Not all spies are successful nor are all presidents good liars. Francis Gary Powers was not a successful spy and President Dwight Eisenhower was not a good liar. The U-2 Incident, though overlooked at times, was an event that drove U.S.-Soviet relations back to the beginning of the Cold War. If someone thought that maybe relations between the two were about to thaw after the death of Stalin, that someone thought wrong. So let's explore the U-2 Incident in detail.
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Sign up for freeWho was President of the United States in 1960, during the U-2 Affair?
Which country was used as a base for the U-2 planes to take off?
Which international summit collapsed following the U-2 Affair?
What was the name of the British-born Soviet spy who was exchanged for Francis Gary Powers during a prisoner exchange between the U.S. and the Soviet Union?
How many U-2 flights were conducted in 1960?
What was Francis Gary Powers charged with after his spy plane was shot down?
Who was President of the United States in 1960, during the U-2 Affair?
Which country was used as a base for the U-2 planes to take off?
Which international summit collapsed following the U-2 Affair?
What was the name of the British-born Soviet spy who was exchanged for Francis Gary Powers during a prisoner exchange between the U.S. and the Soviet Union?
How many U-2 flights were conducted in 1960?
What was Francis Gary Powers charged with after his spy plane was shot down?
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In July 1958, President Dwight Eisenhower asked the prime minister of Pakistan, Feroze Khan Noon, about establishing a clandestine U.S. intelligence facility in Pakistan. U.S.-Pakistan relations had been relatively warm ever since Pakistan's declaration of independence in 1947. The U.S. was among the first countries to establish relations with the newly-independent Pakistan.
Thanks to this cordial relationship between the two countries, Pakistan granted Eisenhower his request and a U.S.-run secret intelligence facility was constructed in Badaber. Badaber is located less than a hundred kilometres from the Afghan-Pakistani Border. Establishing this base of operation was crucial for the Americans as it provided easy access to Soviet Central Asia. Badaber would be used as a takeoff and landing point for the U-2 spy plane.
The more you know...
The U-2 spy plane was a reconnaissance aircraft developed by the United States in the mid-1950s. Its main objective was to fly at high altitudes above territories (so as to avoid detection) of interest and gather sensitive photographic material to supply the CIA with proof of dangerous activity on foreign soil. The U-2 activity was most prevalent during the 1960s.
U.S.-Pakistani Relations in the late 1950s
The establishment of the intelligence facility on Pakistani soil very likely drew the two countries closer. In 1959, a year after the construction of the facility, the U.S. military and economic aid to Pakistan reached a record high. Though this might have been a simple coincidence, it is no doubt that Pakistan's aid to U.S. intelligence played a role.
Initially, Eisenhower did not want an American citizen to pilot the U-2, because in case the plane was ever shot down, the pilot was captured and was discovered that be an American, which would look like a sign of aggression. Thus, the two initial flights were piloted by pilots of the British Royal Air Force.
Fig. 1: President Dwight Eisenhower
The British pilots were successful in flying the U-2 without getting detected and even got information regarding the intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) stationed in Soviet Central Asia. But Eisenhower needed more information, which was why he called for two more missions. Now, the U-2 was to be flown by American pilots. The first one was a success, much like the previous two. But the last flight, piloted by Francis Gary Powers was not.
Fig. 2: The U-2 spy plane
The U-2 spy plane was shot down by a surface-to-air missile. Despite being shot down, Powers managed to eject out of the plane and land safely, albeit on Soviet soil. He was arrested straight away.
Fig. 3: Soviet surface-to-air defence missiles (S-75)
All this transpired on 1 May 1960 just two weeks before the Paris Summit. The Paris Summit was important for three major reasons:
Both Eisenhower and Khrushchev arrived in Paris to hold these talks. But on May 16, Khrushchev declared that he would not participate in the Summit unless the U.S. formally apologised for violating Soviet air sovereignty and punished the people responsible. Naturally, Eisenhower denied any claims that the plane that was shot down was used for spying, which was why he never apologised. But Eisenhower's denial was unfounded, as the Soviets had discovered photographs and footage that had been taken during Powers' flight on the U-2. The Soviets had all the evidence they needed.
Such a brash response from the American President angered Khrushchev, which was why the next day, on 17 May, Krushchev walked out of the Paris Summit, officially adjourning this high-level meeting. The Paris Summit collapsed and the three main points of the agenda were never addressed.
Air sovereignty
All states have the right to air sovereignty, meaning that they can regulate their airspace by enforcing their aviation laws and can use military means such as fighter planes to enforce their sovereignty.
Somebody had to apologise!
And somebody did. Pakistan. Following Khrushchev's walk-out at the Paris Summit of May 1960, the Pakistani government soon issued a formal apology to the Soviet Union for their participation in the American-led U-2 mission.
Following his capture, Francis Gary Powers was tried for espionage and sentenced to 10 years of hard labour. Despite his sentence, Powers only served in the Soviet prison for two years, in February 1962. He was part of a prisoner exchange between the United States and the Soviet Union. Powers was exchanged for the British-born Soviet spy William August Fisher, who was also known as Rudolf Abel.
Fig. 4: Francis Gary Powers
The immediate effect of the U-2 incident was the failure of the Paris Summit. The 1950s, following the death of Stalin, were a period in which the tension between the United States and the Soviet Union were easing. The Paris Summit could have been a venue for Eisenhower and Khrushchev to come to a mutual understanding. Instead, the United States was humiliated on an international level. In walking out, Khrushchev effectively ended the possibility of discussing Cuba, Berlin, and the nuclear test ban with Eisenhower.
In just a year, the Berlin Wall was erected, completely shutting off East Berlin from West Berlin. The U-2 incident undoubtedly exacerbated this situation. Ironically, as mentioned above, the tension around Berlin was meant to be one of the main topics of discussion between the two leaders.
The more you know...
Though the most famous of the bunch, the U-2 piloted by Francis Gary Powers was not the only U-2 spy plane that was shot down. In 1962, yet another U-2 spy plane, piloted by Rudolf Anderson (not to be confused with the above-mentioned Rudolf Abel!), was shot down in Cuba, in the week following the beginning of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Unlike Powers, however, Anderson did not survive.
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What was the U 2 incident?
The U-2 incident was an event where the Soviet Air Defence systems shot down the U.S. reconnaissance plane piloted by Francis Gary Powers.
Who was involved in the U-2 affair?
The parties involved in the U-2 incident were the Soviet Union and the United States. The incident took place in May 1960.
What caused the U-2 incident?
The U-2 incident was caused by the United State's desire to uncover the locations and the amount of Soviet warheads stationed in Soviet Central Asia and Soviet Russia.
What were the effects of the U-2 incident?
The U-2 incident further harmed U.S.-Soviet relations. Due to the incident, the Paris Summit never took place.
What happened to Gary Powers after his plane was shot down?
After being shot down, Gary Powers was imprisoned and sentenced to 10 years but was released in 2 years for a prisoner exchange.
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