a country controlled by or depending on a more powerful country

unfair treatment that limits people's freedom

items purchased by individuals for their personal use and enjoyment

a word sometimes used as an alternative to communism

The Prague Spring

History

In 'Cold War transformation: was the world on the brink of a nuclear war?', students studied the events of the early 1960s and assessed how close the world came to nuclear war. In 'Cold War transformation: why did tensions ease by 1972?', pupils will gain an understanding of why a cooling of tensions was sought by the superpowers by the end of the 1960s.

In this unit, pupils analyse why Cold War tensions had eased by 1972. They learn about the Prague Spring and the USSR's reaction to it, including the Brezhnev Doctrine, before examining the reasons for Détente in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Cold War transformation: why did tensions ease by 1972?

a military alliance of Eastern European countries led by the Soviet Union during the Cold War

something that is quickly put across a road or entrance to prevent people from going past

International responses to the Prague Spring

actions which are considered hostile towards or inconsistent with communist beliefs

a region of the world in which one state is dominant

to make someone less likely to do something, or to make something less likely to happen

The Brezhnev Doctrine

to examine books, documents, or films and remove parts of them that are not considered acceptable

a person who publicly disagrees with and criticises their government

severe prisons used in the Soviet Union where prisoners had to perform forced labour

Tensions between the superpowers by the late-1960s

the relaxation of tensions between states which were previously hostile towards one another

issues that exist within a country, rather than those related to its relationship with foreign countries

The reasons for Détente

the development of friendlier relations between countries who have been enemies

when the leader of one country makes an official visit to another

to prevent something from reaching extremes

Cold War transformation: why did tensions ease by 1972?

Choose a lesson (6)

These lessons will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.