Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2024
First exams 2026
The Summits About Berlin, 1959-1961 (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Zoe Wade
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
How did the Berlin Summits Impact Cold War Tensions? - Timeline & Summary
Khrushchev's Ultimatum forced the West to pay attention to the threat of the Soviet Union. If Khrushchev acted upon his ultimatum, the Soviet Union would fight for the domination of Berlin. This could escalate into a nuclear war. The nuclear arms race between the USA and the Soviet Union made this a more likely outcome. The only way that the USA could respond was to initiate peace talks with the Soviet Union to compromise on the issue of Berlin. From 1959 to 1961, on four separate occasions, the USA met with the Soviet Union to discuss how to govern Berlin. The early summits established a closer relationship between the USA and the Soviet Union. This supported the desire of both Eisenhower and Khrushchev for peaceful co-existence between the two superpowers. The U-2 spy plane incident in 1960 doomed the summits to failure. The trust and goodwill between the USA and the Soviet Union disappeared. As a result, the summits failed in their aims to resolve the issue of Berlin. |
Geneva Summit, 1959
The Geneva Summit was the first official meeting to discuss the issue of Berlin
Khrushchev met the foreign representatives of France, Britain and the USA
The officials chose Geneva as Switzerland was a neutral country
The aims and outcomes of the Geneva Summit, May 1959
Aims of the Geneva Summit | Outcomes of the Geneva Summit |
|---|---|
To find a solution for Khrushchev's Ultimatum | The representatives could not agree on what would resolve Khrushchev's ultimatum |
To agree on the way that the USA and the Soviet Union could govern Berlin | Eisenhower and Khrushchev's relationship improved. Eisenhower invited Khrushchev to visit the USA later in the year |
Camp David Summit, 1959
Khrushchev arrived in the USA on 15th September 1959
Khrushchev announced to the American crowds that he had come to the USA:
with open heart and good intentions
Khrushchev visited Hollywood and ate hot dogs during his visit
This shows his openness to experiencing capitalism
During his 12-day visit, Khrushchev and Eisenhower discussed Khrushchev's ultimatum
Eisenhower held the meeting at the president's residence at Camp David, Maryland
The aims and outcomes of the Camp David Summit, September 1959
Aims of the Camp David Summit | Outcomes of the Camp David Summit |
|---|---|
To find a solution for Khrushchev's ultimatum | The representatives could not agree on what would resolve Khrushchev's ultimatum |
To agree on the way that the USA and the Soviet Union could govern Berlin | Eisenhower and Khrushchev's relationship improved. They agreed to hold further talks in Paris the following year |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
An exam question may ask you to explain the importance of the summit meetings of 1959-61 on US-Soviet relations. The Camp David summit ended positively. It shows the height of friendly relations between the USA and the Soviet Union since the Second World War. The talks had not convinced Eisenhower that Khrushchev would take back his ultimatum. Eisenhower remained hopeful that the USA and the Soviet Union could come to a compromise. From 1950, the summit meetings about Berlin became more problematic and tense between the USA and the Soviet Union.
