The GCSE History Revision Podcast: Recent Episodes
Mr W
This is a podcast designed specifically to help with AQA GCSE History revision. On twitter @GCSEHistoryPod
What can castle Acre tell us about the influence of the Cluniac Order on England? Who were the Cluniacs? And how did the complicated relationships between powerful individual men in this period impact on the revival of monasticism in England? How did monasteries impact on the political, economic and social fabric of this new, Norman state?
Buckle in, because it's a long one as we look at the site study for the 2021 exam and dig into the birth and development of Castle Acre Priory.
The Historic Site Study for 2021 is Castle Acre Priory; but you can't understand why Castle Acre is so important without the context of monastisicm in Norman england. What is a monastery? Who do monks do?
The next episode will dig deeply into Castle Acre and how it links to the rest of Norman England.
Alongside the economic and political stability of the Stresemann period came a flowering of Weimar Culture. What did this look like, how did it impact our world today and how did it give the Nazis a wedge issue they could use to gain political traction with people in the countryside?
The Weimar Republic seemed on the brink of collapse in 1923 - yet it survived for another ten years. Was this miracle a true recovery or merely papering over the cracks? Join us as we look at the career of Gustav Stresemann and struggle to agree on a single pronunciantion for his name.
1066 is regarded as a watershed moment when all of life in England changed. How far is this accurate? In this episode we look at the various ways that life changed in Norman England - and the ways in which is changed.
In this special episode for GCSE Film Studies students we are joined by John Rain, host of SMERSHPOD
And author of THUNDERBOOK to talk about the underlying aesthetic of Bond films. Unsuprisingly, we also veer off the topic a bit and end up talking about Marvel films and why Infinity War is better than Endgame and why Film Studies students should watch JFK.
The Nazi state had very clear plans for the young men and women of Germany; these plans would be reflected in the changes to the education system and the creation of youth groups. In this episode we look at the interplay of these two factors and the overall impact of Nazi youth policies.
For this episode we are joined by two colleagues from the English Department who are discussing two poems from the AQA anthology. Apologies for the sound quality - this episode was obviously recorded in lockdown.
Germany was a totalitarian state - one where the government imposed control over every aspect of its citizens lives. One of the areas worth looking at in depth is now Nazi social policy effected women. What were the laws passed in relation to women and how was the role of women seen by the state - and how far did this role have the support of the german people?
This is our bumepr episode on the Tower of London, the White Tower. William I's residence, symbol of power, refuge of last resort... why was it built? How did it function? How does it fit in with other castles built across England? Why was it white?
This is key episode for the 2021 exam as there will be a 16 mark essay question on this.
In this episode we look at the rise and fall of the SA. How important was it to early Nazi success and what impact did it have on their electoral victories - and at what point did it become a hinderance rather than a help?
We are joined for this episode by Stephen Graham of the Faces of Fascism podcast.
In November 1923 a bunch of politcal chancers launched an attempted coup - a 'putsch' - from a beer cellar. A collection of ex-soldiers and political monomaniacs led a failed artist they thought they could repeat Mussolini's March on Rome. Who were they?
In this episode we look at the early history of the National Socialist German Workers' Party - the Nazis - and the causes of the Beer Hall Putsch. We look at the events of the failed rebellion and then look at the consequences for Hitler, the Party and Germany as a whole. As a special bonus we are joined buy Stephen Graham of the Faces of Facism Podcast for some expert input.
The newborn Weimar Republic did not have an easy life; rocked by attacks from both without and within, it seemed doomed to fail. In this episode, we look at the first few years of the Republic and the attacks it faced from both the left and the right. We cover Sparticists, Kapp and the invasion of the Ruhr.
After the catastrophe of the Great War, Germany found itself without a leader, without a government and without a future. From this wreckage rose a new state; birthed in Weimar because Berlin was too dnagerous, it was known as the Weimar Republic. An experiment in democracy in an age of autocracy, was it doomed from the start? In this episode we consider the structure of the Weimar Constitution and the problems it creates for the future.
