Unit 1: The Unification of Germany
Statement of inquiry:
People feel the need to belong to a group in order to build and reinforce their identity
People feel the need to belong to a group in order to build and reinforce their identity
The German Confederation: situation between 1815 & 1870. The role played by Bismarck. His aims & methods. The three wars to achieve unification. Unification on Prussia's terms. Bismarck as a planner or an opportunist. Different factors that also contributed to the unification. Prussian militarism & industrialization. The situation of Germany between 1870 & 1914 on the brink of WWI. Germany as a newcomer and as a threat to European Balance of Power.
Key concept: Systems
Unit 2: Causes of the First World War
Statement of inquiry:
Conflicts are the consequences of long and short term causes
Conflicts are the consequences of long and short term causes
Short- and long-term causes. System of alliances. New imperialism in the late nineteenth century. Militarism. Nationalism. Rising tension between states. The Balkans as the power-keg of Europe. The Balkans Wars. The growth of Serbia. The Moroccan Crises. Franco-German antagonism. The "last straw": the Sarajevo murder. The countdown to war- Who was to blame for the outbreak of WWI?
Key concept: Global interactions
Unit 3: The First World War
Statement of inquiry:
Conflicts affect and transform people's lives
Conflicts affect and transform people's lives
War on land. The German attack. The Schlieffen Plan. Different war plans and their implementation. The Western front: trench warfare and main campaigns. Eastern front. The Gallipoli campaign. Other fronts: main events. War at sea: main battles. Submarine warfare and convoy system. The third dimension: war in the air. The Home front: concept of total war. The year 1917 as a turning point in WWI. The USA's entry to WWI and her contribution. The Russian Revolution in 1917 and her withdrawal from the war. The end of the war. Why it lasted so long. Why the Central Powers were defeated. Effects of the war.
Key concept: Change
Unit 4: Peace settlements after WWI
Statement of inquiry:
After a conflict, peace is difficult to achieve due to diverse interests
After a conflict, peace is difficult to achieve due to diverse interests
The problem of making a peace settlement. Attitudes of the winners towards the losers. The treaty of Versailles and the other peace treaties. German objections to the terms of the treaty. The fairness or unfairness of the treaty.
Key concept: Time, place and space
