1955 Geneva Summit

Khrushchev with Eisenhower

The Big Four leaders ( United States, Soviet Union, United Kingdom and France met iin Geneva Switzerland for one week of talks in 1955. The talks acheived little, but the atmosphere was positive.The Big Four leaders ( United States, Soviet Union, United Kingdom, and France met in Geneva Switzerland for one week of talks in 1955. The talks achieved little, but the atmosphere was positive.

The United States and the Soviet Union continued to fail to agree on Germany and many other issues. It was thought that a meeting between President Eisenhower and Soviet Premier Bulganin of the Soviet Union might improve relations. Also attending the summit was the British Prime Minister Anthony Eden and French Prime Minister Edgar Faure. The foreign minister of the four countries were in attendance as well as was Nikita Khrushchev of the Soviet Union.

The expectation going into the summit were not high. No advance agreements had been reached. The meeting opened on July 18, 1955, at the Palais Des Nations and took place over six days. The major accomplishment of the meeting was establishing direct communication between the leaders. The session were structured with meeting fo the foreign ministers in the morning and the heads of the states in the afternoon. One of the most moving moments of the war was a throwback to the years of World War II. When NATO was brought up by the Soviets, Eisenhower the Supreme Allied Commander of Europe turned to his old fellow general Marshals Bulganin and Zhukov and said “ The United States will never take part in an aggressive war” Marshall Bulganin turned and said, “ I believe you.”

The primary issue that could not be resolved was the future of Germany and Berlin. The Soviets were willing to discuss the unification of Germany as long as it became neutral. An agreement could never be reached. Eisenhower made a revolutionary proposal- suggesting that both the United States and the Soviet Union reveal every one of their military sites and then allow both countries to fly spy planes over the other's country. The Soviets did not accept the proposals.