History Summer Transition Pack

Liberals, Conservatives and the Rise of Labour - 1846–1918

The Cold War in Asia - 1945-1993

What’s the purpose of this pack?

The purpose of this transition pack is to equip you with some of the knowledge and skills that you will

need to succeed in A-Level history.

What’s the difference between GCSE history and A-Level history?

1. You’ll study different topics

2. You’ll study these topics in greater depth

3. You’ll have more lessons of history per fortnight and read more outside of class

4. You’ll continue to hone and develop the skills real historians use, such as source analysis

5. You’ll start to develop formal argument formation

6. You’ll utilise a range of examples and evidence to support what you are trying to argue

7. You’ll need to read around the subject

What will I study in the two years?

Year 12: you’ll study two topics: Liberals, Conservatives and the Rise of Labour: 1846 - 1918 and

The Cold War in Asia, 1945-1993.

Liberals, Conservatives and the Rise of Labour: 1846 – 1918 (studied in year 12)

During these topics you’re going to study some of the biggest names in Victorian politics: the high tide of

British Imperial history. During this topic, you’ll look into British society, politics and economics; you’ll

try to understand how our own modern society has been shaped, both by political reforms, but also by

huge global conflicts, like the First World War. Key political figures you’ll investigate over the course

include, Peel, Palmerston, Russell, Gladstone, Disraeli, Churchill (both Winston and his father,

Randolph), Chamberlain (Joseph), Lloyd George, Asquith, Hardie and MacDonald. As you study British

society and politics, you’ll delve into a variety of Imperial and foreign policy (such as Crimea and the

Boer War); you’ll also study domestic policies and governmental policies towards Ireland. You will also

study the big political changes of the time, for example, the Second Reform Act and the fight for

Women’s Suffrage.

Cold War in Asia, 1945-1993 (studied in year 12)

During this side of your year 12 course, you will investigate the conflict that dominated the World from

1945 to the early 1990’s, although some historians and political commentators may argue that the Cold

War still continues in the present day. At the end of WWII a new conflict dominated the globe, Europe

was divided by Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” and the world was polarised by two contrasting political

ideologies: Communism and Capitalism. Your unit will focus on the development of this conflict, from

the end of the Second World War, to 1993, with a specific focus on Asia, the place where the Cold War

literally heated up to boiling point. You will study and investigate changing Western policies towards

Asia from 1945-1979, as countries like China become Communist in 1949, including how nations like the

US reacted to this change. You will also study the times the Cold War heated up, by investigating both

major Cold War conflicts in Asia, by examining the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The final section of

your study on the Cold War in Asia, is on Cambodia: examining the rise of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge,

the infamous “Killing Fields” with this culminating in the role of the UN in ending the conflict in

Cambodia.

Britain and Ireland, 1792-1921: (studied in year 13)

During this unit you will work to examine the opinion of historians. You will also cover some things and

people you looked into during year 12 course (such as Parnell). You will also examine events that you

may only have touched on in year 12, such as the Irish Famine and the Easter Rising.

NEA (Non-Examined Assessment): (studied in year 13)

The NEA is a piece of coursework, that with the help, advice and direction of your teacher, you can

select the question for. This can be on an historical topic that really interests you. Over the course of the

year, you will develop the historical skills that will help you to construct an answer to your own

question, over roughly 4000 words.

How do I succeed?

There is no one answer to this. You must, like in every subject, work hard. Those who achieve best

usually read widely, adding to their knowledge from the core text in an attempt to better understand

the context of the history they’re studying. This is easiest if you enjoy the subject. Many who achieve

well also consolidate their notes and work each weekend or every fortnight.

What do I need to avoid?

Plagiarism: Plagiarism is when you copy the work of others (including published books) and do not

reference it appropriately, or take it as your own. It is good practice to always write things in your own

words to avoid this. This means that you don’t simply copy and paste huge amounts of text, or copy

direct passages from a textbook.

What do I need?

In year 12 we use two textbooks. In previous years we’ve asked students to purchase both before

September, however, one of these books is no longer available for purchase by the general public: as a

result, the department has ordered ample copies of this book. These will either be loaned to students,

following the receipt of a returnable deposit, or available for purchase, in September (depending on

which option the department chooses to utilise).

You will, however, need to purchase the textbook for the Cold War in Asia, as you will need this in order

to complete some of the transition pack exercises. Both books, whether loaned or purchased, will be

needed for most of your history lessons throughout your first year (even if just for reference).

For the book you are required to purchase, please see the screen shot below for further information.

Please also speak to Mr Kearney for the book’s ISBN.

In Year 13 there is one further textbook you’ll need to purchase, but this is not needed until that year,

and is not required for year 12 study.

The department does carry spare copies of all books, in case you forget your copy for a given lesson.

