The Khrushchev Ultimatum The Berlin Wall
On 10 November 1958, Soviet Premier During the discussions, it was proposed
Nikita Khrushchev delivered a speech in that the East Germans should introduce a
which he demanded that the Western system of passes for visits of West Berlin
Powers of the United States, Great residents to the territory of East Berlin
Britain and France pull their forces out and advised the East Germans to build up
of West Berlin within 6 months their border defences
This ultimatum sparked a 3 year crisis An inner German border between the
over the future of the city of Berlin that THE THIRD BERLIN CRISIS – 1958 two German states was closed, and a
culminated in 1961 with the building of The Khrushchev Ultimatum barbed wire fence erected
the Berlin Wall
USA elections Eisenhower →Kennedy The border between Western and Eastern
The existence of Western Berlin was sectors of Berlin but, remained open
increasingly becoming a liability for the
Soviet Union and the East German Khrushchev once again gave US 6 months
Resulted in Berlin becoming a magnet for
government to withdraw from Berlin
East Germans desperate to escape life
under communist control
Kennedy responded by activating 150
Divided city highlighted the sharp
000 reservists and increasing defence
contrast between the communist and At midnight, the police + the East German
expenditures, in preparation for a
capitalist systems, and the freedom of army began to close the border
movement between the sectors had Unwilling to face a potential nuclear
resulted in a mass exodus from the escalation over the city, Khrushchev
By Sunday morning, 13 August 1961, the
eastern side began to focus elsewhere
border with West Berlin was closed
Looking for a way to stop flow of people Due to the closure of the East-West
from East to West, Khrushchev insisted in sector boundary in Berlin, the vast
speech in November 1958 that the USA majority of East Germans could no longer
pull out of the city - West interpreted his travel or emigrate to West Germany
speech as an ultimatum
West Berlin became an isolated in an
relations became tense after the Soviet attempt to prevent further “Brain-drain”
Union shot down an American U-2 spy but Some western observers named the
plane in 1960 wall the “wall of shame”