History

Course summary

History is the process of looking at available information about the past in order to better understand the complexities of our present. Through analysing sources, you will build up an interpretation of the significance of interrelated factors that have shaped the world we live in today and give you a better understanding of our place within it. The course has been designed to develop your ability to analyse the interpretations and arguments of historians, along with considering the provenance of historical sources. These skills are not only essential to History, but are transferable across many professions and highly prized by employers. History is divided into the Tudors 1485-1603 and Russia 1917-1953. The Tudors focuses on how a relatively unknown Welsh nobleman rose to become King of England and how he and his dynasty shaped the foundations of Britain today, through religious, social and economic changes, changes in the relationship between the Crown and Parliament, England’s place within Europe and the impact this had on a rising sense of nation. In Russia, students look at how an imperial power revolutionised itself through the Bolsheviks under Lenin and the struggles he faced to ensure the survival of the Russian Revolution at all costs. Students will review the rise of Stalin into one of the most feared dictators of the 20th century and the extreme and radical lengths he would go to in order to ensure his control remained unquestioned and unchallenged. History is about reviewing the events of the past in order to interpret its significance to us today. You will acquire valuable knowledge, skills and understanding, along with the analytical abilities to be a critical citizen within our democracy.