The 70th Anniversary of the start of the Second World War

Germany invaded Poland 70 years ago, an event that is usually seen as marking the start of the Second World War. Check out the BBC and the Guardian websites for a stack of information on these events.


British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain responded to Hitler's decision to invade Poland by declaring war on Germany on September 3rd, 1939. Here is an extract of the broadcast he made at the time:

Treaty of Versailles

The Treaty of Versailles has been much criticised. Was it a brave attempt to remodel Europe after the First World War or was it a short-sighted and vengeful document designed to punish Germany. Take a look at the History Learning site for some good background and information on the treaty.

The old BBC History video "Make Germany Pay" gives a neat summary of the terms of the treaty.


Here is a more opinionated judgement on the peace treaties which is also worth examining.

Elizabeth I

For some biographical information on Elizabeth I for your obituary, try out the BBC website and the History Learning site.

The Spanish Armada

The Spanish Armada remains one of the most dramatic and memorable events in British history, but how much truth is there in the traditional English version that sees it as a victory for the heroic underdogs. Take a look at the Channel 4 website for some of the latest research and check back on the blog to see an earlier post on the subject which might help you make up your own mind.

Elizabethan Portraits

As you know we are looking at how Elizabeth I used portraits as a means of propaganda. Here is a challenging and informative online lesson which you will be asked to do for homework. You will need to do some research to do the first section.

The Battle of the Somme

Here is a powerpoint on the Battle of the Somme that took place during the First World War. It looks at the plans for the battle and what went wrong:

The Battle of the Somme

View more presentations from russeltarr.

You can find some interesting background information on Haig on the History Learning site and on the excellent firstworldwar.com

The Trial of Charles I

Charles I was the first English king to put on trial. He was accused of being a
"tyrant, traitor and murderer to the Commonwealth." Here is a link to one of the original documents from the trial. You can also find a concise biography of Charles I on the BBC History site, while the History on the Net has a useful timeline of events in the Civil War.

First World War propaganda posters

All participants in the First World War made use of propaganda posters to encourage recruitment to the armed forces, boost morale and attack their opponents.

At First World War.com they have a great collection of posters from many of the countries that were involved.

Medieval Towns

To get a good idea of what a Medieval town looked like and how it was laid out, take a look at this site, while if you want to understand how the sites for new towns were chosen, try this page.

The Peasants' Revolt

Almost half a century after the Black Death, the Peasants' Revolt took place. There are arguments about what precisely happened, but the History Learning Site gives a clear outline of the main events.

And here is a description, from a chronicle of the time, of the final meeting between king Richard II and the leader of the Revolt, Wat Tyler.