What was the impact of WW1 on Germany? In this episode we look at the economic, social and political aspects of the War's impact and consider how that effects the birth of the Weimar republic.
What was Germany like before the First World War? What kind of power structures were in place and what difficulties were there in governing it?
This is the episode to support the Norman England Historic Site study. An in depth examination of the factors that influence success or failure in medieval warfare with a focus on the Battle of Hastings.
Which groups were fighting for the rights of women at the dawn of the 20th Century? Was it due to their efforts that women got the vote in 1918 or was it due to other factors?
This is part of the Power and the People Theme Study.
Part of the Power and the People Theme Study for Paper 2.
The Chartists weren't the only game in town in the 1800s when it came to reform movements. There were also the Anti-Corn Law League, the anti-slavery Abolitionists and the various social and factory reformers. What tactics did they use and what success did they achieve?
No Geographers were harmed in the making of this podcast.
Something a little different while we sort out the Pevensey castle episode
This is the first episode of abnother podcast called Faces of Fascism, the rest of which can be found on Podbean and Apple Podcasts. It's a bit more in depth than you need for GCSE but great for A-Level or simply if you are interested in one the dominant political forces of the 20th century.
"You don't get me, I'm part of the Union..."
The first in our mini sequence of podcasts on the development of the Trades Union movement and its place in the development of democracy starts small; focused on one small village in Dorset and six men who swear an oath to found a Union to bargain for better pay and conditions...
The Chartists were a huge political movement, able to mobilise a lot of public support; born out of unhappiness with the Great Reform Act, their demands were simple and clearly designed to improve the representation of the working class in Parliament. But the movement collapsed by the 1850s, ending in abject failure.
Or did it...?
What was the problem with elections in the 1800s? How did a meeting at St Peter's Field lead to the Great Reform Act? And how Great was it anyway?
This is background to the Chartist movement which will be covered in the next episode.
After the Civil Wars, the question of who ruled - Parliament or the King - was settled. The next phase of power shifting to the people would be about who was represented in Parliament. The first skirmish of this fight would be a war across the sea, when colonists declared that there should be no representation without taxation and, in their Declaration of Independence, wrote down some self-evident truths.
In our final episode of the class of 2018, we talk through with an AQA Lead Examiner how to answer each of the questions on the new paper.
For the last time, 2018 - good luck in your exams!
Good-BYEEEEE-EEEEEEE.
England is at war with itself; the King versus Parliament. This confilct gave rise to new radical politics which would inform the rest of British political history. But not only that - hovering in the background is the biggest unanswered question of all - what do you do with the King?
Probably the most important turning point in the development of Power and the People is covered in this episode.
In August 1642 King Charles I raised his standard at Nottingham, declaring war on his own Parliament. The most serious challenge to royal authority in English history was about to begin - British history, actually, as the mid-1600s saw war engulf the three kingdoms of the British isles. How did it come to this? In this episode we talk through the steps to 1642 and what brought Parliament and the King to the brink of war....
Henry VIII had to deal with the challenge to his authority, but how? This episode wraps up the events of 1536 and looks at the impact it had for the people who rebelled, Henry and Thomas Cromwell.
In 1536 Henry VIII faced the most serious challenge to his power - the most serious challenge to any monarch since 1381. Why did nobles, commons and peasants alike join together to rise up against the Tudor king?
This is the second of the two episodes on the Peasants' Revolt; here we discuss the events and consequences of the revolt. We also discuss the differing interpretations of the revolt depending on the different point of view of different historians.
This is another episode for the Power and the People Theme Study.
In the summer of 1381, peasants from the south east of England rampaged through towns and cities. They murdered merchants and tax collectors and even the Archbishop of Canterbury. What caused this sudden outburst of violence? This episode looks at the social, politcial and economic causes of the revolt while the next one looks at the events and consequences.
The book mentioned in the podcast is available here: Summer of Blood
How important was Simon de Montfort and what was the significance of his Parliament? This episode looks at the next major challenge to royal authority after Magna Carta and considers whether Simon de Monfort's meeting deserves the title of 'The First Parliament'.
Welcome to the second episode on Magna Carta with a new microphone cable. In this episode we cover the key clauses of the Great Charter and why they matter today.
