3°BFI Brevet Speaking and Listening Exam

The evaluation for the Brevet is a speaking and listening exam based on two documents and a question.

The exam lasts for 30 minutes and takes place on Monday 22nd and Tuesday 23rd June 2026.

It is divided into:

15 minutes candidate preparation of response to the two documents,

10 minutes of speaking and

5 minutes of questions with the two examiners.

 

Themes studied in 2025-26 for the Speaking and Listening Exam

Topic One:

World War One and the Versailles Peace Settlement

Topic Two:

Living in the USA

Topic Three:

The Bi-polar World of the Cold War

Additional Topic:

WW2 and the Shoah (taught in French History lessons)

 

PowerPoint which explains the format and topics of the 15 minute oral exam:

3°BFI HG ORAL EXAM PREP

Topic One: WW1 as a Total War & the Treaty of Versailles.

WW1 opposed the forces of the Entente (France, Russia and the United Kingdom) with the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy – until 1915). However, what began as a European conflict but later expanded worldwide as the system of European alliances obliged countries to come to the aid of friendly nations which had been attacked.

There were three distinct phases:

From August to December 1914 it was an offensive war of movement.

Between 1915 and March 1918 it became a static war of attrition fought from trenches.

It once again became an offensive war in 1918 following the arrival of American troops in 1917.

The war witnessed horrendous levels of violence against soldiers and civilians and led to a revolution in Russia when Tsar Nicolas II abdicated in 1917. It was an industrial war because new weapons, such as gas, tanks and later planes, killed and injured people in large numbers. Soldiers were exposed to the extremes of weather (e.g. cold, rain, muddy conditions) and lived with rats and the bodies of the dead abandoned on No Man’s Land. The fear of dying, injuries and other traumatic experiences, in addition to being far from home and their families, meant many soldiers suffered severe psychological suffering during the war.

It finally concluded with an armistice on 11 November 1918 and a fragile peace treaty, signed the following year that changed the map of Europe.

This theme tackles the following questions:

• What were the long term causes and immediate triggers for the conflict?
• What were the phases of WW1?
• What were conditions like for combatants in the trenches?
• Why did the USA enter WW1 in 1917?
• Why were there two Russian Revolutions in 1917?
• Was the war really over on the 11^th hour of the 11^th day?

 

World War I was caused by long-term tensions (M.A.I.N: Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, Nationalism), but the assassination in Sarajevo acted as the trigger that started the war. 

Long-term causes of World War I

Militarism: European powers built large armies and navies → created tension and fear.

Alliance system: Countries formed opposing alliances. The Triple Entente (France, Britain, Russia) and The triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy). This system of alliances meant that a conflict between two countries could quickly spread.

Imperialism Rivalries existed over the competition for colonies (especially in Africa and Asia).

Nationalism: Strong national pride and desire for independence (especially in the Balkans) caused instability.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIK9Lkf02TE

Trigger Event: 28 June 1914 (Sarajevo)

The heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, was assassinated in Sarajevo. This was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the time. The assassin was 19 year old  Gavrilo Princip, who was linked to a Serbian nationalist group called the Black Hand.

This event is known as the Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia and declared war, as a result, alliances were activated  and war spread across Europe within a few weeks.

The phases of World War One and Conditions in the Trenches:

Overview: WW1 Overview and Verdun

Powerpoint: WW1 Phases of War and Trenches

Evaluation # 1 Resources in Colour: 3°bfi EV1 RESOURCES

The Battle of the Somme (1916):

The Battle of the Somme shows how modern industrial war caused massive losses for very small gains, with no quick victory.

It took place in northern France, along the River Somme was fought between the British and French armies against Germany. The battle began on 1 July 1916. On the first day, the British army suffered around 60,000 casualties — the worst day in its history.

The aim was to break through German lines and relieve pressure on Verdun. Soldiers lived and fought in trenches, facing mud, barbed wire, machine guns, and heavy artillery.

The battle lasted until November 1916, but very little land was gained and it became a symbol of the horror and stalemate of trench warfare.

Lesson Resources:

Somme 3°DNL

The Battle of the Somme worksheet

WW1 in Colour Episode 1: Catastrophe

WW1 in Colour Episode 2: Slaughter in the Trenches

What were conditions like for combatants in the trenches?

