U2 Crisis - May 1960
Who was the American pilot of the U2 plane?
- Gary Powers on May 1st 1960
Which part of the American government decided to launch the U2 planes?
What was the U2's mission?
- Spy and gather intelligence about the USSR (using photographs)
What did the USA hope to find out from their missions?
- Get information about the USSR that they previously didn't have
- Close the missile gap
What was so special about the U2
- Could fly to 70,000 feet over 3,000 miles per hour
- Not able to be caught by ground missiles and jet fighters
What was the main incentive for the U2 reconnaissance pilots
- Fear of the missile gaps between the US and the USSR - on this mission they were able to close this gap
How many ICBMs did the USSR have by 1960?
- Only about 30
- Soviet missile programme had setbacks
What were the pilots given to take with them in case they were caught?
- Pill inside a sliver dollar containing cyanide pill
What did Khrushchev demand happen to any U2 planes
- To be shot down at any cost
Why did the USA not support Gary Powers?
- Did not self-destruct the plane
- They were embarassed by this failure
- Did not like the fact he told the truth and cover up what happened
- Did not take the cyanide pill
What did Khrushchev withdraw from
- Paris Summit - about how the USA and USSR could work together
What did the U2 crisis reveal about America
- They were preared to use espionage, propaganda and be involved with the Arms Race