Course details Unit 1: British Period Study & Enquiry – The Later Tudors • Enquiry focus – The Mid Tudors 1547-1558 • Depth Study Focus – The Reign of Elizabeth I This unit examines a fascinating period of history in which the religion of England changed from Catholic to Protestant, and back again, before the Elizabethan Settlement in 1559. The impact on the people, the culture and the politics of the country is explored in depth with a specific focus on the Mid Tudor period and whether the rebellions of 1549 and 1554 reflect a growing sense of crisis in the realm. The growing authority of Parliament and central government is examined, as are the foreign policy decisions taken by each ruler. The study ends with an examination of Elizabeth’s reign and whether she really was the ‘greatest’ Tudor. Unit 2: Non-British Period Study – Democracy & Dictatorships in Germany 1918-1963 This climactic period of German history takes us from the end of the Kaiser’s rule following Germany’s ‘defeat’ in WWI through to the development of the Berlin Wall. The Weimar Republic and its impact, both culturally and economically, will be examined in-depth, as will the rise of the Nazis, their time in power and the impact of WWII. The post war division of Germany and the ideological clash between East and West will be explored, as will the wider implications of the Cold War. This unit also affords us the opportunity to visit Munich, Nuremberg and Berlin during the Easter holidays of Lower or Upper Sixth. Unit 3: Thematic Study & Interpretations – From Colonialism to Independence: The British Empire 1857–1965 This is a fascinating and hugely relevant thematic study which focuses on the changing nature of the British Empire over this period. You will assess and understand the factors which encouraged and discouraged change during this period. You will study developments across the whole of the Empire, including Asia (eg India, Malaya), North Africa and the Middle East (eg Egypt, Sudan, Palestine, Iraq), East and West Africa (eg Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika, Gold Coast, Nigeria), Southern Africa (eg North and South Rhodesia, Nyasaland, Bechuanaland), the Caribbean, Canada and Australia/New Zealand. The focus is on the British Empire, and knowledge is not expected of other European empires; however, you will draw in knowledge of developments in other empires in so far as they impacted the British Empire. Unit 4: Non-examined Assessment: Topic-based Independent Essay This unit gives you the opportunity to investigate a period of history in which they have a deep interest. It can be on any period, providing there is sufficient debate, controversy and argument surrounding it. Examples of past work include: • Women’s Rights and the Impact of the Suffragettes • The Impact of British Rule in India • The Causes of the Italian Renaissance • The Causes of the Wars of the Roses • The Impact of the Black Death in England • The Reasons for Improvements in Prisons and also Crime Detection in the 19th Century