Term 1: How did Stalin rise to power in Russia, and how did Mao survive an 8000 mile Long March when 92,000 died?
With one teacher, students will study the establishment of communist rule in China from 1949-57. The aftershocks of these changes are still being felt today as China emerges as a great economic and political power on the world stage. Students will study China in 1949, the New Power Structure, how the CCP defeated its opponents and China and the Korean War. With their second teacher, students will learn about the key political, social and economic features of communist rule in Russia during the twentieth century, an era that saw its authority and influence rise to the status of a superpower, only to diminish and decline later in the century. The focus of study is on Communist government in the USSR 1917–85. A book that complements this unit is The Tragedy of Liberation by Frank Dikotter.
China: Unit 1 - 20 mark assessment question - two knowledge essays.
Russia: Unit 1 - Section A and Section B (2x20 mark essays).
21 Demands
The 21 Demands were set of political, economic and territorial demands, handed to Yuan Shikai and the Chinese government by Japan in January 1915. China eventually agreed to most of the demands.
28 Bolsheviks
The 28 Bolsheviks were a cohort of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leaders educated in Moscow during the 1920s. They retained close ties to the Comintern and the Soviet Union, hence the name.
Anti-Rightist Movement
The Anti-Rightist Movement was a campaign launched by Mao Zedong in 1957. It aimed to remove suspected capitalists and dissidents from the ranks of the CCP.
Autumn Harvest Uprising
The Autumn Harvest Uprising was a short-lived rural uprising on the border of Hunan and Jiangxi provinces in September 1927. According to Mao Zedong, he claimed to have gained experience in peasant rebellions and guerrilla warfare during this uprising.
Beiyang Government
The Beiyang government was the government of the Republic of China that operated in Beijing during the Warlord Era (1916-28).
Bolsheviks
The Bolsheviks were the Russian communist revolutionaries who seized control of Russia in the October 1917 revolution. Within China, the term ‘Bolshevik’ often referred to Chinese communists with close ties to Soviet Russia or the Comintern.
Cadre
A cadre was a devoted CCP member who worked to achieve revolution and/or implement communist policies. In the People’s Republic of China, cadres often worked in rural areas, overseeing the implementation of government policies or initiatives.
Central Committee
The Central Committee is the leadership committee of the Chinese Communist Party. During the revolutionary period, it contained between 100 and 300 regular and alternate members.
Central Plains War
The Central Plains War was a six-month civil war, fought in 1930 between Jiang Jieshi’s Nationalists and the forces of three warlords (Feng Yuxiang, Li Zongren and Yan Xishan) who had previously supported Jiang.
Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
The Chinese Communist Party was a socialist political party, founded in 1921 chiefly by Chen Duxiu and Li Dazhao. It had its roots in the May 4th Movement. The CCP dominated the left wing of the Guomindang until the Shanghai Massacre in 1927.
Develop the individual:
Spiritual education takes place in History as students understand how and why events in the past happened. Their studies help students to understand that events did not have to happen the way that they did, and that they could have taken other directions.
Moral education in History involves students being encouraged to comment on moral questions and dilemmas. History is a story of ethical decisions, and students develop the ability to empathise with the decisions which people made at the time, based on their historical situation.
Social education in History encourages students to think about what past societies have contributed to our culture today. Students own social development develops through working together and problem solving. History also has a role to play in helping people to express themselves clearly and communicate well.
Cultural education involves students developing a better understanding of our multicultural society through studying links between local, British, European and world history.
Create a supportive community:
By incorporating spiritual, moral, social and cultural development into our history classrooms, we create a supportive learning environment. The history classroom operates as a supportive learning environment that allows debate to flourish and encourages diverse views. Students feel that it is safe to discuss and engage with contentious areas of the past as well as to make links with present pressure points.
Term 2: Why did Russia move towards a command economy, and how did a campaign to eradicate sparrows lead to the starvation and death of between 20 and 43 million humans?
