Year 10 History Semester 1 Term 2 Exam Revision Guide

Causes and Events of World War II

• Long-term and Immediate Causes:

  • The Treaty of Versailles ($1919$): This treaty ended World War I but imposed harsh conditions on Germany, including significant financial reparations, the "War Guilt Clause" (forcing Germany to accept total blame), and strict military restrictions.

  • The Great Depression ($1929$): Triggered by the Wall Street crash, this global economic collapse led to widespread hardship and political instability, helping extremist groups gain power.

  • The Rise of Extremist Ideologies: The emergence of Fascism, Nazism (National Socialism), and aggressive Japanese militarism destabilized the international order.

  • Diplomatic Failures: The inability of the League of Nations to prevent aggression and the policy of "Appeasement" (conceding to territorial demands) practiced by Britain and France failed to stop the path to war.

  • The Final Trigger: On the $1st$ of September, $1939$, Germany invaded Poland, which directly triggered the start of World War II.

• Australia’s Military Involvement:

  • Entry into War: Australia entered the conflict immediately after Britain declared war on Germany.

  • The Fall of Singapore ($1942$): The surrender of the British base at Singapore was a critical loss that exposed Australia’s direct vulnerability to Japanese military advances.

  • The Kokoda Campaign: A pivotal series of battles in New Guinea that successfully stopped Japanese forces from advancing further toward Australia.

  • Prisoners of War: Throughout the conflict, thousands of Australians were captured and became Prisoners of War (POWs).

The Australian Home Front

• Direct Conflict and Social Changes:

  • The Bombing of Darwin: This was a significant attack on the Australian mainland.

  • Women in the Workforce: As men were deployed to the battlefield, women entered the workforce in large numbers to maintain the economy and war effort.

  • Government Controls: The state implemented conscription for military service and strict censorship of information.

  • Internment: Residents of German, Italian, and Japanese descent living in Australia were subject to internment in camps.

  • First Nations Contributions: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians contributed to the war effort despite facing systemic discrimination.

  • Influence of US Troops: The presence of American soldiers in Australia left a lasting impact on local society.

End of World War II

• Defeat of the Axis Powers:

  • The Fall of Germany: The Battle of Berlin and the death of Adolf Hitler led to the German surrender on Victory in Europe (VE) Day ($8th$ of May, $1945$).

  • The Fall of Japan: The United States dropped atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japan surrendered in August $1945$, effectively ending the war.

• Overall Impact: World War II resulted in massive social, political, economic, and cultural transformations on a global scale.

Building a Modern Australia: Post-War Migration

• The White Australia Policy:

  • Formally the Immigration Restriction Act ($1901$), this policy restricted non-European migration using tools like the Dictation Test.

• The "Populate or Perish" Policy ($1949$):

  • Post-war Australia felt vulnerable to attack and suffered from workforce shortages.

  • Mass migration was encouraged to increase the population for defense and economic growth.

  • European Displacement: Millions of Europeans were displaced after the war, providing a source for migration.

  • "$10$ pound poms": An immigration scheme designed to attract British migrants for a low cost.

  • Policy Change: The Whitlam government eventually renounced the White Australia Policy in $1973$.

The Women’s Rights Movement in Australia

• Political and Social Milestones:

  • Suffrage: Australian women won the right to vote in federal elections in $1902$.

  • Post-War Education and Work: Participation in higher education and the workforce saw significant increases after $1945$.

  • The Contraceptive Pill ($1960s$): Provided women with significantly more control over family planning.

  • Women’s Liberation Movement: This movement campaigned for equal pay and the end of social and workplace discrimination.

• Key Legislation:

  • Equal Pay Case ($1969$): A major step toward gender wage equality.

  • Sex Discrimination Act ($1984$): Federal law protecting against discrimination based on gender.

The Indigenous Rights Movement in Australia

• Protests and Political Mobilization:

  • Day of Mourning (January $26$, $1938$): Organized by the Aborigines Conference in Sydney to protest the $150$-year anniversary of British colonisation.

  • Freedom Ride ($1965$): Led by Charles Perkins, university students traveled through rural New South Wales (NSW) to expose racial discrimination.

  • Aboriginal Tent Embassy ($1972$): Established outside Parliament House in Canberra to demand Indigenous land rights.

• Government Policies and Legal Change:

  • Assimilation Policy: Forced implementation where the government coerced Aboriginal people to adopt white culture, leading to the Stolen Generations (forcible removal of children).

