Vienna summit

1961 Vienna Summit (Vienna, Austria on June 4, 1961) was where US President John F. Kennedy and Soviet Premier Khrushchev met at a summit conference.

Context

The summit came as Kennedy began his term as President of the United States of America, following his election defeat of Republican Candidate Richard Nixon. It was significant as it was the first time the two leaders had met, and Khrushchev (who had been in power since Stalin's death in 1953) was determined to prove his apparent superiority over the young, seemingly helpless and inexperienced Kennedy.

Khrushchev and Kennedy at the Vienna Summit

Kennedy had just humiliated himself in terms of foreign policy with the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion in April 1961, which made Khrushchev all the more determined to display his apparent superiority over Kennedy.

The discussions were amicable, unlike the breakdown in the Paris Summit between Eisenhower and Khrushchev in 1960 over the U2 incident in April of that year. Accordingly, there was a great deal of speculation before the summit as to whether it would be a success or not.

Discussions of the Summit

The discussions touched on a range of topics, including the position of Laos and the broader conflict in Indochina, nuclear disarmament and ideological musings. The Summit, however, was dominated by the discussions over Berlin.

Khrushchev threatened to sign a peace agreement with East Germany that would impinge on Western access to Berlin by turning over control of the access roads and air routes. Kennedy was shocked at the tone and threats made, but refused to capitulate the American policy of containment of Communism in Europe in the face of Soviet pressure.

Khrushchev told Kennedy, "Force will be met by force. If the US wants war, that's its problem." "It's up to the US to decide whether there will be war or peace." "The decision to sign a peace treaty is firm and irrevocable, and the Soviet Union will sign it in December if the US refuses an interim agreement."

To this, Kennedy replied, "Then, Mr. Chairman, there will be a war. It will be a cold, long winter."

Outcomes of the Summit

The summit was initially seen as a diplomatic triumph. Kennedy had refused to allow Soviet pressure to force his hand, or to influence the American policy of containment. He had adequately stalled Khrushchev, and made it clear that the United States was not willing to compromise on a withdrawal from Berlin, whatever pressure Khrushchev may exert on the "testicles of the West" (as he once called them).

However, it may seem, in retrospect, to have been a failure. The two leaders became increasingly frustrated at the lack of progress of the negotiations. After the summit, Khrushchev realised he had underestimated Kennedy. Kennedy, meanwhile, felt that he had to avoid giving the same impression of weakness which he had demonstrated before the summit, and felt he had demonstrated to Khrushchev during the summit. He later claimed of Khrushchev, "He beat the hell out of me."

This feeling of inadquacy which pervaded both leaders was one of the key features in their personalities that led to the Cuban Missile Crisis.