With one teacher, students will study in depth of the transformation of communist China's industry in the years 1949–65. They will study the early changes to agriculture, the communes, and the First and Second Five Year Plans. With their second teacher, students will learn about the transformation of Russia's industry in the years 1917-85. They will study the move towards a command economy, industry and agriculture in the Stalin era and the changing economic priorities 1953-85. A book that complements this unit is Mao's Great Famine by Frank Dikkoter. Where possible, students will also attend a lecture by John Nugée who is an independent commentator on financial, economic and political issues. He lectures at St Mary’s University, Twickenham in their politics faculty, and writes regularly for the financial press. He has extensive knowledge on China and has lived there himself too.
China: Unit 2 - 20 mark assessment question - one knowledge and one source essay.
Russia: Unit 2 - Section A and Section B (2x 20 mark essays)
Collectivisation
Collectivisation is a system of agricultural production, where small land holdings are merged into large farms. This allows for greater productivity since land, labour and resources can be more effectively managed, usually by the state.
Comintern
‘Comintern’ is an abbreviation for the Communist International, an agency formed in 1919 to organise, promote and advance the international revolution. The Comintern was based in Moscow and effectively controlled by the Soviet Union.
Commissar
A commissar is a political agent of a communist party. Commissars in China were posted to military units or workplaces to monitor conduct, attitudes and productivity, reporting their findings to the CCP.
Communism
Communism is a political ideology that works toward the overthrow of capitalism and seeks to replace it with a socialist dictatorship.
Concubine
A concubine is a sexual partner or servant outside marriage. The Qing imperial court housed large numbers of concubines, who were tasked with servicing the emperor’s sexual needs and bearing his children, but without the privileges of marriage.
Hundred Flowers Campaign
The Hundred Flowers Campaign was a brief period in 1956-57 where Mao Zedong invited and encouraged free expressions of speech, particularly opinion and constructive criticism of the Communist Party and the government.
Little Red Book
The ‘Little Red Book’ was colloquial name for Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong, a small red-covered book published between 1964 and 1976.
Long March
The Long March was the retreat of Red Army and Chinese Communist Party cadres, from southern soviets to the northern province of Shaanxi in 1934-35. This operation saw thousands of people march vast distances across often treacherous terrain.
Manchuria
A region of north-eastern China, the ethnic homeland of the Manchu. Manchuria was subject to influence by neighbouring Russia during the 19th century, then by the Japanese between the 1910s and 1945.
Second United Front
The Second United Front was a brief alliance between the Guomindang and Chinese Communist Party. It formed in early 1937 after the Xian incident and lasted until early 1946.
Develop the individual:
Spiritual education takes place in History as students understand how and why events in the past happened. Their studies help students to understand that events did not have to happen the way that they did, and that they could have taken other directions.
Moral education in History involves students being encouraged to comment on moral questions and dilemmas. History is a story of ethical decisions, and students develop the ability to empathise with the decisions which people made at the time, based on their historical situation.
Social education in History encourages students to think about what past societies have contributed to our culture today. Students own social development develops through working together and problem solving. History also has a role to play in helping people to express themselves clearly and communicate well.
Cultural education involves students developing a better understanding of our multicultural society through studying links between local, British, European and world history.
Create a supportive community:
By incorporating spiritual, moral, social and cultural development into our history classrooms, we create a supportive learning environment. The history classroom operates as a supportive learning environment that allows debate to flourish and encourages diverse views. Students feel that it is safe to discuss and engage with contentious areas of the past as well as to make links with present pressure points.
Term 3: How did Russia use the secret police to enforce cultural changes, and why were teachers publicly humiliated, beaten, and killed in the Cultural Revolution?
With one teacher, students will study in depth the Cultural Revolution and its aftermath 1966-76. Students will study Mao's reasons for launching the Cultural Revolution, the Red Guards, the Red Terror, attacks on Mao, and the winding down of the Cultural Revolution. With their second teacher, students will learn about Russian control of the people 1917-85. They will study media, propaganda and religion, whilst also investigating the use of the secret police and state and cultural change. A book that complements this unit is The Cultural Revolution by Frank Dikkoter.
