December blog: Site update, anniversaries and history in the news
Saturday 7 December 2024
December, 1994; Russia sends tanks and troops into Chechnya to end the rebel territory's three-year drive for independence - one of the significant anniversaries for this month.
Site update
This month we have added a new Source Paper for PS5 focusing on the significance of the Račak massacre in Kosovo; and we have completed the final section of Paper 3 Europe, Topic 18 - a case study of Poland following the collapse of communism.
2. Significance of the Račak massacre
The sources and questions for this paper relate to ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity; significance of the Račak massacre.
Case study: Poland 1989 - 2000
This page examines the economic, social and political challenges faced by one of the post-communist states, Poland, in the years 1989 - 2000.
Anniversaries
There are several anniversaries this month which could provide a focus for end of term/review class activities:
- 30 years ago - December 1, 1994 the Head of the UN Commission on Rwanda estimated 500,000 deaths had resulted from genocide
- 30 years ago - December 9, 1994 - Sinn Fein had first formal talks with Britain in over 70 years.
- 30 years ago - December 11, 1994 - Russia sent tanks and troops into Chechnya to end the rebel territory's three-year drive for independence.
- 40 years ago - December 3, 1984 - Deadly gas leak from a Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India, killed at least 3,000 and injured over 200,000.
- 70 years ago - December 2, 1954 - US Senate condemned McCarthy for misconduct over communist investigations
History in the news
Two news stories this month also provide a good starting point for reviewing key historical events.
Firstly, the declaration of martial law by South Korea's president, Yoon Suk Yeol, which was strongly resisted by South Korea's population as well as the South Korean parliament. This was seen by many as a return to the military rule which had existed up to 1987.
South Korea's traumatic history of martial law inspires resistance (BBC News)
President Yoon Suk-yeol's martial law announcement left many Koreans with one thought: not again.
And also current events in Syria which give the opportunity to review the Arab Spring of 2010/11 and the ensuing Syrian Civil War which was so devastating in terms of loss of life and displacement of Syrian civilians between 2011 and 2020.
Best History books of 2024
It is the time of year when the 'best of ...' lists appear and it is always interesting to see the different choices for the best history books of the year. See below for some of these (very varied) lists:
The Ten Best History Books of 2024 (Smithsonian Magazine)
Our favorite titles of the year resurrect forgotten histories and examine how the United States ended up where it is today
The Best History Books of 2024: The Wolfson History Prize (Five Books)
To win the Wolfson History Prize, a book must be both original and accessible to the general reader. British historian Diarmaid MacCulloch, one of the prize's judges, talks us through the six books that made the 2024 shortlist, from the voyage of an English diplomat to Mughal India to the intimacy of a South African marriage, from the barbarity of the slave trade in the 18th century to the history of an institution that provides free health care to all.
Worth listening to..
Finally, this BBC Radio 4 programme on the war in Algeria is recommended listening for any students covering this topic:
BBC Radio 4 - The Shadow of Algiers, Operation Resurrection (BBC)
Stories from France's troubled history with Algeria and why they still matter today.