Trenches in WWI were constructed with sandbags, wooden planks, woven sticks, tangled barbed wire or just mud. The constant damp often led to a condition known as ‘trenchfoot,’ which if left untreated, could require amputation to stave off severe infection or even death.

The constant bombardment of modern artillery and rapid firing of machine guns created a nightmarish wasteland between the enemies’ lines, littered with tree stumps and snarls of barbed wire known as No Man’s Land.  In battle, soldiers had to charge out of the trenches and across no-man’s land into a hail of bullets and shrapnel and poison gas. They were easy targets and casualties were enormously high. By the end of 1914, after just five months of fighting, the number of dead and wounded exceeded four million men.

The trench systems on the Western Front were roughly 475 miles long, stretching from the English Channel to the Swiss Alps, although not in a continuous line. Though trenches offered some protection, they were still incredibly dangerous, as soldiers easily became trapped or killed because of direct hits from artillery fire.

Copy and click on the following link for more information about the trench system:

https://www.theworldwar.org/learn/about-wwi/trench-warfare

Lesson Resources for the Trenches:

trench photos

VirtualTourofaWorldWarOneTrench

Why did America decide to go to war in 1917?

The USA joined the war because Germany’s actions threatened its people, trade, and security, and because it supported the Allies politically and economically. The points below summarize key reasons why the USA joined the war effort on the side of the Allies:

German submarine warfare (U-boats): Germany used submarines to sink ships, including civilian and merchant vessels. This threatened American lives and trade.

The sinking of the RMS Lusitania (1915): A British passenger ship was sunk by a German U-boat. 128 Americans died, shocking public opinion in the USA.

Unrestricted submarine warfare (1917): Germany announced it would sink any ship near Britain, including neutral ships like those from the USA.

The Zimmermann Telegram:  Germany secretly asked Mexico to join the war against the USA. Britain intercepted the message and shared it with the Americans → caused outrage.

Economic ties with the Allies: The USA traded a lot with Britain and France and had lent them money. An Allied defeat would hurt the American economy.

President Woodrow Wilson’s decision: He wanted to “make the world safe for democracy” and asked Congress to declare war in April 1917.

Lesson Resources:

US 1917 DBQ 3BFI

Why did the United States enter World War I

 

WW1 Propaganda Posters

World War I was the first war in which mass media and propaganda played a significant role in keeping the people at home informed on what occurred on the battlefields. It was also the first war in which governments systematically produced propaganda as a way to target the public and alter their opinion.

Propaganda is used to try to make people think a certain way.

• Stories about bad things the Germans had done were told to make people want Britain to beat them in the war.
• Germany told similar stories about Britain.
• The Government needed lots of soldiers. They designed posters to make men want to join the army

Copy and click on the link for more information about Propaganda in WW1:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zpnccmn#zfykkty

Lesson Resources:

WW1 Posters Exercise

WW1 Posters ACTIVITY

The Armenian Genocide, 1915:

Armenian Genocide, campaign of deportation and mass killing conducted against the Armenian subjects of the Ottoman Empire by the Young Turk government during World War I(1914–18).

it was implemented primarily through the mass murder of between 664 000 and 1.2 million Armenians during death marches to the Syrian desert and the forced Islamization of others, primarily women and children. It began with the arrests and deportation of 250 Armenians intellectuals and leaders in Constantinople of 24th April 1915.

A second-lieutenant in the German Army stationed in the Ottoman Empire in Apr. 1915, Armin T. Wegner took the initiative to investigate reports of the Armenian massacres. Disobeying orders intended to stifle (restrict)  news of the massacres, he collected information on the genocide and took hundreds of photographs of Armenian deportation camps, primarily in the Syrian desert. Wegner was eventually arrested, but not before he had succeeded in channeling a portion of his research material to Germany and the United States through clandestine mail routes.

More details can be found on the following site:

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-armenian-genocide-1915-16-overview

Lesson Resources:

Arminian genocide

Overview: What was the Armenian Genocide?

 

 

Why were there two Russian Revolutions in 1917?

