Cold War crises, 1958-70
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the causes and consequences of the Cold War crises that took place between 1958 and 1970.
Key learning points
- Between 1958 and 1970, a series of crises increased tensions between the USA and the USSR.
- The Second Berlin Crisis resulted in the building of the Berlin Wall which confirmed the division of Germany and Berlin.
- The Cuban Missile Crisis almost led to nuclear war and highlighted the dangers of following a policy of brinkmanship.
- After the Cuban Missile Crisis, the USA and the USSR took action to prevent a similar crisis happening in the future.
- The invasion of Czechoslovakia damaged the USSR's relationship with the USA and also with some other communist states.
Keywords
Crisis - a time of very great difficulty and danger
Ultimatum - a demand that if rejected will bring about an end of peaceful talks and could lead to forceful action
Revolution - a rapid and important change
Blockade - an act or means of sealing off a place to prevent goods or people from entering or leaving
Warsaw Pact - a military alliance of Eastern European countries led by the Soviet Union during the Cold War; it was formed in 1955 in response to NATO
Common misconception
There was only one Cold War crisis involving Berlin: the USSR's blockade of Berlin in 1948 and the Berlin Airlift launched by the Western powers in response to this.
Berlin was a source of conflict between the USA and the USSR from the start of the Cold War. The crisis that took place between 1958 and 1963 and resulted in the construction of the Berlin Wall is sometimes referred to as the Second Berlin Crisis.
Teacher tip
Ask students to plot the crises on a graph to illustrate the extent to which they increased Cold War tensions; students would be required to annotate the graph with their justifications. Alternatively, this could be done as a living graph with verbal justifications.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of serious crime
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which word describes a country that is dominated by another country?
Q2.Which word describes a change introduced to improve something, often a system or law?
Q3.Brezhnev wrote an article in the Soviet newspaper Pravda justifying the invasion of Czechoslovakia. What did the ideas in the article became known as?
Q4.Match each leader with the correct description of them.
leader of the USSR
leader of Czechoslovakia after 1968
leader of Czechoslovakia before 1968
Q5.What name is given to the period in early 1968 when Dubček introduced reforms in Czechoslovakia?
Q6.What war was the US fighting at the same time as the invasion of Czechoslovakia?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which word describes a demand that if rejected will bring about an end of peaceful talks and could lead to forceful action?
Q2.Which word describes an act or means of sealing off a place to prevent goods or people from entering or leaving?
Q3.Complete the sentence: Between 1958 and 1970, a series of increased tensions between the USA and the USSR.
Q4.Put the following events in chronological order.
Q5.After the Cuban Missile Crisis, the USA and the USSR took action to prevent a similar crisis happening in the future. Which of the following are examples of these actions?
Q6.Which of the following were consequences of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia?
To help you plan your 11 history lesson on: Cold War crises, 1958-70, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 history lesson on: Cold War crises, 1958-70, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 history lessons from the Period study: Superpower relations and the Cold War, 1941–91 unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.