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Home , Berlin Crisis of 1961

Joint Cabinet Crisis - Crisis of 1961

North Atlantic Treaty Organization

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Index

A Letter from the Secretary-General 2

Letter from the Chair 3

History of Committee 3

Prelude to the Crisis of Berlin 4

The Formation of the NATO 4

The Formation of the 5

Proxy Wars 6

West and East 6

West and Economy 7

Emigration and Defection Crisis 7

Khrushchev’s Ultimatum 8

Current Situation 8

Committee Objectives 10

Bibliography 11

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Letter from the Secretary-General

Dear Delegates and Faculty Advisors, order to have a MUN conference of the best quality. The topics that we have Welcome to NewMUN 2019! Before chosen tackle issues from the past, anything, I would like to wish you the best present, and future, therefore presenting a of luck in this two-day conference which challenge for delegates to combine their is going to bring together the best MUN knowledge and application to reach delegates from Lima. I am sure that I will solutions. In many of the committees, witness the highest level of debate at this conference. Directors have been prepared to take the flow of the committee to a maximum More than as a MUNer, but as a moment of crisis in order to assess the responsible citizen, I understand that the networking and negotiating skill from global issues in our world must be solved delegates. by the international community. I also understand that MUN delegates don't I will just like to leave you the message, have the capabilities to take the decisions that the only way to be successful is to to change the world, but at least we have give your best. As Eric Thomas once said: the capacity to outrage ourselves when "You will be successful when you want seeing that something is not working for something as hard as you want to our well being. That capacity to go out breath". and speak for your beliefs, to stand up and raise the flag of your country I wish you the best of luck in your demanding for consensus, demanding for committees and hope you have an peace, demanding for the well being of amazing time in NewMUN 2019! everyone. That capacity is the only way in which countries can move forward, and it Sincerely, is the only way in which we will contribute Santiago Bustamante to building a better world. Maybe a little Secretary-General visionary, but is the truth.

This year, the Newton team has decided to increase the number of committees in

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Letter from the Chair

Esteemed Delegates,

It is of my utmost pleasure to present myself as one of the Chairs for this year’s Joint Crisis Committee for Newton MUN 2019! My name is Marina, and I have been fascinated by international relations and enjoying MUN for four years now, having finished school just last year. I have to say it has definitely been a wild ride. History has always been my favorite subject and it is extremely exciting to recreate yet another great example of historical !

Throughout the last couple of years MUN has given me so many things that I will never stop being grateful for. To think that one shy, curious person can turn into a striking, outspoken one through the simple debate of what one is passionate for is crazy. I really hope you are all as excited as I am for this committee, having the privilege of chairing alongside two of the best people I know has got to show some interesting results! ​ ​

The only thing I ask of you is to not conform to the past, try out new strategies and perspectives, be creative. I urge you all to be bold and take risks, but bear in mind the repercussions of your actions. If you have any doubts feel free to ask me any questions, I am here to help you!

“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”—President John F. , January 20, 1961.

Kind Regards, Marina Velasco

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History of Committee

Prelude to the Crisis of Berlin

The Formation of the NATO

Following the end of World War II, the sanctions imposed on Germany can be said to have unchained one of the darkest periods in German history, having a lasting effect on the country’s economy Fig 1. , and Henry and morale. Truman shaking hands at the in 1945 There were two newly implemented superpowers: the and the In the meantime, anti-communist . The Soviet Union and it’s propaganda was massively distributed by communist ideology spread all over political figures in the United States and Eastern Europe. An inherent rivalry the United Kingdom. While in the United between these two superpowers emerged States support for the Truman Doctrine1 as a result of mutual distrust and the and the Marshall Plan2 became American effort to exclude the Soviet increasingly popular, the strong Union from the international community anti-communist point of view of Churchill as their expansion was seen as a threat. was hardly missed. With his famous Iron This fear was not irrational. Curtain Speech, he marked the first instance of the intentions of the Soviet During the Potsdam Conference, held Union trying to divide Europe under from the 17th of July to the 2nd of August communist control. Nevertheless, this did of 1945, the leaders of the USA, UK and not stop the Soviet Union from creating USSR met to discuss what would be the Cominform on the 5th of October of done with Germany and the rest of the 1947, grouping all the communist political territory forcefully occupied during the parties of Europe. Nazi regime. Not just limited to the latter goal, the Potsdam Conference was also The European nations feared that a intended to be the first step towards communist revolution would take over rebuilding the political scenario in the modern world and to establish peace 1 The was an US policy amongst the new superpowers. However, under the Truman administration were this failed because of the amount of geopolitical, economic and military support territory that the USSR had in control at would be given to countries opposed or not the time of the conference. This resulted set under a communist regime. This was seen firstly seen during the where in the division of Germany between the the US supported with $400 million to the allied occupied territory, , non-communist bloc. and the Soviet-occupied land, East 2 The was intended to attract Germany or the German Democratic the interest of countries that were devastated ​ during WWII with the promise by remaining Republic (GDR). capitalist. In return, the countries would be given economic aid for the reconstruction of their governmental infrastructure, armies, etc.