There were two revolutions in Russia during 1917 because the first government failed to solve Russia’s problems. The second brought the Bolsheviks to power, leading Russia to leave WWI, which temporarily helped Germany.

At the time of these revolutions Russia still used the older Julien calendar (which Europe had abandoned in the 18th century) however after the Bolsheviks came to power they adopted the Gregorian calendar so although the revolutions took places during February and October, these happened under dates in the older Julien calendar. From our point of view today, the Revolutions happened in March and November 1918.

The February Revolution:

• Russia was suffering from food shortages, poverty, and strikes.

• Heavy losses in World War I made people lose confidence in the Tsar.

• Soldiers began to refuse orders and join protests.

• Tsar Nicholas II abdicated.

A Provisional Government took power, but kept Russia in the war.

The November Revolution:

The Provisional Government was unpopular because economic problems persisted and the  war continued.

The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin and organized by Leon Trotsky promised “Peace, Bread, Land” and seized power in October 1917.

What was the impact on World War I?

• Russia signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany and  left the war.

• Germany could now move troops to the Western Front and this made the war more dangerous for Britain and France in 1918.

• However, the arrival of the USA later helped the Allies win.

Lesson Resource:

PowerPoint: RUSSIAN REV 1917

 

End of WW1 – Versailles Peace Settlement

After four years of devastating fighting, the First World War came to an end in 1919 in Versailles. The treaty, which represented “peace” for some and a “diktat” for others, also sowed the seeds of the Second World War, which would break out twenty years later.

WI ended because Germany was weakened by war, blockade, and US intervention. Wilson wanted a fair peace, but the Treaty of Versailles imposed harsh penalties, which created tensions for the future.

Why did World War I end in 1918?

Arrival of American troops (1917–18): Fresh soldiers from the USA strengthened the Allies and boosted morale.

Successful Allied naval blockade of Germany: Britain blocked German ports → caused shortages of food and supplies in Germany.

German military exhaustion: After years of fighting, the army was weakened and could not win.

Failure of German offensives (1918): Germany’s last attacks failed and the Allies began to push back.

Internal problems in Germany: Strikes, hunger, and unrest led to the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II.

Consequently Germany signed an armistice on 11 November 1918 on the basis of US President Woodrow Wilson’s 14 Point Plan for Peace.

The ideas aimed for a fair and lasting peace:

No secret treaties (open diplomacy) / Freedom of the seas / Reduction of armaments / Self-determination for nations / Creation of a League of Nations to avoid future wars.

 

How was the Treaty of Versailles different from Wilson’s 14 Points?

In the final treaty, signed on 28th June 1919 (five years to the day since Franz Ferdinand had been assassinated), Germany was blamed for the war (War Guilt Clause) and forced to pay reparations. It also lost territory and colonies and its army was severely limited

The treaty was much harsher than Wilson’s ideas.

• Wilson’s plan = fair, cooperative peace

• Versailles Treaty = punitive peace, especially towards Germany

 

Lesson Resources:

VERSAILLES TREATY

THE COLD WAR 3° euro introTHE COLD WAR 3° euro intro

Reactions to Versailles – cartoona

PPT: THE-TREATY-OF-VERSAILLES

President Woodrow Wilson

EXAMPLE OF BFI BREVET ORAL EXAM ON WW1:

WW1 Sujet X for BFI Brevet Oral Ex

 

 

Topic Two: Living in the USA

Just the Facts About the US Population, Geography, and Demographics:

Get clear, easy-to-understand insights and government data for all your questions on US population and society here:  https://usafacts.org/population/

The United States of America is a federal republic of 50 states including the state of Alaska, at the northwestern extreme of North America, and the island state of Hawaii, in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The United States is the fourth largest country in the world in area (after Russia, Canada, andChina). The national capital is Washington, which is location in the District of Columbia, the federal capital region, created in 1790.

Its physical environmentranges from the Arctic to the subtropical, from the moist rain forest to the arid desert, from the rugged mountain peak to the flat prairie. Although the total population of the United States is large by world standards, its overall population density is relatively low. The country embraces some of the world’s largest urban concentrations as well as some of the most extensive areas that are almost devoid of habitation.

