The GCSE History Revision Podcast

Norman England Part V: The Growth of Towns

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?

Summer 2017 - Exam Tips

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.

 

Vietnam Part IV: Peace With Honour?

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!

Vietnam Part III: Apocalypse Now - what problems did the US face in Vietnam?

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?

Vietnam Part II: Size Isn't Everything

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.

Vietnam Part I: You Don't KNow Man, You Weren't There

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?

Germany Part IV: Cui Bono? Who benefitted from Nazi Germany?

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.

Germany Part III: The Night of the Long Knives

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...

Germany Part II: Burn Baby Burn - The Reichstag Fire

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.

Germany Part I: Never Mind the Ballots

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....

Norman England Part IV: Religion

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...

The Roaring 20s Part V: Did the 1920s roar for everyone?

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.

Norman England Part III: Trial by Ordeal

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.

The Roaring 20s Part IV: Why was alcohol made illegal and what were the effects of Prohibition?

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.

Norman England Part II: Village Life

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.

Norman England Part I: The Feudal System

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?

AS RS Bonus Episode: An Introduction to Situation Ethics

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. 

The Roaring 20s Part III: What was the experience of immigrants in the USA?

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 Roaring 20s Part II: Boom!

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.

The Roaring 20s Part I: USA 101

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