Core content: Option A

Topics

Choose a topic to revise

Sample objectives

What this unit covers

• Were the revolutions of 1848 important?: Examine the significance of the 1848 revolutions by exploring the rise of liberalism and nationalism, the prevalence of revolutions that year, commonalities among them, reasons for their failures, and any changes they brought about. This includes understanding the characteristics of the revolutions and analyzing the causes, events, and outcomes in France, Italy, Germany, and the Austrian Empire, as well as the factors contributing to their failures.
• How was Italy unified?: Examine the process of Italy's unification, focusing on key questions such as the reasons for the lack of unification in 1848-49, the significance of Garibaldi's role, the impact of Cavour's actions, and the implications of Italian unification for other European nations. Key topics to explore include Austrian dominance in Italy, the influence of Italian nationalism and Mazzini, the events of 1848-49, the agreement between Victor Emmanuel II and Cavour at Plombières, the conflict with Austria in 1859, Garibaldi's campaigns in Sicily and Naples, and the establishment of the Kingdom of Italy, culminating in the completion of unification by 1870.
• How was Germany unified?: Examine the process of German unification, focusing on key questions such as the reasons for the lack of unification between 1848 and 1850, Bismarck's role in defeating Austria in 1866, his influence in defeating France in 1870, and the extent of his responsibility for Germany's unification. Key topics include German nationalism, the Zollverein, the 1848 revolution in Prussia, the establishment and failure of the Frankfurt Parliament, the resurgence of Austrian influence in Germany by 1850, Bismarck's position as Prussian Minister-President, and his foreign policy leading up to 1871, which encompasses the Schleswig-Holstein issue, the Austro-Prussian War and its aftermath, relations with France, the Spanish Succession, the Franco-Prussian War, and the formation of the German Empire.
• Why was there a civil war in the United States and what were its results?: Examine the reasons behind the American Civil War and its outcomes. Key areas of focus include the extent to which slavery was a cause of the war, the importance of Lincoln's presidential election, the factors that contributed to the North's victory, and the war's impact on society. Specific topics to explore include the differences between the North and South, the issues of slavery and states' rights, the 1860 election and the subsequent secession of Southern states, the reasons for the North's success and the South's defeat, Lincoln's role during the war, and the process and effectiveness of Reconstruction.
• Why, and with what effects, did nations gain and expand their overseas empires in the: Examine the reasons and consequences of how nations established and expanded their overseas empires during the nineteenth century. Key areas of focus include the motivations for European and US imperialism, the diverse effects of European imperialism on African societies, the reasons and impacts of Indian resistance to British authority, and the circumstances surrounding the United States' acquisition of former Spanish territories. Specific content to explore includes the economic, military, geopolitical, religious, and cultural factors driving imperialism; case studies of French, British, and Belgian imperialism in Africa and their effects; the British response to the events of 1857 in India; and the independence movements in the Philippines and Cuba, including the Spanish-American War and the resulting Treaty of Paris, alongside the discussions in the USA regarding imperialism and its implications for the Philippines and Cuba.
• What caused the First World War?: Investigate the factors that led to the outbreak of the First World War, including the impact of the Alliance System and international diplomacy on the likelihood of war, the role of colonial issues in escalating tensions among the Great Powers, the challenges posed by the Balkans, and the significance of the assassination of Franz Ferdinand. Key topics to explore include the origins of the war from 1890 to 1914, the Alliance System and European diplomacy, the 1902 Anglo-Japanese Alliance, the arms race, colonial rivalries, developments in the Balkans, and the crisis of June-July 1914 that triggered the war.