Click on the link to see a map of the 50 states:

https://ontheworldmap.com/usa/usa-states-map.html

 

This theme tackles the following questions:

• What are the regions and belts of the USA?
• How has the Rust Belt Changed?
• Analyzing US Population Dynamics
• Individual Presentation on a US State
• What is the impact of immigration on the USA?
• To what extent is the USA equally integrated into globalization?

 

Geographical Advantages & Challenges facing the USA

 

US Flag and Great Seal Explained

The US flag, well-known nicknames for which include”the Stars and Stripes”, and “the Star-Spangled Banner » has 13 red and white stripes to represent the 13 original colonies. Its 50 white stars on a blue background represent the 50 states.

Each of the colors on the flag has a meaning: Red: valor and bravery; White: purity and innocence; Blue: vigilance, perseverance, and justice

The Great Seal of the United States is a national symbol used in official documents such as treaties and commissions. The final design was approved in 1782 and includes a bald eagle, an olive branch, arrows, a flag-like shield, the motto E Pluribus Unum (which translates to “out of many, one”) and a constellation of stars

Regions and Belts of the USA

Continental USA is often divided into 5 geographical regions: Northeast and Southeast, the Midwest, the West and finally the Southwest. It is also divided into belts such as the Rust Belt (former manufacturing and mining), the Corn Belt (part of the Midwest, also known as ‘fly-over’ country since most people never visit it but simply fly over it in a plane to reach the coast) and the Sun Belt (stretches across the south and incorporating areas of warmer climate and high-tech industry – it has experienced significant population growth since the 1970s).

Lesson Resource

Flag, Great Seal, Regions & Belts

 

US Population Dynamics

The Rust Belt refers to a region in the Midwest and Northeast where factory production was concentrated during and after WW2 in the 1940s and 50s, however, by the 1980s many of these factories were abandoned and left to rust as industrial sought to locate overseas in lower cost locations.

The Sun Belt was where some of these former factory workers migrated attracted by the warmer climate of the South and the possibility of jobs in new high tech industries such as the space industry.

 

Video explaining why people are moving to the Sun Belt:

Video explaining why people are moving from the Rust Belt:

 

Population Change

• Between July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025, the U.S. population grew by 1.8 million (or 0.5%) to reach 341.8 million.
• The U.S. population grew at a much slower rate between July 2024 and July 2025 than from 2023 to 2024 (when it increased by 1.0%, or 3.2 million people). The slowdown is largely due to lower levels of net international migration.
• Between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, net international migration was 1.3 million, a notable drop from 2.7 million the year before (a decline of 53.8%)

Copy and click on this link for more information:

https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2026/population-growth-slows.html#:~:text=National%20Highlights-,Between%20July%201%2C%202024%2C%20and%20July%201%2C%202025%2C,%2C%20or%203.2%20million%20people)

Percent Change in US state population:

The Midwest was the only region where all states gained population from July 2024 to July 2025. All but five U.S. states grew between July 2024 and July 2025. States that experienced population decline were California, Hawaii, New Mexico, Vermont and West Virginia.

state-population-percent-change-map

Lesson resources:

USA Life expectancy at birth map:

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data-visualization/state-life-expectancy/index_2021.htm

USA Population Distribution Map (2021):

https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PopDist_Nighttime/2020_Pop_Distribution_Post_pg.pdf

USA Pop Pyramids

Impact of Migration on the USA

Just the Facts About US Immigration:

The US is home to almost 335 million people, some 46.2 million of whom (13.8%) were born outside of the country.

In each year from 2021 to 2023, immigration has driven the nation’s population growth, with net migration outnumbering natural population growth that comes from having more births than deaths. Of the 1.6 million-person increase in the population from 2022 to 2023, 1.1 million (68%) came from immigration, while 504,000 (32%) came from natural growth.

At the moment migration, both legal and illegal is a very contentious issues in US life. There are arguments for and against migration.

Argument FOR migration emphasize how America requires more workers than it currently has and that to lead in global technologies such as AI then American needs to recruit the best people from across the world: https://www.cgdev.org/blog/us-migration-policy-too-polarizing-issue-find-common-ground-four-ways-forward.

