The U2 Crisis

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  • Created by: Qiao-Chu
  • Created on: 30-03-13 16:06

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Causes

  • Khrushchev visited USA in 1959 and agreed to hold Summit Meeting of the leaders of the USA, USSR, Britain and France in 1960
  • Was to be held in Paris and purpose was to solve some problems of the Cold War
  • High hopes of a signed peace treaty and end of Cold War
  • Just before start of meeting, American U2 plane shot down over USSR
  • U2 was spy plane developed by Americans, could fly at high altitude out of most plane's range - been used successfully for 4 years by Americans
  • 1st May 1960 Gary Powers took off from US air base in Pakistan and flew to USSR, taking photos of military sites for CIA
  • First part successful then U2 hit by Soviet missile near Sverdlovsk, Powers forced to eject then captured by Soviets
  • Plane recovered and photos developed so Khrushchev knew it was spying mission

Effects

  • Ended Paris Summit Meeting and progress towards ending Cold War. No Test Ban Treaty and problem of Berlin remained, leading to building of Berlin Wall
  • End of peaceful coexistence
  • Eisenhower and Americans blamed for failure. In 1960 Presidential elections, Vice President Nixon defeated by Kennedy
  • Propaganda victory for USSR
  • America placed forces on alert expecting retaliation from USSR. Mistrust created fuelled Cuban Missile Crisis
  • Eisenhower promised end to American spying but accelerated work on new methods
  • Chinese felt it proved Americans could not be trusted so peaceful coexistence will never work

Overall summary

At first Khrushchev only announced an American plane was shot down over the USSR so the Americans began to cover up by saying it was a weather plane gone missing over Turkey and must have gone off course. Americans did not know Powers was captured and admitted to spying. Soviets had proof of photos. Khrushchev announced to the world and demanded an apology from America, and end to future spying and punishment. American caught spying and lying, but President Eisenhower refused to apologise. He claimed the missions were to protect itself. Khrushchev condemned American response, stormed out of Summit meeting and withdrew invitation for Eisenhower to visit USSR. Paris Summit meetings and thaw ended.
Gary Powers accused of spying and trialled in USSR. Found guilty and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. Released in 1962 in exchange for top Soviet spy captured by Americans.

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