin's Refugee Crisis, Khrushchev grew increasingly frustrated with the West's presence in Berlin

  • By 1958, the GDR had lost roughly 3 million citizens as refugees to the FRG

  • Historians estimate that the loss of labour alone cost the GDR between $7 billion to $9 billion

  • It was a propaganda failure for the Soviet Union

    • The refugee crisis showed that, given a choice, a significant percentage of citizens under communist rule would choose Western capitalism and democracy

• Khrushchev believed that the USA had no claim to Berlin

  • Berlin fell within the GDR's territory 

    • The Soviet Union believed that its geographical position gave them the right to control the whole city

  • The Soviet Union had previously attempted to reduce the West's influence on Berlin

    • The Berlin Blockade in 1948 showed the Soviet Union's attempts to cut the West's contact with West Berlin

      • The blockade failed due to the success of the Berlin Airlift

  • Khrushchev wanted to permanently push the West out of Berlin

    • The Soviet Union could acquire Western infrastructure for their own economic progress

    • Khrushchev could instruct the GDR government to block all routes out of Berlin to the FRG

      • This would create an important buffer zone between the West and the Soviet Union

    • The Soviet Union fully controlling Berlin would result in a propaganda victory for Khrushchev

What did Khrushchev's Ultimatum Threaten?

• In October 1958, Khrushchev demanded that the West recognise the GDR as an independent country of the Soviet Union

  • Since the establishment of the GDR in 1949, many Western countries including the FRG refused to acknowledge that Germany had formerly split into two nations

  • The USA hoped that Germany would become one country soon. It refused to accept Khrushchev's demand

• On 27th October 1958, Khrushchev issued his ultimatum to the West

Khrushchev's Ultimatum

A diagram showing the demands and consequences Khrushchev threatened with his ultimatum on 27th October 1958

• 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. He wanted to incorporate the whole of Berlin into the Soviet Union

  • 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 and Germany was not ruled as one nation

The Impact of Khrushchev's Ultimatum on Cold War tensions

• Khrushchev's Ultimatum had a significant impact on US-Soviet relations

Reactions to Khrushchev's Ultimatum

• The USA did not want to agree to Khrushchev's terms

  • Between 1959 and 1961, the USA held peace talks with the Soviet Union to discuss better solutions to the 'Berlin problem'

Causes and consequences of Khrushchev's Ultimatum

A diagram showing the causes and consequences of Khrushchev's Ultimatum on US-Soviet relations