Arguments AGAINST migration emphasize how immigrants risk taking American jobs, lowering wages and hurting the poor in addition to being a potential source or crime and terrorism: The link below outlines some of these arguments and also counters them: https://www.cato.org/blog/14-most-common-arguments-against-immigration-why-theyre-wrong

 

Unequal Integration of US Territory into Globalization

 

Globalization connects places through trade, finance, information, and migration — but although the USA is a global superpower not all US regions benefit equally from globalization.

Global cities such as New York City and Los Angeles are highly integrated into global networks due to their roles in finance, trade, and decision-making. Similarly, innovation hubs like San Francisco and Austin benefit from high levels of investment, skilled labor, and technological development.

However, former industrial regions in areas such as the RUST BELT, such as Detroit and Cleveland have suffered from deindustrialization and competition from global markets, leading to unemployment and population decline.

In addition, rural and peripheral areas like West Virginia or Appalachia (inner East coast region) remain poorly connected and economically vulnerable. Overall, globalization reinforces a spatial divide between dynamic, globally connected metropolitan regions and marginalized interior areas.

Why Florida and Texas are booming (and NY and California are not) | Economist Joseph Politano

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFE2V1dSaE8

In the wake of COVID, rising populations are shifting out of states like New York and California and moving to previously less-popular landscapes. The biggest beneficiaries of the post-pandemic economy have been states in the American South, including Texas and Florida, which has seen the fastest GDP growth of any state since the start of COVID, at more than a 20% increase. What is driving these shifts in economic geography? Economist Joseph Politano points out that the most obvious factor is the increasing remote work possibilities. Some of the biggest states to lose residents have been dense, urbanized, unaffordable areas, and some of the biggest winners have been less dense, suburban, more affordable areas. People, when given the flexibility to tele-work, choose places that are more spacious suburban states than they did before the pandemic. California and New York are going to have to reform a lot of their policies around housing, construction, and transportation if they want to compete in this new economy. And if they don’t, the exodus to states like Texas and Florida will only continue.

Winners from globalization:

Global Cities (Command Centres)

• New York City → Global finance (Wall Street)
• Los Angeles → Trade + entertainment (Hollywood)
• Chicago → Transport hub (Chicago O’Hare International Airport was the country’s third-largest port by trade value in 2024 accounting for 5.3% of the nation’s trade. Only the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Laredo, on the border with Mexico, ranked higher, with each handling about 6%. In 2023, O’Hare handled about $271 billion total in trade — larger than Greece’s annual GDP) + business hub (Chicago is home to 35 Fortune 500 companies and the following global brands have their headquarters in Chicago such as Sears, McDonalds, Kraft Heinz and Motorola Solutions.

Sources of further information on Chicago:

https://globalaffairs.org/commentary-and-analysis/blogs/chicagoglobal/five-features-of-chicagos-global-trade

If you don’t know what the Fortune 500 list is watch this short video:

 

Losers from globalization: Weakly integrated areas

Rust Belt Cities (Industrial Decline)

• Detroit → Collapse of car industry
• Cleveland → Deindustrialization

Rural and Peripheral Regions

• 1. Dodge City → Agricultural dependence
  2. Appalachia → Poverty, isolation
  3. Rural and Peripheral Regions

Resource based regions

West Virginia – formerly a source of coal

Alaska : a region that is remote from the rest of the USA but is a source of gold, oil, copper and timber.

Factors which explain a successful integration into the global economy::

• Good transport (ports, airports)
• Skilled workforce
• Investment & innovation
• Diverse economy

Factors which explain why some regions have not successfully engaged with globalization in the USA::

• Isolation
• Dependence on one sector
• Deindustrialization
• Low investment

The US Government site (copy and open link below) shows the amount of foreign investment (FDI – Foreign Direct Invcstment)  in each US state.

https://www.trade.gov/selectusa-state-fact-sheets

Two short videos which explain FDI and why it is important (including positive and negative impacts):

Foreign Investment in the US Docs

 

EXAMPLE OF BFI BREVET ORAL EXAM ON LIVING IN THE USA:

 

This was a period of tension and indirect conflict from 1945 to 1991 between two opposing ideologies: CAPITALISM and COMMUNISM. The capitalist world was led by the USA and the Communist world was led by the USSR and (after 1949) CHINA.

