VCE - Modern History (Units 1 & 2)
P A G E 4 9 | P A K E N H A M S E C O N D A R Y C O L L E G E S E N I O R S C H O O L 2 0 2 6 H A N D B O O K
UNITS 1 & 2
Consequences of World War I, such
as the rise of fascism in Italy and
Nazism in Germany.
Significant individuals that contributed
to political change, such as Woodrow
Wilson, Josef Stalin, Benito Mussolini,
Adolf Hitler and Winston Churchill.
Significant causes of World War II,
such as the peace treaties, actions
and failure of the League of Nations,
the Great Depression and the failure of
diplomacy.
WHAT WILL I LEARN
UNITS 1 & 2
The methods and consequences of
inclusions and/or exclusion of certain
groups from participating in society,
such as the Nuremburg laws in
Germany and the Holocaust, the
Great Purge in Stalinist Russia, and
racial segregation in the USA.
The significance of individuals or
movements that contributed to social
or political change.
Causes of the Cold War.
Competing ideologies of
Communism and Capitalism.
Proxy wars and conflicts such as the
Korean War and the Vietnam War.
Terrorist groups and their
campaigns, such as the IRA, Shining
Path, Al Qaeda, Boko Haram and
the Japanese Red Army.
Decolonisation and self-
determination movements, such as
in Algeria, Indonesia, India,
Cambodia, Hong Kong and the
Former Republics of the Soviet
Union.
Regional conflicts, such as the Arab-
Israeli dispute, the anti-Apartheid
movement in South Africa, the
Northern Irish Troubles and the USA
War on Drugs.
Social and political movements, such
as the Civil Rights campaigns in
Australia, USA, South Africa or
Northern Ireland.
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT?
VCE Modern History explores the significant
events, ideas, individuals and movements that
have made a lasting impact on the world we
know today. This subject focuses on
significant conflicts that have shaped our
society, as well as cultural, political and
economic changes that have influenced the
way that we live. VCE Modern History focuses
on events in the 20th century, and students
will develop a deep understanding of the
causes and consequences of important
historical events such as the Holocaust, the
Vietnam War, and the Civil Rights Movement.
In studying VCE Modern History, students
develop knowledge and skills that enhance
their critical thinking abilities, as well as allow
them to connect with and empathise with
people from different backgrounds across the
world. Students will learn about the significant
events that still have an impact on the world
we live in today, and will be able to use this
knowledge to inform the ways that they
connect and interact with each other and
society.