Apologies for the sound quality on this episode - the microphone cable was damaged and I didn't have a spare.
This is the first episode of the Power to the People Theme Study and it looks at where it all began: in 1215 witrh the document held by some to be the cornerstone of all modern democracy - the Magna Carta.
But why did the Magna Carta come about?
Cathedrals were an important part of the organisation and structure of the Church, and Durham Cathedral was the one that established the pattern for all other Norman Cathedrals.
This episode will prepare you for the 16-mark Historic Site question on Paper 2.
1066 is seen as a cataclysmic event, a moment that changed England forever: but how much actually changed for the peasant in the field? This summary episode looks at all the aspects of Norman England we've discussed so far and considers how life chnaged in the Norman period and, perhaps more importantly, for who.
The Domesday book paints a picture of the grown of towns in the Norman period; over 200 hundred of them in the reign of William alone. Why did towns grow - and perhaps more importantly, how did they grow?
In the final episode for the Class of 2017, we run through how to answer each of the questions on both of the AQA GCSE History B papers.
So for us on Paper 1 that's:
- Origins of WW1
- Peacemaking and the League of Nations
- Hitler's Foreign policy, Appeasement and the Origins of WW2
and, on Paper 2;
- USA in the 1920s
- Germany 1933-45
- Vietnam 1954-75
For the last time - and we really do mean it:
Thank you for listening - and good luck in your exams.
The USA lost. One of the two great superpowers lost. It can be argued that America never got over their defeat in Vietnam. So why did they leeave?
In this episode we consider the factors that led towards Nixon claiming that they had peace with honour while the world watched the last chopper flee from the American Embassy in Saigon, leaving screaming crowd to their fate.
This is the last episode for the 2017 Year 11s, so let's just say good luck with your exams!
How the VC won is a slightly different question: but why didn't the USA win? The strongest natio on earth faced some particular problems in the Vietnam War. What were they?
As a general rule the USA solves problems by throwing money and technology at them. But this did not work in Vietnam. Why?
In this essay style episode, we discuss which of the two sides in the war had the most effective tactics.
Why did the USA even get involved in Vietnam? It's thousands of miles away and, at first glance, of no strategic value. The answer lies in the background to the Cold War and some fairly tangled geo-politics and economics. Have a listen to this episode and decide for yourself - which was the main reason the Americans got involved in a land war in South east Asia?
Even leaving aside the apparatus of the police state, Nazi control of Germany must have depended to some extent on the support of the German People. So why did people support the Nazi regime? The answer, as is also true in the case of Dick Nixon, is simple: follow the money.
After the Enabling Act and the Emergency Decree, the Nazi party has control of most of the levers of power in the German State. But there was always one other power bloc in Germany: the army. And the army were willing to throw their support behind Hitler and his party - but at a price...
In early 1933, Adolf Hitler was Chancellor of Germany but he had very little, actual power. How did the Nazis sieze control of the German state? That long road started with a fire in the Reichstag.
How did Hitler become Chancellor? One of the most common mistakes people make is thinking that Hitler and the Nazis were elected to power. As you will see in this episode, the truth is rather more complex....
How did religion change under the Normans? When William of Normandy asked for the Pope's blessing to invade England, he promised to reform the corrupt church in England. Was it corrupt? And how far did he stick to this promise? All will be revealed in this episode...
In this episode we cover the people who didn't benefit from the economic boom; who were they, and why were they left behind? We also zero in on the experience of black americans and the activities of the Ku Klux Klan. It's recommended that you listen to this section alongside the episode on the experience of immigrants to make sure you're comfortable with WASPS and so on.
CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains a short extract from the film Mississippi Burning which contains language that some people might find offensive.
What changes in the legal system did the Normans make? This whistlestop tour takes in language, forest law and legal principles before stopping off for some good old fashioned death and mutliation when we look at trial by ordeal and consider the role of God in determining guilt or innocence.
In this episode we cover the causes of Prohibition through to the growth of the Chicago Outfit and the repeal of the 18th amendment in the wake of the St Valentine's Day Massacre.