 

DNL VOCABULARY

Capitalism and Communism are both ideologies (they both end with -ism). A government or a person who follows/believes in one of these ideologies is called a capitalist or communist (both words end in -ist).

Capitalism: in capitalist economies the means of production (land, labour, and capital) are owned by private individuals or enterprises.

Communism: in communist economies, the means of production are owned and administered by the state.

PowerPoint overview of the Cold War including ideological differences between CAPITALISM and COMMUNISM:

The Cold War Introduction

The iron curtain was the hard border (frontier) between the communist states in the East (e.g. East Germany and Poland) and the capitalist democracies in the West (e.g. West Germany and France).

What was the iron curtain

History Cold War Chapter

Transcript with vocabulary: The Cold War Explained Video Transcript

From World War to Cold War (9m):

Short explanation of the COLD WAR (4mins) including concepts such as the IRON CURTAIN and TRUMAN DOCTRINE.

 

The Iron Curtain, Berlin Blockade (1948-49) and the Berlin Wall (1961-89)

 

In 1948, Stalin, frustrated by the fact that the Allies had introduced a new currency into the zones of Germany they controlled, blocked all access to West Berlin by air, land and water. This provoked the crisis of the Berlin Blockade and subsequent response of the Allies, the Berlin Airlift which lasted until 1949.

After the blockade people could access West Berlin again and many used it to escape from Eastern Europe. This led to Khrushchev’s decision to begin construction of the Berlin Wall on the night of 13th August 1961 which permanently restricted access to West Berlin. It endured until 9th November 1989 when due to mass protests it was knocked down.

The Cold War itself came to end two year later with the collapse of the USSR in 1991.

Iron Curtain Annotation

What was the iron curtain

A 10 minute video about the Air Lift:

Cartoons about Berlin in 1948: BERLIN BLOCKADE CARTOONS

The Berlin Blockade and Airlift, 1948/9

https://edition.cnn.com/videos/international/2014/02/10/cold-war-ep-4-soviet-blockade.cnn

The Arms Race

DNL Vocabulary

Arms Race: a competition between America and the USSR to build more destructive and a higher number of nuclear weapons.

Ever since the USA had dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945, the USSR had been even more determined to develop its own nuclear weapons. It finally succeeded in 1949 and this began a nuclear arms race with both sides racing to develop more and bigger bombs. As the Cold War developed, the theory of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) took shape, which held that the existence of such massive nuclear weapons meant that a future World War could end life on earth.

The Cuban Missile Crisis

Documents about the crisis including one of spy plane photographs:

Cuban Missile Crisis Doc Analysis

On 14 October 1962, a U-2 spy plane flew over Cuba and photographed Soviet nuclear missile sites being constructed. This was a huge threat to America. Cuba was only 90 miles from the coast of Florida, meaning that many of the biggest US cities, like Washington DC and New York, would be well within range of these missiles. The government believed that the lives of 80 million Americans were in danger.

• The Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 was probably the nearest the Cold War came to breaking into an all-out nuclear war between America and the Soviet Union.
• Nuclear missile bases in Cuba posed a great threat to America, and the decisions taken by either side in October 1962 could have led to disaster.

BBC resources on the crisis:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zvrvf82#zf3bvwx

The crisis explained in three 11 minute videos:

 

 

The Vietnam War

In 1965 the USA launched Operation Rolling Thunder: the bombing of military targets in North Vietnam. They did this because they were worried that the capitalist government of South Vietnam was in danger of falling to the Communist government of North Vietnam led by Ho Chi Minh.

This led to a war until 1973 when the US army pulled out. Two years later in 1975 the North invaded the South and unified the country.

DNL Vocabulary

Containment: the goal of containment was to ‘contain’ communism without a nuclear war. The U.S. followed containment when it first entered the Korean War to defend South Korea from a communist invasion by North Korea

Domino Theory: theory that a political event in one country (such as the rise to power of a Communist regime) will cause similar events in neighbouring countries and like a falling domino  will cause an entire row of dominoes to fall.

 

BBC Resources on the Vietnam War:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z89hg82/revision/1

Summary Video:

 

EXAMPLE OF BFI BREVET ORAL EXAM ON COLD WAR CRISES:

Cold War Crisis Subject

 

 

Additional Topic Taught in French HG Lessons:

World War Two

 

What did Total War mean?

World War II is considered a total war because it involved the complete mobilisation of societies, economies, and governments, while civilians became both participants and targets. I

Its global scale, ideological aims, and use of advanced technology made it one of the most extreme examples of total war in history.

Definition of Total War

A total war is a conflict where the entire society is involved, not just the army:

• Civilians, economy, industry, and government are all mobilized

• The aim is complete victory, often at any cost

There was a total mobilisation of society 

This meant entire populations were involved in supporting the war effort.

• Governments controlled economies and production

• Factories shifted to war production (tanks, planes, weapons) Millions of civilians (including women) worked in industry. Example: “Rosie the Riveter” in the USA

  Rationing introduced in countries like the UK and Germany

Civilians became direct targets

• • The Blitz in London

  • Firebombing of Dresden

    Bombing campaigns deliberately targeted cities:

• Use of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

 

It was a war of ideologies and extermination

The war was not just military but aimed to destroy entire peoples and ideas.

• Nazi Germany, led by Adolf Hitler aimed to reshape Europe

• The Holocaust led to the murder of 6 million Jews

 

War was waged at a global scale

• Fighting occurred across:

  • Europe

  • Africa

  • Asia and the Pacific

   

• Major powers involved: USA, USSR, Japan, Germany, UK

Science and technology were fully mobilized for wartime purposes

• • Radar, rockets, codebreaking

    Massive investment in new weapons:

• The Manhattan Project produced the atomic bomb

 

Government Controlled the economy and influenced society through propaganda

• Governments controlled:

  • Information (censorship)

  • Media and propaganda

   

• Leaders like Joseph Stalin and Winston Churchill mobilized public opinion

 

What was the Shoah?

What is the difference between “Holocaust” and “Shoah”?

“Holocaust” is the English term and “Shoah” the Hebrew term used to describe the genocide perpetrated by Nazi Germany during World War II.Both terms have a theological or cosmic dimension. “Holocaust” is derived from the Greek for burnt offering and is generally defined as a vast destruction caused by fire or other non-human forces. “Shoah,” meanwhile, has its biblical root in the term “shoah u-meshoah” (wasteness and desolation) that appears in both the Book of Zephaniah (1:15) and the Book of Job (30:3).

In the United States and Britain, “Holocaust” is the more usual term, while in continental Europe the term Shoah has proved more resonant.

From: https://aboutholocaust.org/en/facts/what-is-the-difference-between-holocaust-and-shoah

What were the Nuremberg Laws?

On 15 September 1935, the Nazis introduced the Nuremberg Race Laws. These racist laws were directed against the Jews in Germany and essentially stripped them of their civil rights.

Based on family lineage, the laws determined who was Jewish and who was not. People with three or four Jewish grandparents were considered Jewish. Jews were no longer considered citizens and therefore could not claim certain civil rights, could no longer vote and could not work for the government.

Another section of the Nuremberg Laws was called the ‘Law for the protection of German blood and German honour’. Under this law, marriages between Jews and Germans were forbidden. Moreover, Jews were not permitted to employ female citizens of German blood under the age of 45 as domestic workers.

Copy and paste this link for more information:

https://www.annefrank.org/en/timeline/55/the-nuremberg-race-laws/

Nazi Persection of Minorities & Jews

PowerPoint: JewsinGermany

What was the Final Solution?

The Nazi “Final Solution to the Jewish Question” (“Endlösung der Judenfrage”) was the deliberate and systematic mass murder of European Jews. It was the last stage of the Holocaust and took place from 1941 to 1945. Though many Jews were killed before the “Final Solution” began, the vast majority of Jewish victims were murdered during this period.

It is not known when the leaders of Nazi Germany definitively decided to implement the “Final Solution.” What is clear, however, is that the “Final Solution” was the culmination of a decade of increasingly severe discriminatory, anti-Jewish measures implemented by the Nazis. Today, the “Final Solution”is used as a synonym for the genocide of Europe’s Jews.

