The Holocaust

Holocaust memorial day is next month on January 27th. It is a time to reflect on the horrific events that led to the deaths of over 6 million Jews and other minorities as a result of the Nazi extermination campaign during the Second World War. Unfortunately similar atrocities have continued to occur. This hard-hitting video looks at the issue and provides us with plenty of food for thought.



For more information on the Holocaust take a look at this series of animated maps by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Domesday Book

The Domesday Book is the name given to the Great Survey carried out on the orders of William the Conqueror after he became King of England. The survey contained a vast array of information on who owned what throughout the country and helped him raise money through taxation of his new subjects. The Domesday Book is one of the earliest public records in English history.

Take a look at the national archive site for extra information, games and videos on the Domesday Book. Look at the section on Interpreting the Domesday Book to understand how to decipher the language.

The Congress of Vienna

Europe's leading statesmen assembled at Vienna between 1814-1815 to decide upon the fate of the continent after over 20 years of conflict caused by the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. The Settlement aimed to maintain peace and security for Europe.

Take a look at this excellent animated map for an overview of the changes that took place during this period.

Remembrance Day

The First World War came to an end 92 years ago. Traditionally the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of each year is the time we remember all those who died in wars. Have a look at this video in memory of the soldiers who died in the conflict. it is accompanied by the Last Post. You'll also find a link explaining why the poppy is used as a symbol of remembrance and some poetry from the First World War.



Why the poppy?

For more information look at these links to previous posts on the Blog and an article on the BBC.
Harry Patch
Special Remembrance Day Service

Also worth looking at is the dramatised BBC clip on Wilfred Owen's famous war poem Dulce et Decorum est and John McCrae's In Flanders Fields.

20th Anniversary of German Reunification

October 3rd, 2010 marks the 20th anniversary of German reunification with the merging of the capitalist West and the Communist East. It is also the day on which Germany made her final reparations payment imposed after the First World War.

Take a look at the following articles from the BBC which examine the story in more depth:
Anniversary of Reunification
Reparations payments

While this video takes a brief look at the events from the Fall of the Wall to Reunification.

The Blitz

On the 70th anniversary of The Blitz, it is worth taking a look at the marvellous American propaganda film "London Can Take It" designed to garner support for Britain in the USA.

The French Revolution

One of the most momentous events in modern history, the French Revolution was caused by the interaction of long-term, structural problems associated with the Ancien Regime, new Enlightment ideas that challenged the old order and a short term financial and economic crisis that were exacerbated by an hesitant and politically inept king (Louis XVI.

For a good introduction to the topic try looking at the following videos from a History Channel documentary on the subject on You Tube. Parts 2, 3 and 4 are the ones to watch for events up to the storming of the Bastille.

And for an outline of events try looking at the Spark Notes site on the Revolution.

The Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was one of the most important conflicts of the Cold War era. Take a look at the following sites for an overview of the war and some thoughts on its significance.

Overview and index of key figures and events from Spartacus

The History Learning Site

BBC Web pages on the war

The Vietnam War in pictures

The National Archives
Was Vietnam a turning point in the Cold War?

Battle of Britain 70th anniversary

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain when the German Luftwaffe began a campaign to gain air superiority over Britain in order to mount an invasion of the British Isles. The Battle, which began in the summer of 1940, is remembered for the clashes between the British Spitfires and Hurricanes and the German fighters and bombers over southern England and the channel. Here are some resources which will help you find out more about the conflict and enable you to distinguish the myths from the realities.

A handy introduction is provided by Dr Chris Bellamy for the BBC and in the lengthy American wartime propaganda film shown below:



You can listen to Churchill's pre Battle of Britain speech here:




And you can hear his famous "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few" speech here.

Follow these links for further information on the Battle of Britain:

The BBC Archive (an excellent resource)
The Cost
Why Germany Lost
The Few


And finally here is a nice video of BBC Radio presenter Evan Davis experiencing what it is like to fly in a Spitfire.

The Normans

To mark the BBC series on the legacy of the Normans, they have set up a new web page on the Norman Conquest. Click on the link to find some great material that will be really useful for Year 7 students and anyone else interested in the Medieval period.

The English Civil War

Take a look at this great Prezi produced by one of our Year 8 students. It gives a very nice summary of the events of the English Civil War.

History: The English Civil War on Prezi

The Cuban Missile Crisis

The world was brought to the brink of nuclear war as the two superpowers stared each other out during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Take a look at some of these resources to get a more in-depth view of this Cold War showdown.

John Clare provides a good introduction to the Crisis on his site, while the BBC looks at events in a bit more depth.
Also worth trying out is this BBC Podcast on the Crisis, while if you want to do some real historical research, take a look at the National Security Archive documents.

You can see Kennedy's address to the nation after the discovery of the missiles below:



Here is an introduction to the Crisis from an American documentary about the Crisis:



For a Soviet perspective on the Crisis from Khrushchev's son Sergei, follow this link on You Tube.

Revision
Finally, you might want to try out this date-matching exercise from School History for a bit of revision or the Bitesize section on Cuba from the BBC. The National Archive has its usual high quality take on events.

