U-2 Incident (1960)

The U-2 Incident strained the relationship between the U.S. and the Soviet Union
By: Marissa Jensen and Zach Fried

Planning the U-2

President Eisenhower anxious of Soviet rapid technological achievements Was afraid of Soviets having an ICBM Late 1954- Eisenhower approve AQUATONE, plan to send spy planes over Soviet Union Essentially U-2 glider with a jet engine, could y up to 70,000 feet, and 4,000 miles without refueling THe CIA began ying 24 missions over Soviet Union starting July 4, 1956 Eisenhower feared Soviet Union would think it was hostile, but he needed the information

President Eisenhower 1953-1961

U-2 Plane

In a nuclear war, there can be no victors- only losers. (Eisenhower)

The Crash of the U-2

U-2 Plane Crash

Gary Powers with his U-2 Plane

Sending Powers
Soviet Union had seen the U-2 Planes ying overhead, but were unable to destroy them with their SAM missiles SInce they could not destroy them, the Soviet Union was too embarrassed to make a public outcry February and March, 1960- Eisenhower authorized two U-2 ights for the upcoming Summit meeting between U.S., Soviet Union, Britain, and France and Eisenhower was trying to gain information on USSR ICBM development Midway through second ight on May 1, 1960, U-2 pilot Gary Powers shot down because Soviet Union had prior knowledge of Powers location

Powers Caught
Powers managed to survive with a parachute and Soviets able to collect the mostly intact U-2 The leader of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev, was especially angry because it was May Day, a Communist holiday U.S. assumed that the pilot was dead and the plane too destroyed to identify, instead it was simply a weather plane that crashed Immediately afterwards, The USSR revealed that it was a spy plane and was charging Powers with espionage

Impact of U-2 Crash

Nikita Khrushchev

In that we shall be guided by the interests of strengthening the great cause of peace on the basis of peaceful coexistence of states with different social U.S. Caught in a Lie systems. (Khrushchev) Conformation of the U.S. spying and lying about it was an international sensation Eisenhower said it was regrettable, but necessary to understand Soviet Union military Khrushchev had visited U.S. in 1959- improving relations and Eisenhower hoped to maintain that Khrushchev wanted peace with U.S., but his people were furious Khrushchev had to balance between anger and interest in rapprochement Khrushchev said that he would not attend the Summit meeting without a public apology Eisenhower refused, but promised no more overhead spying ights

Aftermath of the U-2

Khrushchev refused to go the Summit and cancels Eisenhowers state visit to the USSR August 1960- Powers sentenced ten years in Soviet court 1962- Traded with Soviet spy Colonel Rudolf Abel Late summer of 1960- U.S. switched to orbiting satellites to spy on USSR, making U-2s obsolete

Conclusion: The result of the U-2 Incident caused much tension between the two superpowers. The USSR had now become even more suspicious of the Americans and the previous strong relations were destroyed, as Khrushchev would not allow Eisenhower to visit the USSR.