Starter quiz
- Which keyword describes an act or means of sealing off a place to prevent goods or people from entering or leaving?
- 'blockade' ✓
- Which keyword describes the practice of pursuing a dangerous policy to the threshold of confrontation?
- 'brinkmanship' ✓
- Why did the USSR build missile bases in Cuba?
- They wanted to test our their new missile technology.
- It was a response to US missile bases in Turkey (Türkiye). ✓
- Cuba was the USSR's nextdoor neighbour and closest ally.
- Khrushchev wanted to demonstrate Soviet strength and restore his own prestige. ✓
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- Complete the sentence with the correct order of names: The success of the US blockade strengthened __________ reputation and weakened __________ position as leader.
- Khrushchev's, Kennedy's
- Kennedy's, Khrushchev's ✓
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- For how many days did ExComm meet for?
- 10 days
- 13 days ✓
- 15 days
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- Match the group in ExComm to their advice to Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
- hawks⇔Invade Cuba, bomb the missile bases or sink the Soviet ships. ✓
- doves⇔Be cautious and avoid any action that could lead to war. ✓
Exit quiz
- Write the missing word. Czechoslovakia's economy prioritised heavy industry over the production of ______ goods.
- 'consumer' ✓
- Match each leader with the correct description of them.
- Leonid Brezhnev⇔leader of the USSR ✓
- Alexander Dubcek⇔leader of Czechoslovakia after 1968 ✓
- Antonin Novotny⇔leader of Czechoslovakia before 1968 ✓
- What name is given to the period in early 1968 when Dubcek introduced reforms in Czechoslovakia?
- 'Prague Spring' ✓
- Which keyword describes government agencies that operate in secrecy to enforce political control who often use covert methods to monitor, intimidate and eliminate perceived threats?
- 'secret police' ✓
- Starting with the earliest, sort the following events into chronological order.
- 1⇔Novotny's New Economic Plan failed.
- 2⇔Student protests took place in Prague.
- 3⇔Dubcek challenged Novotny's power.
- 4⇔Brezhnev dropped his support for Novotny.
- 5⇔Dubcek became leader of the Czechoslovakian Communist Party.
- How long did Dubcek think political change, that would eventually create a democratic, multi-party state, would take in Czechoslovakia?
- one year
- five years
- 10 years ✓
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Worksheet
Presentation
Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- After Czechoslovakia became a Soviet satellite state, people faced economic challenges and limits on their freedom.
- From 1957, under the leadership of Antonin Novotny, standards of living declined and calls for reform increased.
- Alexander Dubcek became leader in January 1968 and introduced a series of reforms known as the Prague Spring.
- Brezhnev was concerned that the Prague Spring would weaken communism and Czechoslovakia would leave the Warsaw Pact.
- In August 1968, a Soviet-led invasion removed Dubcek from power and ended the Prague Spring.
Common misconception
Alexander Dubcek was not a committed communist.
Dubcek was a committed communist. The purpose of the Prague Spring reforms was to preserve communist rule in Czechoslovakia and win support for communism by removing its worst features (e.g., censorship, secret police etc.)
Keywords
Consumer goods - items purchased by individuals for their personal use and enjoyment
Secret police - government agencies that operate in secrecy to enforce political control; they often use covert methods to monitor, intimidate and eliminate perceived threats
Hard-line - strict and uncompromising
Reform - a change introduced to improve something, often a system or law
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