China: Unit 3 - 20 mark assessment question - one knowledge and one source essay.
Russia: Section A and Section B (2x 20 mark essays)
Centralisation
Centralisation is a process where political power and/or decision-making is gradually limited to fewer people. In general terms, it is the opposite of democratisation.
Comintern
The Communist International, an organisation established in Moscow in 1919 to advance the cause of international revolution.
Counter-Revolution
A period or set of actions where individuals or groups attempt to reverse or halt changes that have been introduced by a revolution.
Ispolkom
The executive committee which led the Petrograd Soviet during the revolution.
Left-wing
An ideological position concerned with minimising or eliminating class differences and achieving economic equality, such as socialism, communism or Marxism.
Kadets
An abbreviated name for the Constitutional Democratic Party, a revolutionary party founded in 1905 and led by Pavel Milyukov. Membership of the Kadets was dominated middle-class professionals and some zemstvo delegates.
Kulak
A peasant who is wealthier than other peasants. A kulak is usually distinguished by his ownership of large tracts of land; his ability to produce and sell surplus produce for profit; or his employment of other peasants as labourers.
Class consciousness
The awareness of a class or group that they are being exploited; an important requisite for revolution.
Capitalist
Capitalist describes either an element of capitalism, an individual who supports capitalism or (in Marxism) an individual who owns capital and uses it to generate profit.
Bourgeois
Bourgeois is a French term used to describe the propertied, capital-owning middle classes. In Marxism, the bourgeoisie control the means of production.
Develop the individual:
With one teacher, students will study in depth of the transformation of communist China in the years 1949–76. The aftershocks of these changes are still being felt today as China emerges as a great economic and political power on the world stage. Students will gain an in-depth understanding of the nature and extent of change in this period, the effects of Mao Zedong’s policies on the lives of the Chinese people, and Mao’s role in driving dramatic political, social and economic changes. With their second teacher, students will learn about the key political, social and economic features of communist rule in Russia during the twentieth century, an era that saw its authority and influence rise to the status of a superpower, only to diminish and decline later in the century. The focus of study is on developments and changes over a broad timescale, and so the content is presented as themes spanning a significant duration: 1917–85.
Create a supportive community:
By incorporating spiritual, moral, social and cultural development into our history classrooms, we create a supportive learning environment. The history classroom operates as a supportive learning environment that allows debate to flourish and encourages diverse views. Students feel that it is safe to discuss and engage with contentious areas of the past as well as to make links with present pressure points.
Term 4: Did the Russian Revolution transform society as Lenin believed it would, and did Mao succeed in eradicating Old Ideas, Old Culture, Old Customs, and Old Habits in China?
With one teacher, students will study social and cultural changes in China in the years 1949–76. They will study the changing status of women, education and health provision, culture and religion. With their second teacher, students will learn about the key social developments in Russia 1917-85. They will study social security, women, the family, education, and young people. A book that complements this unit is Wild Swans by Jung Chang. Where possible, students will also take part in an online lecture with Dr Weipin Tsai, Senior Lecturer in Modern Chinese History at Royal Holloway University, where they will learn more about the female experience in China and studying History at Univeristy.
China: Unit 4 - 20 mark assessment question - one knowledge and one source essay.
Russia: Unit 3 or 4 - Section A and Section B (2x20 mark essays)
Marxism
A theory of history and political ideology developed in the 1800s by Karl Marx.
Narodniks
The Narodniks were mid-19th century liberal reformers, mainly from the middle classes and universities. They ventured into rural areas to offer education and political enlightenment to peasants and incite revolution – but found little interest in either.
Okhrana
The Okhrana was a tsarist police force, created in 1881 by a restructuring of the Third Section. The Okhrana was primarily concerned with state security and the personal safety of the tsar.
Politburo
The executive committee of the Bolshevik and later Communist Party. The first Politburo, formed in October 1917, had seven members but this number was expanded after the Bolshevik revolution.
Pravda
A Russian socialist newspaper formed in 1903. It came under Bolshevik control in 1912 and was later the official publication of the Communist Party.
Proletariat
A term used to describe all working classes, particularly those in capitalist systems. In Marxist contexts, the proletariat usually refers to industrial or factory workers.
Red Army
The official Soviet military force, formed in 1918 from the Red Guards, elements of the tsarist Imperial Army and conscripts. The Red Army defended the Soviet state from the Whites during the Civil War.
Red Guards
Militia units formed by the Bolsheviks in April 1917, ostensibly to guard against counter-revolutionary aggression. Most Red Guards were factory workers; a smaller number were current or former soldiers or sailors.
Russification
A policy employed throughout the Russian Empire by Alexander III, commencing in the early 1880s. Russification imposed the Russian language, religion and culture on non-Russian regions of the empire, such as Poland, Finland and Asiatic Russia.
Serf
A peasant who is bound to the land, and so in legal terms is owned by the landowner. Russian peasants were serfs until 1861, when they were emancipated by Alexander II.
Develop the individual:
Spiritual education takes place in History as students understand how and why events in the past happened. Their studies help students to understand that events did not have to happen the way that they did, and that they could have taken other directions.
Moral education in History involves students being encouraged to comment on moral questions and dilemmas. History is a story of ethical decisions, and students develop the ability to empathise with the decisions which people made at the time, based on their historical situation.
Social education in History encourages students to think about what past societies have contributed to our culture today. Students own social development develops through working together and problem solving. History also has a role to play in helping people to express themselves clearly and communicate well.
Cultural education involves students developing a better understanding of our multicultural society through studying links between local, British, European and world history.
Create a supportive community:
By incorporating spiritual, moral, social and cultural development into our history classrooms, we create a supportive learning environment. The history classroom operates as a supportive learning environment that allows debate to flourish and encourages diverse views. Students feel that it is safe to discuss and engage with contentious areas of the past as well as to make links with present pressure points.
Term 5: Completion of a coursework enquiry, and did the Enlightenment fuel the American Revolution, and was Australia transformed from an outdoor prison into an imperial colony?
With one teacher, students will explore the development of the British Empire. In particular they will focus on the loss of the American colonies 1770-83, learning about key events such as the Boston Tea Party and the Declaration of Independence. They will also study Australia's role as a penal colony and the impact of the British settlement on Aborigines in Tasmania and New South Wales 1788-1829. With their second teacher, students will write their coursework. The purpose of this coursework is to enable students to develop skills in the analysis and evaluation of interpretations of history in a chosen question, problem or issue as part of an independently researched assignment. The focus is on understanding the nature and purpose of the work of the historian. Students will be required to form a critical view based on relevant reading on the question, problem or issue. A book to complement this unit is Inglorious Empire by Shashi Tharoor.
Empire : Unit 1 - 20 mark assessment question - one knowledge and one source essay
Coursework: no formal assessments.
Autocracy
Autocracy is a system of government where all political power and sovereignty is vested in a single ruler, usually a king, tsar or emperor.
Balkans
The Balkans is a large region of south-eastern Europe, bordered by Austria-Hungary to the north, the Black Sea to the east, the Mediterranean Sea to the south and the Adriatic Sea to the west. Nations in the Balkans include Serbia, Bosnia, Greece and Mont
Bayonet
A bayonet is a long blade that is attached to the barrel of a gun, for use in infantry charges and close-quarter fighting. The bayonet was considered an important weapon during the 18th and 19th centuries, however, it was largely rendered ineffective by a
Colonial War
More common in the 19th century, colonial wars were one-sided conflicts against undeveloped or inferior forces, waged to gain control of a colonial possession.
Defence of the Realm Act
The Defence of the Realm Act was legislation passed by the British parliament in August 1914. It gave the government sweeping powers to protect the nation and coordinate the war effort.
Diplomacy
Diplomacy refers to formal and informal communications between nations and their governments. The aims of diplomacy are to forge good relations, advance trade interests and resolve disputes and disagreements.
Dynasty
A dynasty is a ruling family in a monarchy, such as the Romanovs in Russia and the Hapsburgs in Austria-Hungary.
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch who rules or governs an empire.
Empire
An empire is two or more nations, colonies and ethnicities who are under the political and economic control of a single, powerful nation.
Militarism
Militarism is a condition where the military occupies a privileged and influential position in society and government. Military needs are prioritised and military commanders exert excessive influence on government decision making.
Develop the individual:
Spiritual education takes place in History as students understand how and why events in the past happened. Their studies help students to understand that events did not have to happen the way that they did, and that they could have taken other directions.
Moral education in History involves students being encouraged to comment on moral questions and dilemmas. History is a story of ethical decisions, and students develop the ability to empathise with the decisions which people made at the time, based on their historical situation.
Social education in History encourages students to think about what past societies have contributed to our culture today. Students own social development develops through working together and problem solving. History also has a role to play in helping people to express themselves clearly and communicate well.
Cultural education involves students developing a better understanding of our multicultural society through studying links between local, British, European and world history.
Create a supportive community:
By incorporating spiritual, moral, social and cultural development into our history classrooms, we create a supportive learning environment. The history classroom operates as a supportive learning environment that allows debate to flourish and encourages diverse views. Students feel that it is safe to discuss and engage with contentious areas of the past as well as to make links with present pressure points.
Term 6: How can I effectively revise for my End of Year Examinations?
This term, students will focus on improving their exam technique to prepare themselves for their End of Year exams. They will revise content previously covered this year, and take a deeper look at some topics. A good book which could be read during this time to prepare students for these exams is Empireland by Sathnam Sanghera.
End of Year 12 Mocks: Full Russia and China paper.
Monarchy
A monarchy is a political system where at least some executive power is vested in a hereditary monarch, who is also the head of state.
Morganatic
A morganatic marriage is a marriage between a royal and a commoner, where the commoner and/or their children are not entitled to royal power or titles. The marriage between Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie was morganatic.
Mutiny
A mutiny is an uprising or rebellion in a military unit, such as the army or navy.
Nationalism
Nationalism is an intense and often short-sighted form of patriotism. It involves a belief in the moral authority and superiority of one’s own country.
Patriotism
Patriotism is affection for or loyalty to one’s country.
Populist
To be populist is to seek or enjoy popular support; to appeal to the people.
Revolution
A revolution is a historical period involving dramatic political, social and/or economic change in a particular nation or region.
Slavs
The Slavs are a large ethnic group concentrated in central and southern Europe. They are the largest populations in western Russia, Austria-Hungary and the Balkan states.
Treason
Treason is a criminal act involving disloyalty or betrayal of a nation, government or leader. High treason is an act of treason during wartime and the punishment for this is usually execution.
Boer War
The South African War was fought between Britain and the self-governing Afrikaner (Boer) colonies of the South African Republic (the Transvaal) and the Orange Free State.
Develop the individual:
Spiritual education takes place in History as students understand how and why events in the past happened. Their studies help students to understand that events did not have to happen the way that they did, and that they could have taken other directions.
Moral education in History involves students being encouraged to comment on moral questions and dilemmas. History is a story of ethical decisions, and students develop the ability to empathise with the decisions which people made at the time, based on their historical situation.
Social education in History encourages students to think about what past societies have contributed to our culture today. Students own social development develops through working together and problem solving. History also has a role to play in helping people to express themselves clearly and communicate well.
Cultural education involves students developing a better understanding of our multicultural society through studying links between local, British, European and world history.
Create a supportive community:
By incorporating spiritual, moral, social and cultural development into our history classrooms, we create a supportive learning environment. The history classroom operates as a supportive learning environment that allows debate to flourish and encourages diverse views. Students feel that it is safe to discuss and engage with contentious areas of the past as well as to make links with present pressure points.