The Berlin Wall: 1961-1989 . That was the day that ten U.S. Army M-48A1 tanks stood toe-to-toe with about ten Soviet T-55 tanks at Berlin’s Friedrichstrasse Crossing Point, more popularly known as Checkpoint Charlie. The Berlin Crisis 1961 The importance of Berlin and the causes of the crisis. Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume XIV, Berlin Crisis, 1961–1962. Numerous USAF Reserve and Air National Guard units were mobilized to increase TAC's combat strength, and in, Historians of the Cold War have regarded as its worst crisis, the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, often citing it as its most significant event. The construction of the Berlin Wall did stop the flood of refugees from East to West, and it did defuse the crisis over Berlin. Read: Edexcel, pp. He condemned Nikita Khrushchev’s threats and ultimatums on Berlin, while announcing an increase in US military preparedness to defend the city, should an attack come: 92-93 The Berlin Crisis: the Berlin Wall. In the fall of 1961, Tactical Air Command was again called into action, this time to provide men and planes to Europe because of the Berlin Crisis. There was a growing contrast between life in the West and life in the East. The views expressed should not be considered official statements of the U.S. government or the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training. On November 10, 1958, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev delivered a speech in which he demanded that the Western powers of the United States, Great Britain and France pull their forces out of West Berlin within six months. Twenty-seven October 1961 was probably the most contentious day of the Berlin Crisis. 90-91: The Berlin Crisis: a divided city; pp. The Berlin Crisis July 25, 1961. The Berlin Wall. Geneva Conference of 1961 and Kruschev’s ultimatum; Kennedy call’s Kruschev’s bluff; Kruschev starts building the Wall (12 August 1961) Kennedy’s visit to Berlin, 1963 . In the early morning hours of August 13, 1961, the people of Berlin were awakened by the rumbling of heavy machinery barreling down their street toward the line that divided the eastern and western parts of the city. Good evening: Seven weeks ago tonight I returned from Europe to report on my meeting with Premier Khrushchev and the others. The Berlin Crisis, 1958-1961. On July 25th 1961 United States president John F. Kennedy went on television to address the American people on the Berlin Crisis. The Berlin Crisis of 1961. Refugee crisis was the long-term reason for tensions over Berlin but the decision to build the wall was triggered by the U2 incident – it led to the breakdown of peace talks leaving the construction of a wall as the only sensible option for long-term peace in Berlin. 09/07/2015 10:56 am ET Updated Dec 06, 2017 Note: Our accounts contain the personal recollections and opinions of the individual interviewed.