History

Course summary

Welcome to History and the study of a subject that will enhance not only your understanding of the past but also enable you to make sense of the modern political world. History is the study of past events and the impact they have on the present and the future. Enter a world of political, religious, social and economic intrigue with a study of the Tudor dynasty from Henry VII through to his granddaughter Elizabeth I. Investigate how historians have interpreted this revolutionary and turbulent time period that laid the foundations for modern Britain. At the same time, you will also be thrust into a study of the rise and fall of democracy in Germany after WWI. Why did the experimentation with democracy fail in the most liberal and democratic European state of its day and how was Nazism able to rise in its place? What happens to societies and politics when democracies fail and people become desperate in the face of economic hardships? Crucially, does the history of Germany from 1918-1945 have anything to teach us about the global world we now inhabit more than 75 years on? Over the course of two years you will also have the opportunity to investigate, research and write about the collapse of the British Empire from c1847-c1947. How and why did the most powerful empire on earth come to an end and was there any singular factor that ultimately brought it to its knees in the wake of WWII? This coursework element provides you with the chance to work independently and in a way that equips you for further study beyond your A Levels. You will also have the opportunity to conduct research at Huddersfield University to support your independent enquiry.