U2 Incident End of the Thaw

Identify: U2

Back Ground Another Berlin Crisis - Khrushchev planned to eliminate western occupation of West Berlin - Invited by Eisenhower to Washington - Khrushchev visits America in Sept. 1959 A Summit planned in Paris, Summer 1960.

The Incident Stuff - high altitude reconnaissance aircraft - Public did not know - All missions approved by the Pres. April 30, Eisenhower “Okays” the mission - Pilot: Francis Gary Powers Orders - Fly to Norway, refuel and return to Turkey - ½ hour into the flight he is shot down. - Defies orders: Powers does not kill himself and is captured by a Russian farmer with a rusty rifle

The Fall Out May 1st Russian version of July 4th Khrushchev is told during a military parade Chose to Keep it Quiet May 2nd Ike finds out the plane is over due Press conference: A U2 weather plane is missing inside the Russian border

The Fallout May 5th; The Soviet Response Khrushchev tells the Kremlin about the spy plane that was shot down “Shame, shame, to the aggressors!” - Khrushchev The Scramble Reporters rush to White House – “Go see NASA” NASA shrugs shoulders – “Go see White House” Press Conference: Secretary of State reports on NASA’s lost weather plane NASA Press Conference: “A U2 weather research plane piloted by a civilian is missing”

The Fallout By May 7th, the Soviets announce he G.F. Powers will be charged with spying. May 8th, Khrushchev tells the Kremlin the have the pilot, Gary Francis Powers and he is cooperating. U.S. denies everything

Oops! May 11th U2 wreckage placed on display in Red Square Show pictures of Powers alive Ike gives in and tells the truth to the American people that it was a spy mission. May 14th, Khrushchev demands that the U.S. cancels all U-2 flights and apologize May 16th, Eisenhower cancels the U2 flights but does not apologize – Why ?

The End of the Thaw May 11th, Ike gives in and tells the truth to the American people June, 1960: Paris Summit Khrushchev says he won’t show unless the U.S. apologizes. Ike refuses – Why? Khrushchev leaves Paris, the Summit Ends “We Will Bury You” – Nikita Khrushchev

Impact of the U2 Incident Paris summit abandoned – hopes on disarmament dashed Khrushchev showed Communist world he could be tough Powers sentenced to ten years. Swapped for Soviet spy after 17 months Cold War attitudes hardened again