History - A Level

Year 1: Politics, protest and reform in Wales and England 1880-1980 (The period study)

This unit consists of five topics:
1. The extent of change in society 1880-1951
2. The changing position of political parties 1880-1951
3. The impact of war on society in Wales and England 1902-1951
4. The significance of the main developments in Wales and England 1918-1980
5. The changing role of women 1880-1980

This period in Britain is a time of great interest for historians. It studies Britain in the modern period, covering topics of great relevance today. The impact of war covers the Boer War as well as both World Wars and considers the social and economic impact of each war. The concept of welfare is studied at length with both the Liberal and Labour Reforms being considered. The fashion, music and popular movements of the 50s, 60s and 70s as well as the changing role of women are popular topics which engage the students in lively debate.

AS: Weimar Germany, c1918-1933 (The depth study)

The following elements of Weimar will be examined, social, economic and political issues and events during the period in Germany from 1918 until 1933. The analysis will focus on how successful Weimar governments were in trying to stabilise politics and the economy. Related to Weimar’s fortunes will be an investigation of the rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party. This will be looking at leadership, Nazi ideology, party organisation, propaganda, the SA and SS, and the nature of the electorate. Critical will be the evaluation of competing interpretations of key issues such as: ‘Why did the Nazi Party grow so rapidly in the period 1929 to 1933?’; ‘Was the fall of the Weimar Republic inevitable?’

Year 2

A2 consists of three elements: The first module is the breadth study which considers the rebellions, threats and protests of the Tudor period, as well as the state of poverty and vagrancy between 1485 and 1603. The second module is the depth study of the Third Reich, 1933-1945 reviewing Nazi rule and its impact both within Germany and across Europe. The third module is the Non examined assessment, which is an extended piece of writing of 3000-4000 words (20% of the A Level).