Key Anniversaries for this month

There are several key anniversaries this month which, as ever, provide excellent opportunities to review significant events with students, create displays and discuss implications.

50th Anniversary of the Fall of Saigon

A notable anniversary on April 30, 2025, is the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, which ended the Vietnam War and precipitated the exodus of millions of people from South Vietnam. It is estimated that there were approximately 125,000 Vietnamese refugees in a first wave and hundreds of thousands more refugees during the two-decade long 'Indochinese refugee crisis'.

This topic is relevant for students studying Core Option 5, and the section on containment of Communism.

The National Museum of American Diplomacy gives a comprehensive overview of the events on that fateful day:

This article from the Guardian newspaper (for the 40th Anniversary) also gives a good overview of the events and their implications.

80th Anniversary of the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp

‘When the British and other Allied soldiers walked into the concentration camp, they were met with a sight so disturbing it would be etched into the consciousness of a generation. In April 1945, Bergen-Belsen was a site of horrific depravity and mass suffering inflicted upon innocent men, women, and children – the majority of whom were Jewish.’

https://holocausteducation.org.uk/

15th April is the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen Concentration camp, which was a significant moment in the Second World War. 

This is relevant again to students studying Core Option B, but is a topic that would be good to discuss with all students - including those not taking History for IGCSE.

See below for a video about the liberation of the camp from the Holocaust Memorial Trust, as well as educational resources on Belsen from the Centre for Holocaust Education.

History in the News

Given the current global turmoil over tariffs, students studying The US 1919 - 1941 as a Depth Study, may want to discuss the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act signed by President Hoover in 1930. This Act, in raising US tariffs has been seen by historians a key factor in furthering the global economic crisis of the 1930s. It is being discussed widely in the news at the moment as a comparison to the current situation - so a good link between the past and today. 

Upcoming exams

And as we approach the June examinations, don't forget that we have revision tips on the site for students, as well as revision summary pages and multiple-choice quizzes and flash cards.