History

This unit examines the political instability of late medieval England, focusing on the dynastic conflict between the houses of House of Lancaster and House of York, commonly known as the Wars of the Roses. It explores the weak kingship of Henry VI, the rise of powerful nobles like Richard, Duke of York, and the political turmoil that followed. The course then studies the Yorkist rule of Edward IV and Richard III, before analysing how Henry VII secured power after the Battle of Bosworth Field and strengthened royal authority through financial control, limiting the nobility, and establishing the Tudor dynasty.

This unit focuses on the ideological, political and military rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union in Europe. It begins during World War II with the breakdown of the wartime alliance and the division of Europe into competing spheres of influence. Key developments include the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the Warsaw Pact, crises such as the Berlin Blockade and the Prague Spring, and periods of tension and détente. The course concludes with the weakening of Soviet control under Mikhail Gorbachev, the fall of communist regimes in Eastern Europe, and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

This unit studies the long struggle for equality in the United States, focusing on how different groups fought discrimination and inequality. It begins after the American Civil War with the end of slavery and the challenges faced by African Americans during Reconstruction and segregation. Major themes include the rise of the Civil Rights Movement led by figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, landmark legislation like the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and activism by other groups including women, Native Americans and Trade Unions.