Tasks:

These tasks are compulsory transition work. Your teacher will ask you to present this work to check you

have completed this pack, upon your return from the Summer break. The completion of this pack is vital

to giving you a foothold into succeeding in A-Level history. These tasks are designed to give you some

vital context to the key factors you’ll be studying as you move from GCSE to A-Level history. This is

produced as the topics that you will cover may well be unfamiliar to you.

Unit 1: Liberals, Conservatives and the Rise of Labour: 1846 – 1918

Your tasks for this unit of the course will require you to investigate the developing enfranchisement of

the British population and are designed to start to introduce you to, and help you to explore, Britain’s

often turbulent relationship with Ireland, something you look on in both year 12 and year 13.

1. “How far was Benjamin Disraeli responsible for the 1867 Reform Act?”

Read: pages 72-84

Plan: use pages 101 – 102 to help you to format an answer. Remember to think about both sides of

the argument.

Write and argue: Write an answer to the essay question “How far was Benjamin Disraeli responsible

for the 1867 Reform Act?”

2. “Did the Great War get women the vote?”

Read: pages 157-160 and 217-223

Plan: complete the source activity on pages 224-226

Write and argue: Write an answer to the question “Did the Great War get women the vote?”

3. Produce a PowerPoint on Ireland and its relationship with Britain, 1792-1921 (max up to 6

slides).

Read/investigate: Examine a range of websites that will help you to answer the question.

Create: A PowerPoint (you can do this chronologically) to examine the relationship between Britain

and Ireland.

Help? Things to consider:

The Irish Famine (Free trade and Charles Trevelyan)

The changes, actions and Acts of Gladstone’s First and Second Ministries (these were

designed to “solve the Irish question”)

The growth of Irish Nationalism and the Home Rule Movement and the response in the

growth of Unionism (see Joseph Chamberlain)

The development of the Irish Republican Brotherhood and the Easter Rising of 1916

Unit 2: The Cold War in Asia, 1945-1993:

The tasks below have been designed to give you a useful run down of entry level Cold War knowledge, a

topic that many students are not familiar with. Each task has been designed to give you some contextual

insight into some of the topics you are going to be investigating, by using the year 12 textbook (see page

numbers below).

1. Explain how and why the Cold War began and the policy of containment was followed?

Read/investigate/research: pages 1 - 15 in year 12 Cold War student textbook and look on the internet

and YouTube to find any relevant sections to introduce you to the topic.

Plan/think: Which factor do you feel was the most important in starting the Cold War?

Write: Write an answer to the question (no more than 4 pages, max)

Help? Try to include: ideological disagreements (Communism vs. Capitalism), FDR (and Truman), Yalta

and Potsdam conferences, Marshall Aid, Containment and the Truman Doctrine)

2. Make a timeline of US involvement in Vietnam (from the end of the Second World War in

1945 – the fall of Saigon in 1975 (see next page on how to lay this out)

Read/investigate/research: Pages 94 - 205 of the year 12 textbook (remember your main focus is US

involvement), you don’t have to know everything at this stage, so I’d recommend breaking it down by

US President.

Understand/plan/note taking: You need to include key information, people and policies in your

timeline: I would suggest doing this on a PC, if possible, perhaps doing this as a slide show, or making a

timeline with a key of events underneath.

Help? Look up and include the following:

Key people to include:

North Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh, General Giap, Le Duan

US Presidents: Harry Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Nixon, Gerald

Ford

US Secretary of State/Military commanders in Vietnam/ Special advisor: General Westmoreland,

Creighton Abrams, Robert McNamara, Clark Clifford, Henry Kissinger.

Presidents of South Vietnam: Ngo Dinh Diem, Thieu,

Key events to include on your timeline (not necessarily in order):

Battle of Dien Bien Phu and French withdrawal from French Indochina, The Geneva Accord 1954, Diem’s

assassination, Gulf of Tonkin Incident and Resolution, Battle of La Drang, Operation Rolling Thunder, The

Tet Offensive, My Lai Massacre, The 1968 Presidential Election, The National Moratorium (1969), Kent

State shootings, Operation Linebacker 1 and 2, Linkage and Détente, Lam Som Offensive, Pentagon

Papers, Cambodian Campaign, Easter Offensive, The 1972 Presidential Election, Paris Peace Accords

1973 and the Fall of Saigon 1975.

Key policies/movements/activities/tactics and weapons used:

Truman Doctrine, Containment, guerilla warfare, strategic hamlet programme, search and destroy raids

(Zippo raids), air strikes, agent orange, napalm, Vietnamization and “Peace with Honor”

How should I structure this?

This example timeline shows you a good structure to use. You would need to expand the events and

policies to help you to understand them, you would also need to add the key advisors and people

involved, (e.g. Kissinger and Westmoreland) in your version. You would also need to go back to 1945 and

add some some key events and policies (for example it does not mention Vietnamization).