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 analyse the causes, key events and consequences of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Key Notes

• The Cuban Missile Crisis began on 14th October 1962 when the USA discovered Soviet missile bases in Cuba.
• Khrushchev built missile bases in Cuba for several reasons but it was partly a response to US missile bases in Turkey.
• The USA set up a blockade around Cuba; as Soviet ships approached, people feared the possibility of nuclear war.
• The US blockade was successful; this strengthened Kennedy's reputation and weakened Khrushchev's position as leader.
• After the crisis, the USA and the USSR took steps to reduce the risk of a similar crisis happening in the future.

Vocabulary To Learn

• IRBM: stands for intermediate range ballistic missile; these missiles could be fitted with nuclear warheads and had a range of 3500 kilometres
• ExComm: short for Executive Committee of the National Security Council; it played a pivotal role in advising the President during the Cuban Missile Crisis
• blockade: an act or means of sealing off a place to prevent goods or people from entering or leaving
• brinkmanship: the practice of pursuing a dangerous policy to the threshold of confrontation
• hotline: a direct communication link established between the United States and the Soviet Union to enable immediate communication in times of crisis

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• The Soviet missile bases in Cuba were important because they provided the USSR with the ability to strike the USA with nuclear weapons.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

More Lessons In This Unit

• Berlin, 1958-61: increased tensions Study Guide
• 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 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