Weapons of the First World War

There were a number of new weapons that came into use in the First World War including the first tanks.

Take a look at this video to get an idea of what these early tanks were really like.



And here is one on the use of U-boats in the First World War:


The First World War website has an excellent section on weaponry and this article on Zeppelins, while History on the Net is also worth checking out.

The Early Cold War

Here are a range of resources which might help you understand the early Cold War period.

A good introduction is School History’s page on the Origins of the Cold War.


You can gain a similar overview from the History Learning site and its comprehensive index page that covers almost every event in the Cold War.

The BBC has a good page examining the role of Truman in the early Cold War, while its Bitesize section is perfect for revision. Give the podcast on this page a listen to as well.

It is also worth taking the time to listen to Winston Churchill's famous "Iron Curtain" speech made in Fulton, Missouri in the United States in March 1946:

More on the Causes of World War Two

One final post on the Causes of World War Two.
Take a look at this tongue-in-cheek Summary of the Causes of the Second World War from the BBC Bitesize revision site.

You could then try out the revision activities on the same site to check your knowledge and understanding of the topic.

The Causes of the Second World War

What were the causes of the Second World War? Start sorting out your ideas by adding some comments on the Wall below:

Hitler's Foreign Policy

Here are a selection of videos that will help you revise Hitler's foreign policy.

First a videocast by History teacher Mr Portman:



And now a series of fun animations by pupil Laura and her teacher Russel Tarr at the International School of Toulouse:

1. Rearmament part 1:


2. Rearmament part 2:


3. The Anschluss part 1:


4. The Anschluss part 2:


5. Czechoslovakia:


6. The Road to War:

Appeasement

Appeasement - the policy of settling international quarrels by negotiation and compromise rather than force which has become particularly identified with British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain - is one of the most fiercely debated issues in the history of international relations between the two world wars. Take a look at these two video clips from the classic BBC Schools programe "Why Appeasement?" for an introduction to the topic.

Part 1



Part 2



For a quick revision of the topic look at the BBC Bitesize site. John Clare has good pages on Appeasement and Who started it.
The I Love History Website has a good podcast, while the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography has a sophisticated analysis of the issue.

And here you can listen to Chamberlain himself on the Munich Crisis.

Finally, take a look at another classic video clip, this time from the World at War series and then make a comment on the Wallwisher on Appeasement.

The Spanish Civil War

Not only did it tear Spain apart, but the Civil War also exposed deep divisions in Europe, thus providing a sad prelude to the events of the Second World War. Take a look at the following resources to gain some valuable background information on the conflict.





Take a look at the following websites too. They provide a wealth of information on the Spanish Civil War and its consequences: Active History, BBC Bitesize, The Imperial War Museum, The History Learning Site, Spartacus International

The Tudors

A good introduction to the religious changes that took place during Tudor times can be found on the website for the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. You will also find plenty of other interesting information on the Tudor period on this site. As usual the Woodlands School website has a lot of good resources on this topic. Look at their section on the Dissolution of the Monasteries to help out.

This video also acts as a brief introduction, while the one below that gives some detail on the religious changes that took place during the brief reign of Edward VI.

Why Study History?

Quite soon you will be asked to make your options for the subjects you want to study at GCSE and, of course, History is one of the choices open to you. Apart from being one of the most interesting and enjoyable subjects to study at this level, it is also one of the most useful and will provide you with many of the skills in demand from top employers. Whether it be business, politics, law, the media, marketing, education and even science, studying History will be of invaluable help.

Why not take a look at some of these History teacher videos to get a a taste of the course?

Mr Allsop's video


Miss Hawthorne's take on GCSE History


Another video by Mr Allsop, this time to accompany the Billy Joel Song "We didn´t start the Fire" which deals with a succession of events in American History:

The Slave Trade

The slave trade was a highly lucrative trade for Britain and other European nations during the 18th and 19th centuries. Slaves were taken from Africa across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas in appalling conditions in a journey known as "the middle passage".

Take a look at this excellent website developed by the National Maritime Museum which examines the Triangular Trade, resistance to it, the reasons why it was abolished and its impact. Try the exhibition activity as a way of testing your understanding of the topic.

Other useful information can be found at the Channel Four site, and the Amistad site.
You can listen to Olaudah Equiano's famous account of his life, his enslavement, freedom and campaign to abolish slavery here.

League of Nations - topic revision

Here are some more videos that will help you understand the the League of Nations topic and the events that led to the organisation's eventual demise. Watch the extracts and take notes.

The Manchurian Crisis



The League, Disarmament and the Abyssinian Crisis



The League and the 1930s (Spain, Sudentenland, Munich and Poland)

The League of Nations - the 1930s

After the calamatous events of the 1929 Wall Street Crash and its effects on the world economy, the League of Nations faced an uphill task as it tried to deal with a succession of crises in the 1930s. Take a look at the following video clips to help give you an overview of the period.

An informative school videocast from St Patrick´s High School


An extract from the documentary series World at War on the Japanese invasion of Manchuria


Information from the Britannica website on the Manchurian invasion


Having looked at the video clips and using your own information on the topic why not add your own comments as to why the League failed to the Wallwisher below: