GCSE History

Revsion List

2011
27th January 2011
Year 11 GCSE Revision List

Below is a comprehensive list of all the topics you will have to revise for GCSE. It
is a huge task and you must begin this process over half term (if have not already
begun). It is advisable that you conduct your revision in the following three
stages, and I have set out the list in a table so you can tick off each stage of
each topic as you go along.

Try to tackle topics in the lists in groups of two or three

1. First of all you must read about each topic in your notes, or from the
revision guides. Begin with the topics that you perhaps feel most
comfortable with to begin, and progress through the list with the less
familiar topics.
2. Then make NEW notes on those topics – do this on a piece of A3 or (even
bigger) using colours to draw up a mind map. Alternatively write down
things on cards or even post it notes.
3. Then the next stage is to try an exam question with, then without your
notes from the past papers available on Flipper (or other places listed on
page 7).

Repeat this process with a new group of topics until you have covered all of the
topics in the list. Perhaps at some point in revising and reviewing topics you will
have covered enough to tackle a whole exam paper. I would advise that you try to
do a mock exam again at home before the real one. This will help you with your
timing also.

Paper 1

Tuesday 7th June 2011 131 days from now (18 weeks) the paper is 2 hours
long

The Cold War 1945-1975

And

Germany: 1919-45

Paper 2 (Source based)

Tuesday 14th June 2011 138 days from now (19 weeks) the paper is 1hour and
30 minutes long.

British History – 1939-1975

Revision list for Paper 1

Type of questions and skills needed.
Paper 1 tests students factual knowledge, and the ability to compose and explain
arguments. Students must analyse evidence, particularly cartoons. They will
answer two 3 part questions.
Part a...tests comprehension and recall skills.
Part b...tests students ability to explain events and connections.

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Part c… requires students to create a balanced argument with a reasoned
conclusion/judgement.

Revision Topic Re-

read?
Taken
notes?
Past
exam
question
?
Paper 1 content-The Cold War 1945-
1975

Key Question 1: Who was to blame for

the Cold War?

1. Why did the USA-USSR alliance begin

to
break down in 1945? The Yalta and Potsdam
Conferences including the roles played by
Stalin, Truman, Roosevelt and Churchill.

2. How had the USSR gained control of

Eastern Europe by 1948? Soviet takeover of
Eastern Europe and the Iron Curtain. The Berlin
Blockade and airlift.

3. How did the USA react to Soviet

expansionism? The Truman Doctrine and the
Marshall Plan.

4. Who was more to blame for the start of

the
Cold War, the USA or the USSR?

Key Question 2: Who won the Cuban

Missile Crisis?

1. How did the USA react to the Cuban

Revolution? The Cuban Revolution and
The Bay of Pigs Incident

2. Why did Khrushchev put missiles into

Cuba?

3. Why did Kennedy react as he did? The

events of the Crisis including the actions of
Khrushchev and Kennedy

4. Who won the Cuban Missile Crisis? How

was the crisis resolved and what were the
consequences.

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Key question 3: Why did the USA fail in
Vietnam?

1. Why did the USA get increasingly

involved in Vietnam? The Domino
theory, The Different policies of
Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon.

2. What were the different ways that

the USA and the Communists
fought the war? Guerrilla Tactics of
the Vietcong, Search and Destroy,
Operation Rolling thunder

3. Whose tactics were the most

effective – the USA’s or the
Communists’?

4. Why did the USA withdraw from

Vietnam? Make sure you understand
how public opionion effected the war
effort as well as the failures of the US
Army on the battlefield.

Don’t forget the first question on

paper one is always based on a
cartoon like this and is on one of the
three aspects of the Cold War. This
one shows Kennedy and Khrushchev
having a showdown!

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Revision Topic Re- Taken Past
read? notes? exam
question?
Paper 1 Content- Germany 1919-45
What happened to Germany after the war?
 What did German’s think of the peace treaty?
 What was the nature of the new Weimar
Republic?
 How did the new govt. Maintain stability
o The Spartacists
o The Kapp Putsch
o 1923 Ruhr Crisis & hyperinflation
o Munich putsch 1923.
 What were the origins of the Nazi party?
 Munich putsch-advantage or disaster for the
Nazi’s?
 Was the Weimar Republic doomed to failure?

How did Germany stabilise from 1924-9?

 How did Stresemann stabilise Germany?
 Why did Nazi support decline and how did Hitler
re-organise the party?
 How did Germany regain its position in Europe?
 Why did the Wall Street Crash occur and how did
it affect Germany?

How did the Nazi’s take over power?

 The Reichstag Fire
 The Enabling act
 The Night of the Long Knives.
 The death of Hindenburg.
 Why did people vote for the Nazis?
How did the Nazi’s consolidate their power?
 How did the Nazi’s promote loyalty?
o Propaganda
o The role of education, youth & women.
o Economy
 How did the Nazi’s ensure loyalty?
o Gestapo/SS
o Opposition movements
 Eidelweiss Pirates
 White Rose movement
 Stauffenberg plot
 Church opposition.
o Re-education plans
o Persecution of Jews.

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 Revision list for paper 2 – British Depth Study 1939-1975

Paper two is the sources paper and you should become familiar again with the
types of questions asked by looking at the past papers on Flipper. Paper two will
ask you questions on ONE of the following three topics:

o TOPIC 1: Immigration
o TOPIC 2: Women
o TOPIC 3: Youth

Revision Topic Re- Taken Past

read notes? exam
question?
BRITISH DEPTH STUDY
Key Question: How was British society
changed, 1939-75?

Topic 1: Immigration

• What immigrants were living in Britain in 1945?

• Why did different groups migrate to Britain between
1948 and 1972?
• What were the experiences of immigrants in Britain?
• What contribution had immigrants made to British
society by the early 1970s?

Topic 2: Women

• What was life like for most women in the 1950s?

• How were women discriminated against in the
1960s and early 1970s?
• What factors led to changes in the roles of women?
• How much change had taken place for women by
1975?

Topic 3: Youth

• What was it like growing up in the 1950s?

• Why were there changes in the lives of teenagers in
the 1960s?
• How did teenagers and students behave in the
1960s and early 1970s?
• How far did the lives of all teenagers change in the
1960s and early 1970s?

And these questions apply to all three topics

• What impact did the Second World War have on the

British people?
What was the impact of the National Health Service
on people’s lives?

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Good luck to all of you. You all have the ability to reach and succeed your
target grade. IF you begin this process during the half term then you can identify
gaps in your knowledge (and notes) for when you come back and begin your
revision classes.

Happy revising!

Mr Rae (Head of History)

michaelrae@varndean.co.uk

Useful Websites

Varndean History Department You Tube channel (continuously updated)

I can’t emphasise how important it is that you use this website! A lot of
our lessons we use audio/visual material to help you learn, and it doesn’t make
sense that you don’t use that for revision. I have started my own stuff as well this
term!

www.youtube.com/mrae22

Also Ms Knights has a youtube site as well.

www.youtube.com/sandraknights66

History pod casts

http://www.mrallsophistory.com/revision.html

http://www.mrallsophistory.com/

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General Websites

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/audio/history/index.shtml

Exam board website(Past papers, mark schemes)

http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/type/gcse/hss/history_b/documents/index.htm
l

Past exam questions

Past exam questions will be issued separately in the departmental revision

guides. Alternatively they are available on the exam board website (link given
above) but it is a very difficult site to navigate. I suggest either.

• Logging on to Flipper or looking on the central resource library (I am trying

to put instructions on how to do this on You tube) other wise I will show
you in lessons.
• Get a paper copy of a past exam paper from Myself or Ms Knights I have
100s of them in my filing cabinet.

More on revision technique

When I used to teach A level History I had to teach Italy 1870-1925, which I had
never studied before or even knew much about! So I had to learn it and in quite a
lot of depth. The first year teaching was difficult of course, but after teaching it for
4 years there was nothing I didn’t know about that period at that time. If you were
to ask me about it now some of my knowledge would have inevitably
disappeared. The point of this story is thus….

• There is nothing better for learning something than having to TEACH IT!
Get together with other GCSE students at Varndean (there are about 100
of you) and revise by teaching each other.
• USE IT OR LOSE IT! Keep revising topics over and over or you will forget,
little and often should be your motto. It’s no good cramming and going
over something once you need to go over things two or three times.

Remember you have the ‘Varndean History’ facebook page to help you. Ask me
questions or your classmates, or organise the type of revision get-together I
suggested above.