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Europe by either military, economic or States to protect each other nation by political manners. In that sense, Belgium, lending military aid if the state is France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, and prejudice, but at the same time restrain the United Kingdom signed the Brussels from any unnecessary military activity. Pact, founding the Western Union. The The treaty is signed by the latter countries Soviet Union responded with the Berlin mentioned the 4th of April of 1949. Blockade, leaving no option towards the creation of the Western Union Defence The Formation of the Warsaw Pact Organization (WEDO). Nevertheless, this In 1954, after the death of Joseph Stalin proved to be effortless as that same year, and the appointment of a coup d’etat organized by the the minister of Foreign affairs of the communist party and supported by the Soviet Union commented in the creation Soviet Union, took the government of of the NATO as an aggressive pact as it Czechoslovakia, turning another was the only member of the anti-Hitler European country into a communist coalition not included. He suggested that satellite. Parallely, the Soviet Union the only manner to change this would be Forces organized what it would be known to accept the inclusion of the Soviet as the of 1948, blocking Union into NATO. The proposal would be all roads, canals, and tracks directing to accepted under the two conditions that the allied occupied Berlin. this would be the Soviet Union would have brief as Joseph Stalin would lift the comprehensive control of its military control and planning and to secure the freedom and democracy amongst its territory. However, in the end, the proposal was rejected and categorized as “completely unreal”. This is because all action taken by NATO needed be unanimous.

Fearing that the NATO or the European blockade the 12th of May of 1949. Defence Community would take future actions against the Soviet Union, the Fig 2. Joseph Stalin with the newly assigned Prime minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR Minister of Czechoslovakia, Klement Gottwald in proposed the creation of the European 1946. General Agreement with the proposed Fearing another European country would inclusion of the United States. However, be struck by another communist coup this was perceived as an action against d’etat, the European leaders met with NATO with the purpose of its liquidation. American military defense and politicians Again, this proposal would be rejected. in the Pentagon. The negotiation resulted in the North Atlantic Treaty, or known as The 23rd of October of 1954, the Federal the Washington Treaty, wherein 13 Republic of Germany, or more known as Articles the leaders of Belgium, Canada, West Germany was accepted formally Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, into the NATO. This was the last straw for Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, the Soviet Union as, after several Portugal, United Kingdom, and the United attempts, a recent country was accepted.

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In this sense, with other 8 European managed by the allied forces, and East countries, formed what will be known as Germany, managed by the Soviet Union. the Warsaw Pact.

Proxy Wars

With the creation of now International organization such as the NATO and the United Nations, maintaining the peace and order inside of the international political scenario was vital to prevent the birth of another pre-apocalyptic conflict.

Between the NATO, led by the United States, and the Soviet Union with their newly formed communist countries, it was a race between which bloc would maintain a more international presence by having more members of more prosperous economies. With this said, it was needed in this case to secure either an already established country or to turn a country into a communist state. Fig. 4. Map showing West and East Germany divided into provinces. The first state to be proven this method was Vietnam and the rise of Even though both nations were part of the by declaring independence from the same one, the management that both the French Republic. While the Soviet Union Allies and the Soviet Union radically supported Ho Chi Minh with the promise changed German society. of a communist regime, the United States West and East Germany Economy supported the French Republic preventing the growth of the communist ideology in In the early 1950’s there had already Asia furthermore. From this point, other been a drastic change in both German internal conflicts such as the Iranian Crisis economies. In 1950 East Germany had an of 1946, the Paraguayan Civil War, the employed labor force of 7.130 million, the Arab-Israeli conflict, etc. West had a proper 20.145 million workers supporting the internal gross income. The West and East Germany gap difference increased with West As it was mentioned at the beginning of Germany having 24.340 million workers this guide, the result of the Potsdam while the East having 8.235 million Conference resulted in Germany divided workers. The Gross National Product per between four powers: the northwest to capita showed a marginal difference in Great Britain, the Southwest to France, the South to the United States and the East and the Oder-Neisse line to the Soviet Union and Poland. This division would be known as West Germany,

