Extended response: Responsibility for the outbreak of World War II
Summary of task
Students explored key people and events from the inter-war years between World War I and World War II and considered the contribution of particular actions and attitudes in the lead-up to the outbreak of war in Europe in 1939. Students then examined a selection of secondary sources presenting differing historians’ interpretations of the causes of World War II. They summarised the argument, supporting evidence, strengths and weaknesses of each secondary source. Students used their summaries as the basis of a first-draft extended response, to an unseen question, written under open-book examination conditions. This final task was completed in one 60-minute lesson.