AS Level History

Prerequisites: IGCSE History (D grade or higher). Admission to this course is by approval of the Curriculum Leader.

History at AS Level is far more than a study of the past; it involves a critical analysis of the art of persuasion. This course is designed for students who want to understand the “why” behind the global world order by exploring the revolutions, power shifts, and ideologies that shaped our contemporary reality.

Depending on the year of study, students will explore one of two major historical pathways:

• The European Narrative (1774–1924): From the fires of the French Revolution and the rise of Napoleon to the unification of Germany and the collapse of the Russian Tsars. We examine how liberalism, nationalism, and revolution tore down the old world to build the new

• The International Narrative (1870–1939): A study of global power and fragile peace. We trace the emergence of world powers and the transition from 19th-century imperialism to the 20th-century road to war, examining the rise of extremism and the tension between conflict and cooperation

Beyond the facts, students develop a sophisticated set of analytical skills that are highly prized in law, politics, and business. You will learn to navigate the past using five key lenses:

• Cause & Consequence: Understanding the specific beliefs and actions that trigger world-changing events

• Change & Continuity: Identifying what shifts during a crisis and what remains the same

• Significance & Perspective: Evaluating why certain events are labeled “important” and how those labels change depending on our perspective of events

• Historical Interpretation: Learning to challenge how history has been reconstructed, identifying bias and weighing different historians’ viewpoints

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