Summary of Cambridge AS History course content
By attending this Cambridge AS History course, you will understand international relationships better and build critical thinking skills about important events that marked world history. Understanding the past will help you present arguments for the world we live in today.
This Cambridge AS History course will perfectly fit your career in Law, Politics, Business or Economics.
Begin exploring the forces that shaped our world today!
By studying this Cambridge International AS & A Level History course you will develop:
- an interest in the past and an appreciation of human endeavour
- a greater knowledge and understanding of historical periods or themes
- a greater awareness of historical concepts such as cause and consequence, change and continuity, similarity and difference, significance and interpretations
- an appreciation of the nature and diversity of historical sources available, and the methods used by historians
- an exploration of a variety of approaches to different aspects of history and different interpretations of particular historical issues
- the ability to think independently and make informed judgements on issues
- an empathy with people living in different places and at different times
- a firm foundation for further study of History
Areas of Study
Candidates for Cambridge International AS Level History study one of the following option:
1. European option: Modern Europe, 1750–1921
- France, 1774–1814
- The Industrial Revolution in Britain, 1750–1850
- Liberalism and nationalism in Germany, 1815–71
- The Russian Revolution, 1894–1921
2. American option: The history of the USA, 1820–1941
- The origins of the Civil War, 1820–61
- Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861–77
- The Gilded Age and Progressive Era, 1870s to 1920
- The Great Crash, The Great Depression and the New Deal policies, 1920–41
3. International option: International history, 1870–1945
- Empire and the emergence of world powers, 1870–1919
- The League of Nations and international relations in the 1920s
- The League of Nations and international relations in the 1930s
- China and Japan, 1912–45
Candidates for Cambridge International A Level History study the following topics and one of the option.
Topics:
- The origins of the First World War
- The Holocaust
- The origins and development of the Cold War
4. European option, Depth study 1: European history in the interwar years, 1919–41
- Theme 1: Mussolini’s Italy, 1919–41
- Theme 2: Stalin’s Russia, 1924–41
- Theme 3: Hitler’s Germany, 1929–41
- Theme 4: Britain, 1919–39
5. American option, Depth study 2: The USA, 1944–92
- Theme 1: The late 1940s and 1950s
- Theme 2: The 1960s and the 1970s
- Theme 3: The 1980s and early 1990s
- Theme 4: Foreign policy, 1944–92
6. International option, Depth study 3: International history, 1945–92
- Theme 1: US–Soviet relations during the Cold War, 1950–91
- Theme 2: The spread of communism in East and Southeast Asia, 1945–91
- Theme 3: Decolonisation, the Cold War and the UN in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1950–92
- Theme 4: Conflict in the Middle East, 1948–91
How the course is assessed
1
For Cambridge International AS Level History, candidates take two written papers.
2
For Cambridge International A Level History, candidates take four written papers.
Guided Learning Hours
We design Cambridge International AS & A Level syllabuses based on learners having about 180 guided learning hours for each Cambridge International AS Level and about 360 guided learning hours for a Cambridge International A Level. The number of hours a learner needs to achieve the qualification may vary according to local practice and their previous experience of the subject.
