World History Topics

1. Society and economy (750-1400)

• Society and economy:

  • Changes in social structures and systems

  • Impact of population change; impact of famines and disease

  • Role of women in society: economic and non-economic roles

  • Nature and development of trade; changes in economic systems; taxation

  • Changes in travel and transportation

• Cultural and intellectual developments:

  • Role and significance of key individuals

  • Factors affecting the transmission of ideas and cultures

  • Significance and impact of artistic and cultural developments; developments in architecture

  • Developments in science and technology

• Religion and society:

  • Religious institutions: religious institutions and the economy; influence of religious institutions on society

  • Religious leaders: role of religious leaders in government and administration; disputes between rulers and religious leaders

  • Treatment of religious minorities; religious persecution

  • Spread of religion

2. Causes and effects of medieval wars (750-1500)

• Types and causes of conflicts:

  • Dynastic, territorial and religious disputes

  • Economic causes, competition for resources

  • Ideological and political causes

  • Religious causes

  • Long-term, short-term and immediate causes

• Course/practices:

  • Role and significance of leaders

  • Raising armies: knighthood, military service and mercenaries; taxation

  • Logistics, tactics and organization of warfare

  • Women and war

• Effects:

  • Conquest, boundary and dynastic changes

  • Treaties and truces

  • Political repercussions

  • Economic, social, religious and cultural changes

  • Demographic changes and population movements

3. Dynasties and rulers (750-1500)

• Dynasties and rulers:

  • Individual rulers: nature of power and rule; aims and achievements

  • Methods used to legitimize, consolidate and maintain rule

  • Expansion of dynasties/kingdoms: reasons for expansion; methods used to expand power; invasion and settlement

• Law, governing institutions and administration:

  • Models and methods of government and administration

  • Sources of religious and secular law

  • Administration and interpretation of law

  • Role and duties of officials; role of nobility and the elite

• Challenges:

  • Successes and failures of dynasties and rulers

  • Internal and external challenges to power; the success with which these challenges were overcome

  • Rebellion and/or political opposition; rivalries and issues of succession

4. Societies in transition (1400-1700)

• Social and economic change:

  • Changing social structures and systems; role of women in society

  • Population expansion and movements

  • Treatment of minorities

  • Economic change: development of, and changing patterns of, trade; role and impact of merchants and travellers

• Cultural and intellectual change:

  • Artistic, cultural and intellectual movements

  • Cross-cultural exchange

  • Scientific and technological developments; social and cultural impact of those developments

  • Role and significance of key intellectual/scientific figures

• Religious change:

  • Religion and the state: interactions and relationships; religion as a support or a challenge to the state

  • Religious expansion and conversion

  • Religious division, conflict, discrimination and persecution

5. Early Modern states (1450-1789)

• Nature of power and rule:

  • Established and new states; states in ascendancy and states in decline

  • Methods and models of government; reasons for changes in political structures/political organization; domestic policies; treatment of subjects

  • Individual rulers: ideology; nature of rule; ambition and achievements; legitimacy; successes and failures

• Expansion:

  • Expansion of established states; political and economic reasons for expansion

  • Political organization in established states: structures of government and political structure; models and methods of government; relationship between religion and the state

  • Establishment and expansion of colonial empires; political and economic reasons for expansion and acquisition of territory

  • Political organization in colonial states: structures of government and political structure in the colonial world; models and methods of government; relationship between religion and the state

• Conflicts and challenges:

  • Methods of maintaining power; treatment of opposition

  • Support and opposition; challenges to power and how successfully those challenges were overcome

  • Challenges to colonial rule: resistance, rebellions and their impact; the colonial race—competition and conflict

  • Rivalries and tensions; issues of succession

6. Causes and effects of Early Modern wars (1500-1750)

• Causes of conflicts:

  • Ideological and political causes

  • Economic causes; competition for resources

  • Religious causes

  • Short- and long-term causes

• Practices and impact on outcome:

  • Role and significance of leaders

  • Raising armies: military service and mercenaries; taxation

  • Organization of warfare; strategies: land and/or sea

  • Significance of technological developments

  • Influence and/or involvement of foreign powers

• Effects:

  • The successes and/or failures of peacemaking

  • Economic, political and territorial impact

  • Social and religious impact

  • Demographic changes and population movements

7. Origins, development and impact of industrialization (1750-2005)

• The origins of industrialization:

