The meeting, which took place in Paris from May 16 to May 17, was intended to ease tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union.
At the time of the summit, Dwight D. Eisenhower was the President of the United States, while Nikita Khrushchev was the Premier of the Soviet Union. The two leaders had never met before, and the summit was seen as an opportunity to begin a dialogue between the two superpowers.
The summit began with a formal dinner hosted by Eisenhower. The two leaders exchanged pleasantries and discussed various topics, including disarmament, nuclear testing, and Berlin. The talks were cordial, but tensions soon emerged as the two sides failed to make any significant progress on these key issues.
One of the most contentious issues discussed at the summit was the fate of Berlin. At the time, the city was divided into four zones, each controlled by a different Allied power. The Soviet Union had recently imposed a deadline for the withdrawal of Western forces from the city, which was set to expire in December of 1961. The United States, however, refused to withdraw, and tensions between the two sides continued to escalate.
Despite these disagreements, the summit did produce some positive results. The two leaders agreed to establish a direct communication link between the United States and the Soviet Union, which would allow for more effective communication in times of crisis. They also agreed to continue discussions on disarmament and nuclear testing.
However, the summit was overshadowed by an incident that occurred during Khrushchev's visit to the United States later that year. During a visit to the United Nations in New York City, Khrushchev became upset when he was denied access to a site where a U-2 spy plane was being exhibited. The incident led to a breakdown in relations between the United States and the Soviet Union, and the two sides returned to a state of heightened tension.
Despite the failure of the summit to resolve the key issues, it was an important event in Cold War history. It marked the first time that the leaders of the two superpowers had met face-to-face, and it demonstrated the potential for diplomacy in resolving conflicts. The direct communication link established at the summit was also a significant step forward in reducing the risk of nuclear war.