Study Guides

Unit Summary

In this unit pupils undergo a period study which tells a story about a period that shaped the world we live in today: the Cold War. They look at the key events, developments, people and stories that defined the relationship between the USA and the USSR in this period.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain why disagreements about Berlin led to an increase in tension between the USA and the USSR between 1958 and 1961.

Key Notes

• By 1958, over 3 million people had left East Germany via Berlin to live in West Germany.
• Khrushchev issued the Berlin Ultimatum to put pressure on the Western powers to abandon Berlin.
• Between 1958 and 1961, leaders from the USA and the USSR met four times to try and resolve disagreements over Berlin.
• The Paris Summit (May 1960) failed when an American U-2 spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union.
• The Vienna Summit (June 1961) failed when Khrushchev unsuccessfully attempted to bully new US President, John F Kennedy.

Vocabulary To Learn

• prosperous: wealthy and successful
• refugee: someone who has been forced to leave their home country because of war, persecution, natural disaster, or violence, and seeks safety in another country
• ultimatum: a demand that if rejected will bring about an end of peaceful talks and could lead to forceful action
• summit: a meeting between leaders to discuss significant issues or make important decisions

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• The Berlin Crisis was solely about the status of West Berlin.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

More Lessons In This Unit

• Berlin, 1961-63: the Berlin Wall Study Guide
• Causes of tension between the USA and USSR by 1945 Study Guide
• Cold War crises, 1958-70 Study Guide
• Détente and SALT I Study Guide
• Gorbachev's 'new thinking' Study Guide
• Reagan and the 'Second Cold War' Study Guide
• Soviet influence over Eastern Europe by 1948 Study Guide
• The Berlin Crisis (1948) Study Guide
• The Cold War arms race Study Guide
• The collapse of the Soviet Union Study Guide
• The Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) Study Guide
• The Cuban Revolution and the Bay of Pigs Invasion Study Guide
• The end of the Cold War, 1970-91 Study Guide
• The fall of the Berlin Wall Study Guide
• The Helsinki Accords and SALT II Study Guide
• The Hungarian Uprising (1956) Study Guide
• The impact of the atomic bomb on US-Soviet relations Study Guide
• The origins of the Cold War (1941-58) Study Guide
• The Prague Spring (1968) Study Guide
• The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan Study Guide
• The Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia (1968) Study Guide
• The Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan Study Guide