  • The causes and enablers of industrialization; the availability of human and natural resources; political stability; infrastructure

  • Role and significance of technological developments

  • Role and significance of individuals

• The impact and significance of key developments:

  • Developments in transportation

  • Developments in energy and power

  • Industrial infrastructure; iron and steel

  • Mass production

  • Developments in communications

• The social and political impact of industrialization:

  • Urbanization and the growth of cities and factories

  • Labour conditions; organization of labour

  • Political representation; opposition to industrialization

  • Impact on standards of living; disease and life expectancy; leisure; literacy and media

8. Independence movements (1800-2000)

• Origins and rise of independence movements, up to the point of independence:

  • Development of movements: role and relative importance of nationalism and political ideology

  • Development of movements: role and relative importance of religion, race, social and economic factors

  • Wars as a cause and/or catalyst for independence movements

  • Other internal and external factors fostering growth of independence movements

• Methods used and reasons for success:

  • Methods of achieving independence (including violent and non-violent methods)

  • Role and importance of leaders of independence movements

  • The role and relative importance of other factors in the success of independence movements

• Challenges faced in the first 10 years, and responses to the challenges:

  • Challenges: political problems; ethnic, racial and separatist movements

  • Social, cultural and economic challenges

  • Responses to those challenges, and the effectiveness of those responses

9. Evolution and development of democratic states (1848-2000)

• Emergence of democratic states:

  • Conditions that encouraged the demand for democratic reform: aftermath of war and/or political upheaval; political, social and economic factors; external influences

  • The role and significance of leaders

  • Development of political parties, constitutions and electoral systems; the significance/impact of those developments

• The development of democratic states:

  • Factors influencing the evolution of democratic states: immigration; ideology; economic forces; foreign influences

  • Responses to, and impact of, domestic crises

  • Struggle for equality: suffrage movements; civil protests

• Impact of democracy on society:

  • Social and economic policies and reforms: education; social welfare; policies towards women and minorities; the distribution of wealth

  • The extent to which citizens benefit from those policies

  • Cultural impact; freedom of expression in the arts and media

10. Authoritarian states (20th century)

• Emergence of authoritarian states:

  • Conditions in which authoritarian states emerged: economic factors; social division; impact of war; weakness of political system

  • Methods used to establish authoritarian states: persuasion and coercion; the role of leaders; ideology; the use of force; propaganda

• Consolidation and maintenance of power:

  • Use of legal methods; use of force; charismatic leadership; dissemination of propaganda

  • Nature, extent and treatment of opposition

  • The impact of the success and/or failure of foreign policy on the maintenance of power

• Aims and results of policies:

  • Aims and impact of domestic economic, political, cultural and social policies

  • The impact of policies on women and minorities

  • Authoritarian control and the extent to which it was achieved

11. Causes and effects of 20th-century wars

• Causes of war:

  • Economic, ideological, political, territorial and other causes

  • Short- and long-term causes

• Practices of war and their impact on the outcome:

  • Types of war: civil wars; wars between states; guerrilla wars

  • Technological developments; theatres of war—air, land and sea

  • The extent of the mobilization of human and economic resources

  • The influence and/or involvement of foreign powers

• Effects of war:

  • The successes and failures of peacemaking

  • Territorial changes

  • Political repercussions

  • Economic, social and demographic impact; changes in the role and status of women

12. The Cold War: Superpower tensions and rivalries (20th century)

• Rivalry, mistrust and accord:

  • The breakdown of the grand alliance and the emergence of superpower rivalry in Europe and Asia (1943–1949): role of ideology; fear and aggression; economic interests; a comparison of the roles of the US and the USSR

  • The US, USSR and China—superpower relations (1947–1979): containment; peaceful co-existence; Sino-Soviet and Sino-US relations; detente

  • Confrontation and reconciliation; reasons for the end of the Cold War (1980–1991): ideological challenges and dissent; economic problems; arms race

• Leaders and nations:

  • The impact of two leaders, each chosen from a different region, on the course and development of the Cold War

  • The impact of Cold War tensions on two countries (excluding the USSR and the US)

• Cold War crises:

  • Cold War crises case studies: detailed study of any two Cold War crises from different regions: examination and comparison of the causes, impact and significance of the two crises