GCSE Modern World History


HAPPY NEW YEAR!! and with all best wishes for academic success 2025...
GCSE: Understanding the Modern World Wider World Depth Studies Conflict & tension: the First World War, 1894–1918 BA i - Causes of WWI • Background • The Growing Crisis • Four Steps to War • Interpretations • Causes of WWI Cascade • Self-test BA ii-iii - The First World War • World War One • The Schlieffen Plan fails • The Schlieffen Plan - Interpretations • Stalemate - Trench Warfare • Search for a Solution - Gallipoli: A Second Front • Search for a Solution - Improvements • Verdun - the Start of the War of Attrition (maybe) • Verdun - Interpretations • The Somme • The Western Front in 1917 • The War at Sea • America joins the War • End of the War • Haig and Foch - Interpretations • WWI Cascade • Self-test Conflict & tension: the inter-war years, 1918–1939 BB i - Peacemaking - the Treaty of Versailles • The Conference • Aims • Terms • German reactions • Did the Big 3 achieve their aims? • Interpretations • Other treaties • ToV Cascade • Self-test BB ii - League of Nations • Aims • Strengths and Weaknesses • The 1920s • Manchuria • Abyssinia • Why the League failed • Interpretations • League of Nations Cascade • Self-test BB iii - Origins of WWII • Hitler's Aims • 8 Steps to War • Appeasement • Sudetenland - Appeasement in Action • After Munich - The End of Appeasement • Nazi-Soviet Pact • A wiser persepctive • Interpretations • Causes WWII Cascade • Self-test Conflict & tension between East and West, 1945–1972 BC i - The Origins of the Cold War • Hot War/ Cold War • Causes • Yalta and Potsdam • Hiroshima • Salami tactics • Fulton • Truman Doctrine/ Marshall Plan • Berlin Blockade • Interpretations • Cold War Causes Cascade • Self-test 1945-1949 BC ii - Development of the Cold War • Growing tensions in Asia • Korean War • Peaceful Co-existence? • Poland/Hungary, 1956 • U2 Crisis, 1960 • Interpretations • Development of Cold War Cascade • Self-test 1953-1960 BC iii - Transformation of the Cold War • Berlin Wall • Berlin Wall - Interpretations • Cuban Missiles Crisis • Cuban Missiles Crisis - Interpretations • The Prague Spring • Détente, 1969-1972 • Transformation of Cold War Cascade • Self-test 1964-1972 Period Studies AA - America 1840-95 Expansion: opportunities and challenges • The Wild West? • The Geography of North America in 1840 • Manifest Destiny, Frontier & US Expansion • The Indigenous Nations • The Sioux - Govt & Warfare • The Sioux - Values & Beliefs • The Sioux - Lifestyle • Why did white Americans Hate the Indigenous Peoples? • Going West in the 1840s - Why? • Going West in the 1840s - The Journey • Going West in the 1840s - The 1849 Gold Rush Consolidation • The Mormons - The Mormons Move West • The Mormons - At Salt Lake • The Mormons - Interpretations • Cattlemen and Cowboys • Homesteaders - Why they went West • Homesteaders - Problems & 'Solutions' • Homesteaders - Interpretations • Law(lessness) and (lack of) Order Conflict • Conflict with the Indigenous Nations - Overview • Conflict with the Indigenous Nations - Causes • Conflict with the Indigenous Nations - Events • The Wild West - Interpretations • The Wild West Cascade • Civil War - Causes • Civil War - Course • Civil War - Impact on Civilians • Civil War - Results • Civil War - Black Americans • Civil War - Cascade AB - Germany 1890-1945 Germany and the growth of democracy • Kaiser Wilhelm II • Difficulties of Ruling Wilhelmine Germany • Weltpolitik and the Navy Laws • Wilhelmine Germany - historiography • Impact of the First World War Germany and the Depression • The Weimar Republic • Ending the War • Weimar problems 1919-23 • How far did the republic recover? • The Nazi Party 1919-29 • 1890-1928 Cascade The experiences of Germans under the Nazis • Hitler's Rise to Chancellor • Was Weimar Doomed? - historiography • Consolidating Power • Control • How Nazi Rule affected Germans • Interpreting Hitler - historiography • 1929-1945 Cascade • Self-test AC - Russia 1894-1945 The End of Tsardom • Tsar Nicholas II • Problems in Nicholas II's Russia • Late Imperial Russia - interpretations • The Revolution of 1905 • Why was there a Revolution in February 1917? • The February Revolution - interpretations Lenin's New Society • Provisional Government • October Revolution • Bolshevik State • Civil War • NEP • 1894-1924 Cascade Stalin's USSR • Stalin Takes Power • Stalin's Terror • Collectivisation • 5-Year Plans • Impact of WW2 • Life in Russia 1914-45 • Stalin's Russia - interpretations • 1924-1945 Cascade • Self-test AD - America 1920-1973 American People and the 'Boom' • America in 1916? • 'The Boom' of the 1920s • Inequalities of Wealth in the 1920s • Women in 1920s America • Entertainment, Prohibition and Crime • Immigration • The 'Red Scare' and the 'Monkey Trial' • Racism and the KKK Americans' experiences of the Depression and New Deal • Crash and Depression • Effects of the Depression • The 1932 Presidential Election • The New Deal - measures • The New Deal - evaluation • WWII - Economy & Society • WWII - African Americans and Women • WWII - Popular Culture • 1920-45 Cascade Post-war America • Economic Boom of the 1950s & '60s • '50s & '60s Popular Culture • McCarthyism • Civil Rights, 1945-65 • Civil Rights, 1965-73 • Civil Rights Movement - interpretations • Feminist Movements of the '60s &'70s • Kennedy's 'New Frontier' • Johnson's 'Great Society' • 1945-73 Cascade • Self-test	Key Stage 3 Portal Quick Links • The Middle Ages, 1066-1500 • A United Kingdom, 1500-1750 • The Age of Expansion, 1750-1914 • The Twentieth Century • How Wild was the Wild West? Ancient History Portal Quick Links • Alexander the Great • Hannibal • Agrippina Additional Topics The Aycliffe Angels • The Story of 'The Angels' • Where does all this information come from • Why were they called 'The Aycliffe Angels'? • What did the Factory manufacture? • Plans and Photos of the Factory (1940s) • TIMELINE of the Factory & Workers • Winston Churchill visits the Aycliffe Factory (1942) • Mrs Dillon - Senior ROF worker who received a medal • Honour at last, thanks to The Northern Echo • The Aycliffe Angels 2000-2020 • Extremely dangerous work... • Workers' Houses and Accommodation • 350 Houses on Secret Estate in Darlington • Photo Gallery 1 - (Admin Staff) • Photo Gallery 2 - (Production Staff) • Photo Gallery 3 - (Individual Angels) • Photo Gallery 4 - (ROF site in 1945) • Photo Gallery 5 - (ROF Fire Brigade) • Documents and Certificates etc... • What's left of Aycliffe ROF? • Surviving ROF buildings... • Links for History of The Aycliffe Angels Britain and World War II • The Day War Broke Out • The Phoney War The 'Home Front' • Evacuation • Censorship & Propaganda • Conscription • Internees & POWs • Blitz • Rationing • Women in the War Britain in World War II • Dunkirk • Battle of Britain • Battle of the Atlantic • D-Day Votes for Women! • Background • Failure • Victory • Hard-copy booklet China • China before World War II • The Communists during World War II • The Communists take power 1949 • Industry 1949-56 • The Great Leap 1958-62 • Agriculture 1950-62 • Impact of the Communist reforms • Political Oppression before 1966 • The Cultural Revolution • After Mao Zedong • China and the USSR • China and the USA • China's and its Neighbours	Dear User, In 2024 I did a first refresh of all the GCSE units, so hopefully they will be useful for you. I am currently going back through all the GCSE pages and adding cloze exercises, writing development tasks and exam-style questions. This is a laborious (and soul-destroying) task and will take months, so please be patient. Is there anything missing? Is there anything in any of the units or on this website that is not there, but which you would wish to see? For your suggestions, or for any errors you find, please let me know on X (formerly twitter): John D Clare History – @clare_d1683 (remembering to tell me the page URL). Links • Ideas for Teachers
Who is John D Clare?
To cite this website as a reference, use the following format: CLARE, JOHN D. (2002/2024), http://www.johndclare.net Unless specified on the page, to cite a specific page that is © John D Clare, use: CLARE, JOHN D. (2002/2024), 'Title Of Page', at [exact URL].

GCSE: Understanding the Modern World

Additional Topics