The U2 Crisis

History

In this unit, students considered the development of the Cold War and the events and competition that caused the Cold War to progress. In 'Cold War transformation: was the world on the brink of a nuclear war?', students will study the events of the early 1960s and assess how close the world came to nuclear war.

In 'Cold War development: how did the Cold War develop in Asia?', pupils looked at events in China, Korea and Vietnam and how they affected global relations. In 'Cold War development: how peaceful was 'peaceful co-existence'?', students will consider the development of the Cold War and the events and competition that caused the Cold War to progress.

In this unit, pupils evaluate the extent to which the 1950s was a period of 'peaceful co-existence' in the Cold War. They learn about the nuclear arms race, the Space Race, NATO and the Warsaw Pact, the Hungarian Uprising and the U2 spy plane crisis.

Cold War development: how peaceful was 'peaceful co-existence'?

Depiction or discussion of violence or fighting, including threats of violence or the aftermath of violence.

Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Write the missing word. {{}} is the act of spying and gaining secret information about another country.

Match each individual with the correct description of them.

Which countries were expected to attend the 1960 Paris Summit?

accepted that they had been spying and apologised for conducting espionage

accepted that they had been spying but declared war against the USSR

initially denied spying and then refused to apologise

How did the US government respond to the shooting down of a U2 plane over the USSR?

Starting with the earliest, sort the following events into chronological order.

Write the missing word. {{}} refers to unfair treatment that limits people's freedom.

Which country followed a policy of containment?

Write the missing word. Imre {{}} led Hungary during most of the Hungarian Uprising.

Which organisation did Hungary announce its intention to leave in 1956?

Nikita Khrushchev supported none of Nagy's reforms.

Nikita Khrushchev supported some of Nagy's reforms.

Nikita Khrushchev supported all of Nagy's reforms.

Plans for Hungary to leave the Warsaw Pact announced.

Content guidance

Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Adult supervision recommended

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

The U2 Crisis

Lesson outcome

Content guidance

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.