International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB) Group 3: Individuals and Societies (History) Syllabus

What is a 'cult of personality' and why is it used by authoritarian leaders?

The deliberate cultivation of an idealised, heroic public image of the leader through propaganda; it legitimises rule, fosters loyalty, and equates the leader with the nation itself.

What is 'totalitarianism' and how does it differ from authoritarianism?

Totalitarianism seeks total state control over all aspects of public and private life, ideology and society; authoritarianism demands obedience and suppresses opposition but tolerates some autonomy in non-political spheres.

In the IB framework, what are the typical aims of authoritarian leaders' domestic policies?

To consolidate power, transform the economy (often through state direction or self-sufficiency/autarky), reshape society according to ideology, control culture/religion, and mobilise the population.

What is 'autarky' as an economic aim of authoritarian states?

Economic self-sufficiency, in which a state seeks to produce all it needs domestically and minimise dependence on foreign trade, often to prepare for war (e.g. Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy).

How did authoritarian regimes typically treat religion?

Either by suppressing it as a rival source of loyalty (e.g. Soviet atheism), or by co-opting/concordat with it to gain legitimacy (e.g. Mussolini's 1929 Lateran Pacts with the Catholic Church).

What were common social policies regarding women in fascist/authoritarian states?

Emphasis on traditional roles, motherhood and raising children for the nation; pro-natalist policies, restrictions on women in the workforce, and rewards for large families.

What is meant by the 'long-term' versus 'short-term' causes of war in the IB History causes-of-war topic?

Long-term causes are underlying structural factors (e.g. ideology, economic rivalry, treaty grievances) building over years; short-term causes are immediate triggers or events (e.g. an invasion or assassination) that spark the outbreak.

Distinguish 'total war' from 'limited war'.

Total war mobilises a nation's entire population, economy and resources and targets the enemy's whole society (e.g. WWII); limited war is fought for restricted objectives with limited means and does not require full societal mobilisation.

What is 'blitzkrieg' and which power is most associated with it in WWII?

'Lightning war' — a rapid, combined-arms offensive using tanks, aircraft and mobile infantry to break through and encircle the enemy quickly; associated with Nazi Germany in 1939-1941.

What is a 'war of attrition' and give a classic example.

A prolonged conflict in which each side seeks to wear down the other through continuous losses of personnel and material; the Western Front battles of WWI (e.g. Verdun, the Somme) are classic examples.

What is meant by the 'home front' and why is it significant in modern war?

The civilian population and domestic economy supporting the war effort; significant because total war depends on industrial production, civilian morale, rationing, and labour mobilisation, making civilians both contributors and targets.

What technological developments transformed the nature of 20th-century warfare?

Mechanised armour (tanks), aircraft and strategic bombing, submarines, improved artillery and machine guns, radio communications, and ultimately nuclear weapons.

What is 'guerrilla warfare' and when is it typically employed?

Irregular warfare by small, mobile groups using ambushes, sabotage and hit-and-run tactics, typically used by weaker forces or resistance movements against a stronger conventional opponent.

What were the main aims of the victorious powers at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919?

France sought security and revenge against Germany; Britain sought a balance of power and protection of empire/trade; the USA (Wilson) sought a just peace based on the Fourteen Points and the League of Nations.

State three key terms imposed on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles (1919).

The War Guilt Clause (Article 231); reparations; loss of territory (e.g. Alsace-Lorraine, the Polish Corridor) and colonies; and severe military restrictions (army capped at 100,000, no air force, demilitarised Rhineland).

What was the League of Nations and what was its central principle?

An international organisation founded in 1920 to maintain peace through collective security, disarmament and dispute arbitration, based on the principle that aggression against one member is a concern of all.

Why did the League of Nations fail to prevent aggression in the 1930s?

Absence of major powers (e.g. the USA never joined), lack of an army, slow decision-making requiring unanimity, ineffective sanctions, and the self-interest of leading members during the Depression (e.g. over Manchuria and Abyssinia).

What is 'collective security' and why did it break down in the interwar period?

The principle that states jointly guarantee one another's safety against aggression; it broke down because powers were unwilling to act, sanctions were weak, and self-interest and appeasement prevailed over collective action.

What is 'reparations' and why were they controversial after WWI?

Compensation payments imposed on a defeated nation for war damage; the reparations on Germany (set at £6.6 billion) were controversial as economically crippling, politically destabilising, and a source of lasting grievance fuelling extremism.

What was the policy of 'collective responsibility' versus 'self-determination' at the 1919 settlements?

Self-determination was Wilson's principle that peoples should choose their own governance, applied unevenly in creating new states (e.g. Poland, Czechoslovakia) while leaving many ethnic minorities discontented within new borders.

Define a 'primary source' and a 'secondary source' in historical investigation.

A primary source originates from the period studied (e.g. letters, treaties, photographs, speeches); a secondary source is a later interpretation or analysis produced by historians using primary evidence.

What does 'OPVL/OPCVL' stand for in IB source analysis?

Origin, Purpose, (Content,) Value and Limitation — a framework for evaluating a source by who/when/what produced it, why, and its usefulness and weaknesses for a historian.

In OPVL analysis, how do the origin and purpose of a source determine its value and limitations?

The origin (author, date, type) and purpose (why it was created) reveal perspective and reliability: they indicate what the source is valuable for (e.g. insight into an actor's intent) and its limitations (e.g. bias, propaganda, limited viewpoint).

What is the difference between a source's 'value' and its 'reliability'?

Value is how useful a source is to a historian for a given purpose (even a biased source has value as evidence of attitudes); reliability is how accurate and trustworthy its factual content is.

What is 'corroboration' in source evaluation?

Cross-checking a claim against other independent sources to confirm or challenge its accuracy, strengthening or weakening a historical argument.

What does IB History Paper 1 assess and what types of questions does it contain?

Paper 1 is a source-based exam on one prescribed subject. It contains four question types: comprehension of a source, analysis of OPVL (value and limitations), comparison/contrast of two sources, and a mini-essay using sources plus own knowledge.

What is the structure and focus of IB History Paper 2?

Paper 2 is a comparative essay paper based on the World History topics; candidates answer two essay questions from different topics, using examples often drawn from different regions, assessed on argument, evidence and analysis.

What is IB History Paper 3 and who sits it?

Paper 3 is the Higher Level (HL) only paper, an in-depth regional study (e.g. History of Europe, Asia and Oceania, the Americas); candidates write three essays demonstrating detailed knowledge of a chosen region.

What is the IB History Internal Assessment (Historical Investigation) and its three sections?

A student-chosen research investigation (about 2,200 words) with three sections: (1) identification and evaluation of sources, (2) the investigation/analysis, and (3) reflection on the methods and challenges of being a historian.

What is the recommended structure of Section 1 (Evaluation of Sources) of the IB History IA?

State the research question, identify two sources of relevance, and evaluate each using OPVL — explaining origin, purpose, and the value and limitations of each source for the investigation.