Are you a Wet or a Dry? Let us know in the comments.
What was it like to be a peasant in Norman England? How was your day organised, what sort of work would you do throughout the year and what did the village actually look like?
The book referenced in the episiode is this one: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-year-1000/robert-lacey/danny-danziger/9780349113067
You can find it cheaper on ebay and Abe Books.
In this episode we cover the basics of landholding and lordship. How was Norman society organised? How did homage, scutage and subinfeudination keep the system running? What was fiscal feudalism and who were the Marcher Lords?
In this AS Level Bonus Episode we cover a basic overview of Fletcher's situation ethics that you'll need for your Ethics paper. It will also be useful for GCSE Religious Studies.
A quick overview of the types of immigration into the USA, the laws that were enacted to try and control immigration and a close look at the case of Sacco and Vanzetti and what this can teach us about the way that the American legal system viewed immigrants and political radicals.
The USA in the 1920s saw a boom in the economy unlike anything since the Industrial Revolution in Britain 150 years earlier. What caused the American economy to explode the way it did? In this podcast we engage on a probably futile quest to decide what was the most important factor.
For bonus points, if you listen carefully you can hear us desperately flicking through books and notes really quietly to find a fact when we realise one of us has made a mistake.
A quick introductory podcast to the structure and politics of the USA in the 1920s to give some context to the rest of the Topic. This episode covers:
- Federal and State governments
- Democrat and Republican
- The Presidents
In this bumper episode we look at the various challenges to William's rule in the years 1066-76. We cover the Harrying of the North and Hereward the Wake and along the way discover what became of Morcar and Edwin. This is a chronological overview of the various revolts and rebellions that will help you build up context; it is not a replacement for your detailed notes!
In this bumper episode we discuss the three battles of 1066 and consider how each one effects the one after. Was the outcome of Hastings a given, or was it in doubt right up until the moment? Three of the most experienced rulers and war leaders in Medieval Europe meet - and only one will survive.
In this final episode for Paper One, we are joined by two very special guests to give us their insights on the most unlikely event of the 1930s: Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia signing a non-aggression pact.
DISCLAIMER: No dictators were harmed in the making of this episode.
The Munich Conference was a triumph of Appeasement; it pulled Europe back from the brink of war. Or so it was seen at the time. But later it came to be seen as betrayal of Czechoslovakia and an unacceptable collapse in the face of German aggression. Which one is right? Listen in as Mr W attempts to teach a Geography teacher about the Munich conference.
How does a sudden growth in population effect a city that doesn't have the infrastructure to deal with it? This episode looks at the Cairo case study to try and answer that question. As an added bonus you will hear Mr W rendered speechless for pretty much the first time in 20 years.
Historians and politicians have been arguing about the policy of Appeasement since the 1940s. Was the idea of trying to reach an arrangement with Hitler a sensible way to avoid a war or was it an act of moral cowardice? In this essay style episode we'll discuss the arguments for and against appeasement as well as some of the ways it might come up in the exam. Apologies for the noise right at the end - someone picked that exact moment to start fitting a new window in the next room.
Historians and politicians have been arguing about the policy of Appeasement since the 1940s. Was the idea of trying to reach an arrangement with Hitler a sensible way to avoid a war or was it an act of moral cowardice? In this essay style episode we'll discuss the arguments for and against appeasement as well as some of the ways it might come up in the exam.
What were the events and consequences of the Anschluss with Austria of 1938? Why did this attempt succeed where the 1934 attempt did not? In this slightly different format episode, Mr W tries to explain the Anschluss to someone who's never studied history before. What could possibly go wrong?
The remilitarisation of the Rhineland was the biggest single breach of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. It was, quite simply, illegal. So why did no one stop it? And could action here have stopped Hitler before the situation spiralled completely out of control?
How did the Chancellor of Germany present himself to the international community in the early years of the 1930s? And to what extent did this influence the way they reacted towards him later? This podcast covers the years 1933-36.
