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 the consequences of the Cuban Revolution and the Bay of Pigs Invasion.

Key Notes

• In 1959, Fidel Castro led a nationalist revolution in Cuba which overthrew Batista's unpopular, US-backed government.
• Castro confiscated US property; the USA responded with economic sanctions which led Cuba to move closer to the USSR.
• The USA's attempt to use CIA-trained, Cuban exiles to overthrow Castro ended with defeat at the Bay of Pigs.
• The Bay of Pigs incident damaged the reputation of Kennedy and the USA and meant Cuba and the USSR became closer allies.
• Kennedy was concerned that the USSR would place missiles in Cuba but Khrushchev assured him that this would not happen.

Vocabulary To Learn

• revolution: a rapid and important change
• export: a product or service that is sold and transported to another country
• nationalist: someone who strongly believes in and supports their own country, placing its interests above those of other nations
• CIA: stands for Central Intelligence Agency; part of the US government that is responsible for espionage and secret operations
• exile: someone who has been forced to leave their home and live somewhere else, often for political reasons

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• Castro was a communist when he overthrew Batista's government in 1959.

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 Missile Crisis (1962) 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