History
A Level
Examination Board: Pearson Edexcel
Specification: 9H10
Course Leader: Mr P Billimore
Contact Email: pbillimore@tgschool.net
What Will I Study?
Paper 1: Germany and West Germany, 1918–89 - In this unit you study how the republic, set up after the First World War, was turned into a dictatorship under Hitler. Then, after the Second World War, how West Germany had to deal with the legacy of the Nazis. A special case study is based on how far Hitler was responsible for the outbreak of the Second World War.
Paper 2: The Rise and Fall of Fascism in Italy, c1911–46 - In this unit you will learn about the nature of the profound political, economic and social changes experienced by the Italian people in the years c1911–1946 and how the failure to create a stable, democratic Italian state in the early twentieth century led to the rise of Fascism and emergence of Mussolini as a leader.
Paper 3: Lancastrians, Yorkists and Henry VII, 1399–1509 - This unit focuses on Shakespeare’s Kings from his great cycle of history plays. From the Triumph of Henry V at Agincourt to the spectacular death of Richard III on the battlefield, deserted by all including his horse, the question in the background was always who should be King? Did a mad King and a bad marriage result in the blood and gore of the Wars of the Roses?
Paper 4: The Witch Craze c1450-c1750 - This is a coursework unit based on the nature of the witch craze that took hold in the late sixteenth century and the changing attitudes to magic and sorcery that eventually contributed to its decline. Students study the social, economic and political aspects of the phenomenon, using case studies like Matthew Hopkins and the Salem witch hunt.
Entry Requirements
You need at least a Grade 5 in GCSE History. If you have not studied GCSE History, then a minimum of a Grade 5 in GCSE English.
Assessment
At the end of the course you will sit three exams and submit a piece of coursework.
Where Next?
University to study History, alternatively you have acquired skills to support you in any degree course and future career. Skills such as critical analysis, evaluation and interpretation of a range of materials will be valuable to any course or employer.
About The Course
This course has been designed to give you a taste of different areas and types of History. As Lord Acton said “study problems, not periods”. The course offers a broad study of critical investigations from the late medieval to late European periods.