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The Berlin Wall was erected with support from the USSR.

Cold War: 1958-1961 - U2 Flights And The Berlin Wall

Learn how U2 spy plane flights and the building of the Berlin Wall increased Cold War tension and turned Berlin into a dangerous flashpoint between East and West.

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Fascinating Fact:

In August 1961 East German forces closed the border with West Berlin. Barbed wire barriers were quickly put up to block crossings.

In GCSE History, this topic looks at growing Cold War tension between 1958 and 1961. You will study the U2 spy plane incident, superpower summits and the building of the Berlin Wall.

Key Terms

U2 spy plane: A high altitude American aircraft used to take secret photographs of military sites inside the Soviet Union and other communist countries.
Berlin ultimatum: A demand made by Soviet leader Khrushchev that Western troops should leave West Berlin, increasing pressure on the Western powers.
Berlin Wall: A barrier built by East German authorities from 1961 to prevent people crossing from East Berlin into West Berlin.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What was the U2 spy plane incident in 1960?

In May 1960 a U2 spy plane flown by the USA was shot down over the Soviet Union. The pilot, Gary Powers, was captured and the Paris Summit collapsed, worsening superpower relations.

Why was the Berlin Wall built during the Cold War?

The Berlin Wall was built in 1961 to stop people leaving communist East Germany through West Berlin. Many skilled workers had been escaping to the West, which embarrassed and weakened the communist government.

How should I revise U2 flights and the Berlin Wall for GCSE?

Learn the key dates, people and events, then link them to wider Cold War tension. Create timelines, practise short exam answers and use quizzes to test causes, events and consequences.

Try These Related Quizzes

1 .

Which close associate of Fidel Castro hailed from Argentina and had trained as a doctor?

Raoul Castro

Ernesto "Che" Guevara

Juan Peron

Hugo Chavez

Fidel Castro ("el Commandante") was surrounded by a small group of cronies, some of whom became ministers in his government of Cuba, and some of whom tried to spread revolution elsewhere after the capture of Havana in 1959

2 .

Which US government agency co-operated closely with anti-Castro Cuban exiles attempting to invade the island in 1961?

The FBI

The CIA

The State Department

The Pentagon

Although the President (Kennedy) knew little about the plan, elements of his government were deeply involved

3 .

Which pro-American dictator was forced into exile by Castro's success in taking over Cuba?

Batista

Frei

Stroessner

Kubishek

Many Latin American governments were dominated by military dictators who often enjoyed American support, as they tended to be right-wing and anti-Communist

4 .

Which East German leader ordered the building of a wall to divide West Berlin from the Eastern Soviet Sector?

Willi Stoph

Otto Grotewohl

Walter Ulbricht

Erich Honecker

The East German government became increasingly worried about the loss of skilled workers crossing the sector borders from East to West Berlin

5 .

Who was the U2 pilot, who was captured and put on trial in 1960?

Gary Powers

Buzz Aldrin

Douglas MacArthur

Arnold Whitman

The capture of an American airman offered the Russians the chance to interrogate him, and to exchange him for a Soviet spy in American custody

6 .

At which battle in 1961 were anti-Castro exiles forced back into the sea when they tried to invade the island?

Moncada Barracks

The Bay of Pigs

Guantanamo Bay

Havana

Anti-Castro exiles from Florida failed to effect a landing on the Cuban coast despite considerable help from the United States authorities

7 .

Which Soviet leader approved the wall's construction and promised to defend it with military force in 1961?

Malenkov

Kosygin

Brezhnev

Khrushchev

Without the support of the Soviet Union the Berlin Wall would never have been built

8 .

Who served as Kennedy's Vice-President from 1961?

Walter Mondale

Bobby Kennedy

Lyndon Johnson

George McGovern

Under the US Constitution the "Veep" (the Vice-President) automatically becomes President if the existing President dies in office, or has to leave the White House for any other reason

9 .

How was the American U2 spy 'plane shot down over Soviet Russia in 1960?

By conventional anti-aircraft fire

By intercepting Soviet fighter 'planes

By surface to air missile

By unmanned drone

The Americans had believed that their U2s could not be shot down as they operated at extreme altitudes

10 .

Which Republican politician served as Eisenhower's Vice President from 1956 to 1960?

Richard Nixon

Henry Kissinger

Gerald Ford

Henry Cabot Lodge

The job of Vice President entails few formal responsibilities, but is often occupied by someone who is really seeking the highest office (the presidency), which Nixon managed to achieve in 1969

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - The Cold War and Vietnam

Author: Edward Towne