VCE HISTORY

Unit 1

Twentieth Century History (1900-1945)

Introduction

WAYS OF OBSERVING HISTORY

Method 1: From the top down…

POSITIVE/NEGATIVE

Positive Negative

AREA OF STUDY 1

Crisis and Conflict What was the world like at the turn of the twentieth century?

What chain of events led to the First World War?

What were the outcomes of this war?

How did these outcomes create conditions that made the Second World War likely/inevitable?

How did these conditions assist the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in post-war Germany?

AREA OF STUDY 2

Social Life How did daily life and social values change during this period?

How did events, like the World Wars, influence these changes?

How did various factors – such as gender, class, age, race, nationality and ethnicity – influence an individual’s life.

How did Hitler and the Nazi Party influence social life in post-WW1 Germany?

AREA OF STUDY 3

Cultural Expression How were the world’s creative force – writer’s, artists, musicians,

choreographers and filmmakers – influenced by changes including war, industrial development and political movements.

How did mass media influence the ability of governments to control and organisations to revolt?

Focusing on Hitler’s Germany – how were these creative forces censored and manipulated and how did this influence society?

WHAT DO YOU KNOW?

Collect a Lotus diagram and in the boxes provided write (briefly) everything you know (or think you know) about Adolf Hitler, Germany, the Nazis, the two World Wars and other related topics.

Once you have written down as much as you can, form a group of 4 to make a larger lotus diagram on an A3 piece of paper.

As we move through the topic we will re-assess our Lotus diagram to add and re-arrange information to consolidate our understanding.

WAYS OF OBSERVING HISTORY

Method 2: From the bottom up…

WHY?

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out -- Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out -- Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out -- Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me -- and there was no one left to speak for me.

Martin Niemöller

POSITIVE/NEGATIVE

Positive Negative

HOLIDAY HOMEWORK

If you completed the homework set by Ms Adler last year please submit it and will correct your work and hand it back.

This is a good overview and we will review aspects of this booklet as we move through the topic chronologically.

SAC’s are the tasks that count towards your overall result. However doing this work will give you a strong grounding for the semester ahead.

HITLER’S EARLY YEARS

ANOTHER HIGHLY ACCURATE HISTORY SHOW

WHAT CAUSED WW1?

INVESTIGATION 1: CRISIS AND CONFLICT

MEIN KAMPF

To ban or not to ban, that is the question?