Option 4: History of Europe
There are 18 possible topics in this section which range from 11th Century to 20th Century, from Medieval Europe to the collapse of Communism. This allows you to broaden out your curriculum to cover a wider chronology. You do not have to choose sections from the same time frame - you could, for example, do the unit on the Renaissance alongside the Soviet Union post 1924.
A full list of topics can be seen in the IB History Teaching guide.
It is recommended that you teach three sections in full.
To see the sections that we have covered so far on this site, please see below!
8: The French Revolution and Napoleon I (1774–1815)
This section covers the French Revolution starting with its origins in the 1780s and then the amazing events of 1789 through to the terror and ultimately the rule of Napoleon. The social, economic, political...
11. Italy (1815–1871) and Germany (1815–1890
This section looks at the political developments in both Italy and Germany after 1815 which led to their unification.Note this section is currently being written - it should be finished by end of February...
12: Imperial Russia, revolution and the establishment of the Soviet Union
This topic looks at the last Tsars of Imperial Russia, the growing clash between conservatism and modernization and the impact of industrialisation, through to the political upheavals of 1905 and 1917...
13: Europe and the First World War
This topic focuses on the breakdown of diplomacy in Europe that led to July Crisis and the outbreak of the First World War, the reasons for the Allied victory and the impact of this devastating war on...
14: European states in the inter-war years (1918–1939)
This section deals with the domestic developments in Italy, Germany and Spain in the inter-war years. In addition, it is possible to study the domestic developments of one other European country: this...
15: Versailles to Berlin: Diplomacy in Europe (1919–1945)
This topic covers the inter-war period as states sought to deal with the repercussions of World War One and peace treaties and to secure the peace of Europe through collective security and the League...
16: The Soviet Union and post-Soviet Russia (1924–2000)
This topic covers the dramatic events in the Soviet Union from Stalin's establishment of a totalitarian state through economic and political stagnation to the collapse of Stalin's legacy in 1989 and...
18: Post-war central and eastern Europe (1945-2000)
This section explores developments in central and eastern Europe from 1945 to 2000. It covers the transition from wartime occupation to 'liberation' and then to Soviet dominance in all states other than...