Paris Summit, 1960 and the U-2 Spy-Plane Incident
The leaders of France, Britain, the USA and the Soviet Union met in Paris on 17th May 1960
The Paris Summit intended to discuss the issues with Berlin alongside:
An agreement to a Nuclear Test Ban
How to react to the newly-established communist government in Cuba
Events before the Paris Summit prevented the success of the talks
On 1st May, the Soviet Union shot down a U-2 spy-plane
The US Air Force and the CIA used U-2 planes to take photos of enemy countries and perform espionage operations
Eisenhower initially denied that the plane that the Soviet Union shot down was a spy plane
He made a statement claiming that it was a weather plane that had drifted off course
The Soviet Union questioned the plane's pilot, Gary Powers
Powers admitted that he worked for the CIA and that he used the plane to gain intelligence on the Soviet Union
On 16th May, Khrushchev demanded that the USA apologise for the U-2 spy-plane incident
He declared that the Soviet Union could not take part in the Paris Summit without an official apology, the end of US spying missions and the punishment of Powers and the CIA
Eisenhower refused to apologise. On 11th May, Eisenhower acknowledged that the Soviets had shot down a spy-plane. He stated the importance of US espionage missions for the country's safety
The aims and outcomes of the Paris Summit, May 1960
Aims of the Paris Summit | Outcomes of the Paris Summit |
|---|---|
To find a solution for Khrushchev's ultimatum | The representatives could not agree on what would resolve Khrushchev's ultimatum |
To agree on wider international issues such as the communist takeover of Cuba and a Nuclear Test Ban | Khrushchev walked out of the meeting due to the U-2 spy-plane incident. This increased Cold War tensions. The countries came to no resolution on these matters |
Vienna, June 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
He 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
Kennedy had made a fundamental mistake in world politics
Kennedy attempted to remove the communist government in Cuba through the 'Bay of Pigs' incident in April 1961. This resulted in an embarrassing failure for the US government
Khrushchev wanted to benefit from the 'Bay of Pigs' incident. Khrushchev believed that Kennedy's damaged reputation would make him more likely to agree with his ultimatum
The leaders of both countries met in Vienna on 4th June 1961
The aims & outcomes of the Vienna Summit, June 1961
Aims of the Vienna Summit | Outcomes of the Vienna Summit |
|---|---|
To find a solution for Khrushchev's ultimatum | Khrushchev took a strong stance on Berlin. He restated to Kennedy his ultimatum. The meeting ended with no resolution on Berlin |
To agree on the way that the USA and the Soviet Union could govern Berlin | Kennedy did not want to appear weak to Khrushchev. He refused to compromise with Khrushchev. Kennedy and Khrushchev established a negative relationship with each other |
What impact did the summit meetings of 1959 to 1961 have on Cold War tensions?
By 1961, US-Soviet relations were very bad
Numerous peace talks had not succeeded in resolving the issue of governing Berlin
Both countries stopped pursuing cooperation
Kennedy and Khrushchev did not want 'peaceful co-existence' with each other
The situation in Berlin forced both leaders to take more extreme measures
Kennedy increased the US armed forces budget to $2 billion. This indicates that Kennedy considered using the US army to fight the Soviet Union for Berlin
In August, Khrushchev made the decision to resolve the Berlin refugee crisis himself. He constructed a wall between East and West Berlin
The impacts of the peace summits of 1959 to 1961
Worked Example
Explain one consequence of the Paris Summit in May 1960
4 marks
Answer:
One consequence of the Paris Summit was a worsening of US-Soviet relations. On 1st May, the Soviet Union shot down an American U-2 spy-plane over Russia. Khrushchev demanded the US apologise for the espionage against the Soviet Union before the Paris Summit. Eisenhower refused to apologise. This significantly impacted the success of the talks as Khrushchev believed the USA did not respect the Soviet Union. Khrushchev walked out of the Paris Summit and no resolution on the issue of Berlin was reached. This worsened US-Soviet relations as the Soviet Union became less willing to negotiate with the USA. The lack of US credibility and honesty forced Khrushchev to restate his ultimatum at the Vienna Summit in June 1961.
Examiner Tips and Tricks
In this example, you can see the development of wider knowledge of the period. The example has linked the U-2 spy-plane incident with the Paris Summit. This event is significant to understand why the Paris Summit increased tensions between the USA and the Soviet Union. If this is your approach to this style of question, ensure the answer links back to the main event in the question. This answer would not be effective if it only discussed the U-2 spy-plane incident. The example is linked back to the Paris Summit by explaining how the incident caused Khrushchev to leave the meeting.
This question has previously asked you to explain two consequences. In the Superpower Relations exam paper for 2025, this question will ask you to explain one consequence. However, there will be two different "Explain one consequence of" questions, each worth four marks.
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