High School History Recap

In this #Short, Prashanthi Pillay defines the concept "empire".

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In this episode, we discuss certain interesting features of some of the empires that originated around the Mediterranean Sea. What exactly is an empire? We look at the first (and fierce) empire of Assyria. We look at what Herodotus wrote about the pyramids of ancient Egypt, and how the process of mummification was carried out. We consider the negative portrayal of the Persians by their enemies, the Greeks. Who were the famous Persian kings, and how did they rule the Persian Empire? What did democracy look like in ancient Athens? We discuss the Battle of Marathon and the death of Phidippides. How did the Romans differ from the Greeks? Julius Caesar was one of the Roman generals who vied for power. Why was he stabbed to death? Did the Romans keep slaves? The Roman Empire had a huge impact on Christianity, but what was the influence of Christianity on the Roman Empire? These are some of the questions we look at in this brief overview of the Assyrian, Egyptian, Persian, Greek and Roman Empires. We've drawn on the excellent articles written by Cynthia Stokes Brown, Bennett Sherry, and Mike Burns for the Big History and World History Projects. Make sure to visit oerproject.com! We've also studied the works of professors Bob Brier and Glen S Holland who teach great courses on @TheGreatCourses.

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We celebrate our 40th episode with a very esteemed guest, Dr Peniel E Joseph, and we have a very relevant and very necessary conversation around white supremacy and anti-racism. Dr Joseph is an American historian at the University of Texas in Austin and is considered a leading public voice on race issues. He has written numerous books, and his latest book "The Sword and the Shield" was released in March 2020. It is the dual biography of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, and it sets the historical record straight on a couple of important points related to these two prominent leaders, but also the Civil Rights Movement as a whole. We look at the problems created by the conventional narrative of the Civil Rights Movement. How should we teach the Civil Rights Movement? Why did Dr King feel contempt for white liberals? How successful was the Civil Rights Movement in bringing about racial equality in the US? What is at the heart of #BlackLivesMatter? Why are statues coming down in the US, and why are there calls to "defund" the police? "This is a time of bearing moral witness, and having the courage to speak out against social injustices." You can reach Dr Joseph on the twitter handle @PenielJoseph. The two books he mentioned are Robin DiAngelo's "White Fragility" and Ibram X Kendi's "How to Be an Antiracist."

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History Skills creator, Michael Cocks, joins me again - this time to discuss researching skills. He talks us through the process of doing research in the history class. His easy-to-follow process includes nine steps, from formulating a very specific key question, doing some background reading, constructing sub-questions, selecting appropriate sources, organizing quotes into topic sentences, to writing and proofreading the final draft. These research skills will definitely prove valuable; not only in the history class, but in other spheres of life as well. Please visit the History Skills website for more excellent lessons and content for the history classroom.  

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This is the last part in our series on the Holocaust in cooperation with the Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre. In this episode, we look at some primary sources on the Holocaust. We reflect on people's moral choices (and dilemmas), and the roles of perpetrators, bystanders, victims, resisters, and upstanders. Mdu explains why we should consider the choices people had at the time, and shows how we have similar choices today. Tali focuses on testimonies as a source on the Holocaust, and shares her own family's moving story with us. Catherine provides more information on propaganda films made at the time, but also how art and artifacts told a different story.  We find out about Cecilia's violin and Roman Frister's cap. Did you know that Anne Frank's diary had a huge impact on anti-apartheid activists like Ahmed Kathrada? We also discuss documents created at the time, such as the Wannsee Conference protocol, and the letter from Mrs Gusenbauer. Have you ever heard of the Oyneg Shabes Archive? Probably the most moving account, is the diary of Zalmen Gradowski. He hid his diary underneath crematorium 2. "Zalmen Gradowski existed!" Make sure to visit the Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide for guidance on the topic and links to resources to use in the classroom. They are also on twitter @JHGCentre. "We tell you this story; not to weaken you, but to strengthen you." This was a truly insightful series!

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In this episode, we discuss the Russian Revolutions of February and October 1917. Why did they occur in Russia? What is the link between Communism and industrialisation? We look at the impact of World War I on socialist movements in Europe. What can be considered the greater force: nationalism or socialism? We provide a definition for Communism. What were the events leading up to the abdication of tsar Nicholas II? We describe how the Germans facilitated Lenin's return to Russia in April 1917. Why was Lenin's slogan of "Peace, Land and Bread" such a drawing card in Russia at the time? We investigate how the Bolsheviks managed to seize power in Russia in October 1917 (an event known as Red October). What exactly is Leninism and what type of government did Lenin set up in Russia following the revolution? Finally, we briefly touch on the Russian Civil War and try to uncover some of the contradictions pertaining to Communism. For this episode we've drawn on the work of historians Mark Steinberg and Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius @TheGreatCourses.

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What is your wish for our children and our country on this Youth Day? We've asked some students and teachers for their opinions. Let's take hands and guard against stereotypical thinking, let's call out racism and discrimination, let's have constructive conversations around  sensitive topics, and let's foster mutual understanding. Thank you for these contributions, and a big shout out to Lorinda Potgieter for singing our anthem so beautifully.

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In this episode, we discuss Charles van Onselen's book "The Night Trains." It is the story of a "forgotten" railway line, the Easten Main Line, that transported the majority of South Africa's black mine workers to the Johannesburg goldfields. These mine workers came from the Sul do Save in southern Mozambique where a forced labour system called "shibalo" was in place. They were recruited by the Witwatersrand Native Labour Association (the WNLA, also called "Mzilikazi") to go and work in the mines for very meagre wages. It's the story of migrant labourers who were considered nothing more than train freight, and who were scammed out of the little money they've earned. This is a discussion that makes reference to historical bias, and emphasizes the necessity to allow South African historians a voice in our history classrooms. What are the hidden stories behind South Africa's mineral revolution and industrialisation? We've drawn on reviews written by Richard Poplak, Dennis Webster, and Ferial Haffajee.    

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In Part 2 of our Holocaust Series we investigate how life changed for the Jews in Germany after the pogroms in November 1938 (also known as Kristallnacht). We look at policy changes in Germany regarding the Jewish people: from immigration to expulsion. How did the situation worsen when the Second World War broke out in September 1939. We talk about the different types of concentration camps and what conditions were like in the ghettos. The Jewish people reacted (and resisted) in many different ways, and showed tremendous resilience. What "solutions" did the Nazis consider for the "Jewish Question"? We discuss the Einsatzgruppen (or mobile killing units), and the killing centres set up in Poland. Why is Auschwitz so infamous? How were the camps liberated? Why did the Nazis take Jewish survivors on a "death march"? We ask what type of justice was implemented against the Nazi perpetrators. We end our discussion by looking at the lessons we can learn from this tragic chapter in human history.

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In this episode Robyn Mowatt, assessment specialist at the Independent Examinations Board (ieb), gives us an overview of the most important aspects of the source-based essay. We discuss the importance of sources in history and some of the challenges we face when working with sources. We look at the differences between the discursive and the source-based essay. Robyn explains how the source-based essay should be structured and how it is assessed. How should sources be referenced in the essay? How important is the counterargument? Writing a good source-based essay is an important history skill and one with value far beyond the history classroom. You can email Robyn at [email protected] or find her on twitter @robynmowatt. 

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