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Year 11 - History

Consequences of the Cuban Missile Crisis

Wider Depth Study - Conflict and tension between East and West, 1945–1972

Unit Summary

In this unit pupils undergo a wider depth 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 international relations in this Cold War period.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to assess the consequences of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Key Notes

  • Both superpowers were glad not to have gone to war.
  • JFK's tough stance against the USSR was praised in the USA.
  • The USSR benefitted from American promises not to attack Cuba and to withdraw missiles from Turkey.
  • Khrushchev's reputation suffered in the USSR.
  • Agreements were made between the superpowers aimed at making a future war between them less likely.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • hotline: a special direct phone connection for emergencies
  • White House: the official residence of the President of the USA
  • Kremlin: the official residence of the leader of the USSR
  • arms race: when two or more countries compete to have more and stronger weapons than one another

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • The Cuban Missile Crisis made war more likely between the superpowers.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Summarise this historical learning in two key ideas.

Both superpowers were glad not to have gone to war. JFK's tough stance against the USSR was praised in the USA.

2. Define this history term and explain why it matters in this topic. 'hotline'

a special direct phone connection for emergencies.

3. Correct this common history misconception using evidence language.

Mistake: The Cuban Missile Crisis made war more likely between the superpowers. Correction: Both the US and USSR were shocked at how close they had come to war and were relieved to have avoided it. Further steps were agreed between both countries after the crisis had ended to make war less likely in future.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 11 History guide library.