Cold War: Crisis to Confrontation 1958–63

This detailed, ready-to-use lesson covers the Crisis to Confrontation (1958–63) stage of the Cold War, designed for Edexcel GCSE History – Superpower Relations and the Cold War.
Perfect for high-ability students or tutors, the resource guides learners through the key turning points that brought the world close to nuclear war.

Includes:
Structured lesson slides with teacher notes and student tasks
Key events: U2 Incident (1960), Berlin Crisis and Wall (1961), Cuban Missile Crisis (1962), and the aftermath
Detailed cause–event–consequence charts
A source analysis activity to develop exam skills
Model 12-mark exam question with scaffolding and exemplar answer
Reflection and review task to consolidate understanding
Learning objectives:

• Explain how Cold War tensions escalated between 1958–63
• Analyse superpower decisions and their consequences
• Practise extended writing using PEEL structure
• Evaluate sources and develop exam-ready responses
  This resource works perfectly for classroom teaching, tutoring, or revision, and aligns with Edexcel Paper 2: Superpower Relations and the Cold War, 1941–91.