Why Appeasement?

Appeasement remains an emotive subject to this day, but it is important to understand why the policy was adopted and to realise that it was not just Neville Chamberlain that followed it. Try and understand the historical context and not to use too much hindsight when analysing it. Take a look at the links and resources from a previous post and then make your own comments about whether or not it was justified on the Wallwisher below.

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Cuban Missile Crisis

Just over 50 years ago the world was teetering on the edge of nuclear war as the Cuban Missile Crisis unfolded following the USSR's decision to deploy nuclear missiles on the Caribbean island. The BBC produced three Witness podcasts to commemorate the Cold War Crisis, follow the links to find them:

The Photos, the Missiles, the Showdown.

The John Kennedy Library has some interesting resources and a microsite on the crisis called World on the Brink. You can also try out the Schools' World TV site, BBC Bitesize and J.D. Clare for further resources and information.

Here is the video from the BBC History 20th Century series on Cuba (Mr Kennedy and Mr Khrushchev)


 Have a look at the previous post on Cuba for some other resources and videos.

The New Deal

Introduced by US President Franklin Roosevelt, the New Deal was designed to revive the country's battered economy and restore her shattered morale after the devastating impact of the Wall Street Crash and the ensuing depression. FDR instituted a series of measures, including the setting up of the so-called "alphabet agencies", which aimed to ameliorate the worst effects of the economic depression on farmers, factory workers and the unemployed. The New Deal's achievements were significant and its agencies left their mark on the USA for decades to come, but the programme also met with considerable opposition from the American Right and its economic impact remains a subject for intense debate in the USA today. Have a look at the following resources about the Great Depression and then make your comments about the success of the New Deal on the Wallwisher below.

First-hand accounts of the Wall Street Crash in the BBC Witness podcast.
Another excellent Witness podcast, this time on the effects of the Great Depression.
The History Learning Site
BBC Bitesize and the Bitesize Higher site
A short BBC podcast, including extracts from FDR speeches outlining the problems faced by the USA.
A series of resources from the History Channel on the New Deal, including some good video clips.

The Causes of the Second World War

Following up on the previous post, take a few minutes to add your thoughts to the latest Wallwisher I've put up on the blog. This time add your thoughts as to what were the most important causes of the Second World War. Was it the legacy of the Treaty of Versailles, the failure of the League of Nations, US isolation, the policy of appeasement of Hitler's foreign policy? Outline your arguments below and remember you can add an image or a video to support your case.

 

The Second World War

There are probably more books written about the Second World War than about any other topic in History, so it is often difficult to find a new angle on this epic conflict. Journalist and military historian Max Hastings has tried to look at some lesser studied aspects of the war in his new book "All Hell Let Loose: The World at War 1939-45". For a taster of the book, listen to the excellent BBC History Extra podcast that can be heard via this link (just look for the podcast dated Oct 21st to listen or download).

The League of Nations in 1920

The League of Nations was set up after the First World War in an attempt to avoid future conflcit by encouraging nations to resolved their differences peacefully. But what obstacles did this new organisation face in its first decade of existence. Look at the Wallwisher and the video and add your own ideas based on your knowledge of the period.

The Decision to drop the Atomic Bomb

The decision to use the atomic bomb on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaski in August 1945 is one of the most controversial and emotive issues in modern history. Truman's decision to use the weapons has been a matter of fierce debate ever since the Second World War. Did it save hundreds of thousands of Allied and Japanese lives by bringing the war to a rapid conclusion or was it a cynical demonstration of American power designed to intimidate the Soviet Union with an eye on the post war world?

Take a look at some of the original documents in the Harry S. Truman Library and an excellent series of film clips from the History Channel on the debate before reaching your own conclusions.
Here is one side of the argument from Professor Richard Overy:


And here is the other side from Dr Duncan Anderson:

The End of the Cold War

The Cold War finally came to an end at the end of the 1980s with the collapse of the Soviet Empire in Eastern Europe and the subsequent disintegration of the USSR. Mikhail Gorbachev played a key role in events, but although he was the catalyst to many of the changes, there were many other contributory elements. The long term problems of economic inefficiency and corruption were compounded by the pressures of the arms race and the intervention in Afghanistan, while the bankruptcy of the system was highlighted by events such as the Chernobyl nuclear accident and the environmental crises in places like Lake Baikal and the Aral Sea.

Take a look at this video on Gorbachev and the websites below.


The Cold War Files
How 1989 brought and end to the Cold War.

You can see how quickly things changed when you look at this video featuring the former Soviet leader made in 1997.

World War Two

Although most exam courses focus on the causes of the Second World War and then its aftermath, an understanding of what happened during the waris vital if you are to make sense of the post war world. The National Archives has an excellent interactive overview of the different theatres in the war, while the BBC has a comprehensive site dedicated to the war. The British Pathé news site has a host of preview videos from the wartime newsreels which are also well worth looking at.

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 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.

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:

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:

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

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:

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:

The League of Nations - the 1920s

The League of Nations was established after the First World War with the aim of preventing armed conflict, bringing about disarmament, encouraging international co-operation and improving living and working conditions. Have a look at the following video for a interesting introduction to the work of the organisation.



Evaluating the success of the League of Nations is one of the most popular questions at GCSE level. Have a look at this video for some clear, concise and very valuable advice on how to answer part c) questions at IGCSE.