For 20 years after 1945, WW2 was regarded as something caused solely by Hitler's actions. For Topic 3 of the exam, you need to consider whether this is true. We start here, with Hitler's aims in foreign policy. Did he want a war? If not, what did he actually want?
In this Geography Bonus Episode, Mrs G tries to teach Mr W about the various types of coastal processes. This podcast is useful for both Coursework and Exam and covers:
- Waves types
- Discordant and concordant coastlines and headlands
- Cracks, caves, arches, stacks and stumps
- Wave cut notches and wave cut platforms.
Early in 1066, King Edward the Confessor died without leaving an heir. This one death and the confusion over who should succeed him was to completely change the course of British History. There were four men who could lay claim to the throne of England, but were all the claims equal?
In this Essay style episode, the three of us have a good old argument about who should be king. And there was genuinely no prep - before the names came out of the hat, none of us knew whose case we would be arguing.
In this wrap up episode to finish off the Origins of World War One, the two of us have a good old argument about which of the causes is the one you can blame the war on;
- Militarism
- Alliances
- Imperialism
- Nationalism
This is the podcast to listen to if you're worried about the essay questions as you can see how we use evidence to defend our positions.
When the war broke out in August 1914, why did a small conflict in the Balkans suddenly engulf all of Europe and then the world? The answer lies much earlier, in a piece of paper written in 1905 by a German officer called Von Schlieffen....
Militarism is often seen as one of the MAIN causes of the World War One. By looking in detail at the naval rivalry between Britain and Germany, can we get a feel for how tensions in Europe were ratcheted up at the start of the 20th Century?
The Bosnian Crisis highlights the role of Austria Hungary in the build up to world war one and helps explain why the Balkans were the spark that lit the fire. How did the fallout from the collapse of Turkey lead towards the bullets fired in Sarajevo in 1914? Find out here.
"I beheld a pale horse, and the name of him that rode it was Death." Everyone remembers the Kaiser riding his white horse through Morocco in 1905, but why was this little slip of Africa so important? And how did the Agadir crisis bring Europe to the brink of war in 1911?
In another Bonus Geography Episode, Mrs G attempts to teach the man who knows nothing about Geography about the Turkey Earthquake of 1999. This is another one you will need for your case study.
This is a special bonus Geography episode, you lucky people! In this, Mrs G attempts to teach Mr W about the Montserrat volcanic eruption which you need for your case studies.
The German government and people were infuriated by the dictated peace - or 'diktat' - of the Treaty. Was their anger righteous?
"This is not a peace treaty," Marshall Foch of France said when he saw the terms, "it is an armistice for twenty years." Sure enough, 20 years later there was another war. Was the Treaty of Versailles to blame? In this podcast we go through the territorial and military terms as well as examining the infamous Clause 231.
The Paris Peace conference set the terms of the Treaty of Versailles which, in turn, set the course of European politics for the next twenty years. But the conference was basically run by three men and it was the competing needs and expectations of these three men that created the treaty. Who were the Big Three and what did they want?
Did the League ever have a chance of succeeding or was it always doomed to failure? In this essay question episode, three history teachers sit around a table and argue about the different reasons for the failure of the League of Nations. You are strongly advised to have listened to the previous League podcasts before you listen to this one.
The Italian invasion of Abyssinia is often said to be the death sentence for the League of Nations. But why did the League not act? How did the Invasion come about and what were the murky dealings that led to the Hoare Laval Pact?
During the 1920s, the League managed to deal with a few small skirmishes and small scale problems very well; but at the dawn of the new decade a more militaristic Japan started expanding in the Far East. Was the Manchurian Crisis what killed the League of Nations? Was it just the beginning of the end? Or was it just a simple mistake that the League could have learned from?
This podcast is designed to help with Topic 3 on Paper One of the 2017 exam.
Was the League of Nations doomed from the start? How was it created and who was a member? What structures and tools did it have to carry out its mission of preserving the peace after the Great War?
How did the relationship between Edward the Confessor and the Godwin family shape England in the years before 1066? And how, exactly, did a duchy of Northern France get involved? This covers the period from around 1030 up to the death of Edward the Confessor and is for the Period Study of the 2017 AQA Exam.