Copy and click on this link for more information: https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/final-solution-overview

 

 

 

 

 

 

END OF RESOURCES for 2025-26 Exam

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ARCHIVED RESOURCES

Decolonization – A New Geopolitical World Order

The Stages of Decolonization: The Stages of Decolonization and the Emergence of the Third World

Explanation of the process of Partition: Decolonisation of British India Text

French language video clip explaining the Bandung Conference (1955):

The division of the subcontinent into India and Pakistan:

 

Totalitarian Regimes

 

Characteristics of totalitarian regimes:

WORKSHEET EVALUATION: Totalitarian Regimes Ex 1a

List of the characteristics of these regimes:Characteristics of Totalitarian Regimes

Use of Posters in the Soviet System (including examples + statistics on the Gulag system):

3° USSR Posters

The Coming to Power of the Nazi Regime:

The Nazis come to Power (1933)

Nazi Policies towards young people:

Nazi Policies Towards Young People

Women in Nazi Germany: Women in Nazi Germany

Nazi Persecution of Minorities including Jews: Nazi Persection of Minorities

Dropping of the Atomics Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki (6th and 9th August, 1945)

In 1943 and 1944 the Japanese forces were being pushed back towards Japan but large numbers of Allied troops were being killed.

In March 1945, British and US forces took the island of Okinawa. The Allies had to kill or capture every one of the 100 000 Japanese soldiers on the island because none of them would surrender.

By the summer of 1945 the US was confident of winning the war, eventually. But the US President, Harry Truman, knew there would be huge Allied casualties if troops had to invade Japan itself.

However, there was an alternative. A group of scientists working on what was called the Manhattan Project had developed the world’s first nuclear bomb.

The decision to use Nuclear weapons and the consequences

			Military experts told the President that if they invaded Japan there would be at least 220 000 Allied troop casualties, and it would take until 1946 to capture the country.
	President Truman
			Truman decided to drop two bombs on Japan to convince the country that the USA had lots of these weapons (which it did not).   The first bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945. At least 75 000 people died instantly in the heat and thousands more from the radiation. On the 9th August another bomb was dropped on Nagaski.   The Japanese surrendered on 14th August.   There is a debate about whether it was necessary to drop these bombs.   Some historians have said it was done to scare the USSR which was Communist, or just to see if the bomb really worked, whilst other historians say it was necessary to save lives in the long run by forcing Japan to surrender.

 PPT on the steps to WW2 (Remilitarization of the Rhineland, (1935) / Anschluss of Austria (1938) / Annexation of the Sudetenland (1938) and the Munich Accords

Further PPT with photographs about D Day (in French)

Le debarquement de Normandie1

Global Urbanisation + Urban Areas in France

 

More than half of the world’s population now live in urban areas — increasingly in highly-dense cities. However, urban settings are a relatively new phenomenon in human history. This transition has transformed the way we live, work, travel and build networks.

Useful data: https://ourworldindata.org/urbanization

What is urbanization?

 

Key Map and Diagram for French Urban Space

FR Principal Cities Map Outline

Urban Space Diagram

 

Megacities

 

Overview of France’s Geography:

 

Urbanisation refers to the process of moving to, living in and the growth of towns and cities.

Towns and cities cover 119 000 km2 or 20% of metropolitan territory and 95% of the French population live in an urban area or under the influence of an urban area. Paris is the most populated city in France and the average population density across the country as a whole is 118 inhabitants per km2. Towns increasingly extend into the surrounding rural areas this is called urban sprawl. The countryside is diversifying into a living space, place of work and recreation for rural and urban dwellers alike.

Powerpoint:Urban to Rural Areas in France

Time lapse video showing urban sprawl as Paris grows:

Text about the assets (advantages/attractions) of areas of low population density in France: including reasons why some rural areas gain population whilst others lose population: Assets of areas of low population density

Video: explaining the empty diagonal of rural territory through the centre of France:

 

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Productive Spaces and how they are changing in France.

Introductory PowerPoint explaining the THREE main sectors of economic activity (PRIMARY, SECONDARY and TERTIARY sectors) including a case study of COSMETIC VALLEY enterprise zone/cluster: 3eme Prod Spaces

 

Case Study of French industries that have adapted to globalization – milk industry in Normandy and the metallurgy industry in Montbard:

Normandy and Metal Valley Case Studies