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1950’s data, as the East had 1290 in DM3 excellent state of West Germany. while the West had 1984 in DM. Nevertheless, this took its toll in the economy by the loss of labor and the Karl Roskamp, Professor of Economics at production decrease during those years. Wayne State University during 1962 and commented in the data mentioned above: Emigration and Defection Crisis “...is reinforced that East Germany ​ performance was poorer than was divided exactly in half, still German. Because of a number of factors, sharing a lot of its infrastructure such as such as rigidity in planning, lack of rail system and public transport. A incentives, and absence of integration in a physical would have paralyzed trade world market, the East’s increase in between West and East Germany due to production, compared with those of the the prevention of the construction of new West, required much greater effort and railway systems. sacrifice in terms of hours worked and One of the pillars that maintained the consumption forgone.” Soviet Union as a rising economic While the East German economy was socialist nation was its vast population mostly based around the Soviet Union’s and strong labor force. As the state gave division of GDP sectors and economic work to everybody, production was plan, the West had the support of the efficient and boosting supply. However, allies with the backing of the Marshall the East Germany economy crumbled in Plan, not just aiding in the reconstruction 1952 due to an absence of what was but in the modernization of business previously stated. While the defection of procedures and changing the the citizens from a communist regime to a methods of production, out-taking Britain capitalist one was fairly common in in comparative productivity levels during Europe, it was humiliating in the eyes of the 1950s. This led up to what would be the international community. Most of the known as the Wirtschaftswunder or the well-educated population resolved in ​ Miracle of the Rhine. The economic fleeing East Germany to West Germany, miracle caused by the management and leading to the term “Brain drain” to be the Marshall Plan led to it becoming a coined as a result from the immigration. leading economy in Europe. The East On 26th of May of 1952 to Walter Ulbrich, German economic plan implemented by First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party the Soviet Union, disheartened farmers as of Germany, making him the Chief of staff it highly prioritized the industrial sector. of East Germany’s government, close the This led to one out of seven farmers in inner border between both Germanies East Germany to move to the West. with a severe penalization for defection By 1958, East Germany was facing a with heavy fines and even 3 years of massive immigration problem as many prison. East Germans crossed the border to West Germany. Not because of the precarious situation of East Germany but rather the

3 DM stands for discount margin which is the average expected return earned plus to the floating rate security.

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Fig. 6. Two children interacting through the Inner Border over barbed wire. ​

Khrushchev’s Ultimatum Character list In an attempt to end the Berlin dichotomy, 1. Dirk Stikker - Secretary General Khrushchev unilaterally demanded an end ​ to the British, French, and American of the North Atlantic Treaty occupation of West Berlin in early 1958. Organization The countries occupying West Germany 2. - Mayor of West declined, causing Khrushchev to run out ​ of options in attempting to stop the flow Berlin from east to west. Many considered the 3. Heinrich von Brentano di construction of a physical barrier between Tremezzo -Minister of Foreign two different countries to be a ridiculous and expensive idea. Affairs of West Germany 4. Franz Josef Strauß - Federal Current Situation Minister of Defence and Leader of Federal Defence Forces Walter Ulbrich mentioned in an interview that there was no intention to make a wall. 5. Gerhard Schröder - Minister of Interior of West Germany However, under funding from the Soviet Union and the authority of East Germany, 6. Johannes Stumm - Chief of Berlin Khrushchev ordered the construction Police of a wall separating both East and 7. Heinrich Krone - Chairman of the West Berlin on the 13rd of August of 1961. Christian Democratic Union of Germany The cost of production of the wall is 8. François Seydoux de Clausonne estimated to be between 7 and 9 billion US dollars. Currently, there is a strong - French Ambassador to West opposition not only in West Germany but Germany in East Germany’s own citizens as it has 9. Sir Christopher Steele - British been said that an enormous amount of ​ money like that could be redirected to Ambassador to West Germany other more needed services such as 10. - Secretary of State of ​ public transport, education, health the United States services and more. 11. J.Edgar Hoover - Director of the ​ Federal Bureau of Investigation

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12. Albert Watson - US Commandant eastern and western citizens in the ​ of Berlin case of an intervention?