  • $1967$ Referendum: A landmark vote where $90.77\%$ of the public voted "YES" to include Aboriginal Australians in the census and allow the federal government to make laws for them.

  • The Mabo Decision ($1992$): The High Court recognized native title and officially overturned the doctrine of terra nullius.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

• Context and Adoption: Adopted by the United Nations (UN) in $1948$ following the atrocities of the Holocaust and World War II.

• Core Purpose: To establish universal rights for all individuals regardless of race, gender, religion, or nationality.

• Structure: Contains $30$ articles, including the right to life, freedom, education, and the strict prohibition of torture and slavery.

• Australian Impact: The UDHR has significantly influenced human rights advocacy and legal reforms within Australia.

Key Historical Chronology ($1901$ – $1992$)

• $1901$: Immigration Restriction Act (White Australia Policy) introduced.

• $1919$: Treaty of Versailles signed, ending WWI.

• $1929$: Great Depression begins with the Wall St. crash.

• $1933$: Adolf Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany.

• $1938$ (Jan $26$): Day of Mourning (Aborigines Conference, Sydney).

• $1939$ (Sept $1$): WWII begins (Germany invades Poland).

• $1945$ (May $8$): Victory Europe Day; WWII ends.

• $1948$: Universal Declaration of Human Rights Adopted.

• $1949$: "Populate or Perish" policy and mass migration begin.

• $1967$: Australian public votes "YES" in the Referendum.

• $1972$: Aboriginal Tent Embassy established in Canberra.

• $1973$: Whitlam government renounces the White Australia Policy.

• $1992$: Mabo Decision.

Practice Examination Materials

• Section 1: Multiple Choice Topics:

  • Purpose of the Treaty of Versailles ($1919$): To punish Germany through reparations, territorial loss, and military restrictions.

  • Results of the $1967$ Referendum: Inclusion in the census and federal law jurisdiction for Aboriginal Australians.

  • Definition of Appeasement: Giving into Hitler’s territorial demands to avoid conflict.

  • "Populate or Perish" features: Targeting British and European migrants for defense and growth (not including mass Asian migration initially).

• Section 2: Key Terminology for Definitions:

  • Appeasement: Policy of making concessions to avoiding armed conflict.

  • Antisemitism: Hostility or prejudice against Jewish people.

  • Assimilation: Forcing a minority group to adopt the dominant culture.

  • Advocacy: Public support for a cause.

  • Treaty of Versailles: Peace treaty ending WWI.

  • Facism (as spelled in Section $2$) / Fascism: Authoritarian ultranationalist political system.

  • Genocide: Deliberate killing of a large group, especially an ethnic group.

  • Great Depression: Major economic downturn of the $1930s$.

  • Propaganda: Biased information used to promote political points of view.

  • Segregation: Forced separation of racial groups.

  • Stolen Generation: Aboriginal children removed from families.

  • Embassy: Official office of one country located in another.

• Source Analysis – Source 1 (Photograph):

  • Event: The First Day of Mourning.

  • Identified Figures: William Ferguson, Jack Kinchela, Isaac Ingram, Doris Williams, Esther Ingram, Arthur Williams, Phillip Ingram, Louisa Agnes Ingram OAM (holding daughter Olive Ingram), and Jack Patton (plus one unknown individual).

  • Reference: AIATSIS Collection HORNER2.J03.BW.

• Source Analysis – Source 2 (Cartoon):

  • Title: "Nightmare Waiting List" by David Low.

  • Origin: Evening Standard, published $9$ September $1938$.

  • Description: Features Nazi Germany standing by hooded figures representing European crises: Polish, Hungarian, Romanian, and Czech.

Final Essay Revision Topics

• Requirement: Minimum $400$ words per essay.

• Structure:

  • Introduction ($50$ words): Hook, background context ($1$-$2$ sentences), and a clear thesis statement.

  • Body Paragraphs ($100$ words each): Using TEEL (Topic sentence, Evidence, Explanation, Link).

  • Conclusion ($50$ words): Restate thesis, summary of points, and final judgment.

• Potential Essay Prompts:

  • A: The inevitability of Hitler's rise due to post-WWI economic and political collapse.

  • B: Comparative impact of WWII on the Australian home front versus the battlefield.

  • C: The transition of Australia from the White Australia Policy to multiculturalism.

  • D: The necessity of sustained advocacy for Indigenous legal and political change.