Joint Cabinet Crisis - Berlin Crisis of 1961 North Atlantic Treaty Organization _____________________________________________NewMUN 2019: The Berlin Crisis of 1961 ​ 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 Warsaw Pact 5 Proxy Wars 6 West and East Germany 6 West and East Germany Economy 7 Emigration and Defection Crisis 7 Khrushchev’s Ultimatum 8 Current Situation 8 Committee Objectives 10 Bibliography 11 _________________________________1_________________________________ ​ _____________________________________________NewMUN 2019: The Berlin Crisis of 1961 ​ 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 _________________________________2_________________________________ ​ _____________________________________________NewMUN 2019: The Berlin Crisis of 1961 ​ 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 brinkmanship! 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. Kennedy, January 20, 1961. Kind Regards, Marina Velasco _________________________________3_________________________________ ​ _____________________________________________NewMUN 2019: The Berlin Crisis of 1961 ​ 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. Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill and Henry and morale. Truman shaking hands at the Potsdam Conference in 1945 There were two newly implemented superpowers: the United States and the In the meantime, anti-communist Soviet Union. 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 Truman Doctrine 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 Greek Civil War where in the division of Germany between the the US supported with $400 million to the allied occupied territory, West Germany, non-communist bloc. and the Soviet-occupied land, East 2 The Marshall Plan 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. _________________________________4_________________________________ ​ _____________________________________________NewMUN 2019: The Berlin Crisis of 1961 ​ 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 Nikita Khrushchev 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 Berlin Blockade 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.