Position Paper Requirements Committee Objectives A position paper is a document that outlines and states the position of a 1. Ethically speaking, is a wall character in the committee. The format that will be accepted is: preferable to an armed conflict? 2. Should the building of the Berlin - Font: Times New Roman

Wall be stopped? If so, should - Size: 12 pt military intervention be - Spacing between lines: 1.0 considered? 3. What should be the immediate Please submit your position paper on the 7th of April to the following emails: reaction if the Ultimatum were or not to be passed? ● Marina Velasco | Chair | [email protected] 4. How to approach the principle of RtoP and gain legitimacy to ● Mariafe Barrantes| Co-chair | employ military aid? [email protected] 5. To what extent is the role of e diplomacy key for ending the ● Celine Parró| Co-chair crisis? | [email protected] 6. Should the UN Security Council

and/or General Assembly authorize or recommend a Disclaimer

NATO-ran intervention? If so, how Any awards would not be based on the would the intervention plan look use of costumes. Nevertheless, it would like? be recommended not to bring any prop that could be interpreted as something 7. What would a reconstruction offensive or close to that nature. post-intervention plan look like?

8. Which relevant partners should NATO work with? 9. What measurements should be

taken to ensure the safety of both

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Bibliography

"A Short History Of NATO." NPR. July 14, https://www.historyonthenet.com/t 2018. he-cold-war-timeline-2. ​ https://www.npr.org/2018/07/14/6 29058526/a-short-history-of-. Simkin, John. Spartacus Educational. ​ https://spartacus-educational.com U.S. Department of State. /ColdWarChron.htm. ​ https://history.state.gov/milestone s/1945-1952/nato. U.S. Department of State. ​ https://history.state.gov/milestone NATO. "A Short History of NATO." NATO. s/1945-1952/truman-doctrine. ​ https://www.nato.int/cps/ie/natoh q/declassified_139339.htm. Webtic. Historiana: Case Study: Different ​ Perspectives on the . Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. https://historiana.eu/case-study/c "Brussels Treaty." Encyclopædia old-war/greek-civil-war-and-truma Britannica. November 29, 2016. n-doctrine. ​ https://www.britannica.com/event/ Brussels-Treaty-European-history- Millett, Allan R. "." 1948. Encyclopædia Britannica. January ​ 14, 2019. Second Budgetary Treaty / Treaty of https://www.britannica.com/event/ Brussels ." Chernobyl 30 Years Korean-War. ​ On: Environmental and Health Effects - Think Tank. Josef, and Ulli. Alexander the Great - His http://www.europarl.europa.eu/ab Army. out-parliament/en/in-the-past/the- https://www.johndclare.net/cold_ parliament-and-the-treaties/treaty- war1_Germany.htm of-brussels. ​ Roskamp, Karl W. "Who Did Better in the Communist Take-over, 1946-1949. 1950s, East or West Germany?" http://www.rev.hu/history_of_45/or Social Research 29, no. 2 (1962): a2/ora2_e.htm 221-25. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40969 Online, Spiegel. "Timeline: A Brief History 598. ​ of the Cold War - SPIEGEL ONLINE - International." SPIEGEL Eichengreen, Barry, and Albrecht Ritschl. ONLINE. June 26, 2008. "Understanding West German http://www.spiegel.de/internationa Economic Growth in the 1950s." l/europe/timeline-a-brief-history-of Cliometrica 3, no. 3 (01, 2009): -the-cold-war-a-562290.html. 191-219. ​ doi:10.1007/s11698-008-0035-7. "The Cold War Timeline." History. November 15, 2018.

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GHDI - Document. http://ghdi.ghi-dc.org/sub_docum ent.cfm?document_id=3509. ​ "GCSE History - The - CCEA - Revision 1." BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/gui des/z8xgsrd/revision/1. ​ Migration History in Germany. https://www.domid.org/en/migrati on-history-germany.

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