Let’s Learn about the Cold War: Part 18 – The Berlin Crisis of 1961

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Sean D. Smith
  • Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs
MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  Soviet expansion after World War II led to a large number of people in Eastern Europe emigrating to escape Soviet control. The Iron Curtain was the line separating countries under communist influence from the rest of Europe. It ran through Germany, dividing it into East Germany and West Germany.

NATO had a strong political influence and presence in West Germany. East Germany had its own government, and was occupied by the Soviet Union.

The USSR worked to prevent mass emigration, which was resulting in a brain drain -- the loss of scientists and other individuals who had enormous value to the Soviets during the Cold War.

The occupation of Berlin had been a contentious issue since the end of World War II, and in 1958 Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev decided to close the Berlin loophole that was letting people from the Eastern Bloc escape to the West.

Khrushchev delivered an ultimatum intended to leverage greater control of Berlin, but NATO powers turned him down. Khrushchev withdrew his ultimatum and visited the United States, where he publicly agreed with American President Dwight Eisenhower that disarmament was a priority, and that the political disputes surrounding Berlin should be resolved peacefully.

The matter of Berlin might have been settled at the Paris Summit in 1960, but the scandal of the 1960 U-2 Incident led to its cancellation, and Khrushchev would not meet with the new American President, John F. Kennedy, until the Vienna Summit in 1961.

In Vienna, tensions escalated when Khrushchev threatened to pursue a new peace treaty with East Germany. No one actually wanted a divided Berlin; the USSR wanted control of all of Berlin, and NATO wanted the Soviet Union to be less aggressive about pushing for a communist Germany. Negotiations deteriorated, and ultimately both sides went into a competitive state of military build-up that undercut their assertions about disarmament.

The Berlin Wall was a direct attempt to stem the flow of people from the Eastern Bloc taking advantage of NATO influence in West Berlin to escape the growing USSR. Construction on the wall started in 1961, and the border with West Berlin was closed.

Disputes over the comings and goings of political figures on both sides following the closure of the border led to a standoff between NATO and Soviet tanks.

With a KGB spy facilitating communication between Kennedy and Khrushchev, an agreement was made to withdraw the tanks, averting yet another direct confrontation.

Next time: JFK