January blog: Holocaust Memorial Day
Wednesday 17 January 2024
That is when the trouble started for the Jews. Our freedom was severely restricted by a series of anti-Jewish decrees.
Anne Frank, diary entry, Saturday 20 June, 1942 – reflecting back on May 1940 when the Germans arrived in the Netherlands
For students studying Depth Study on Nazi Germany, The Holocaust is key part of their syllabus. However, Holocaust Memorial Day provides the opportunity to discuss this key event with all students.
The theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2023 is Fragility of Freedom
Freedom means different things to different people. What is clear is that in every genocide that has taken place, those who are targeted for persecution have had their freedom restricted and removed, before many of them are murdered. This is often a subtle, slow process. There is always a set of circumstances which occur, or which are created, to build the climate in which genocide can take place and in which perpetrator regimes can remove the freedoms of those they are targeting.
https://www.hmd.org.uk/what-is-holocaust-memorial-day/this-years-theme/
The quote above is exemplified by the ten stages of genocide which demonstrate that genocide never just happens:
Holocaust Memorial Day Trust | The ten stages of genocide (www.hmd.org.uk)
Genocide never just happens. There is always a set of circumstances which occur or which are created to build the climate in which genocide can take place. The ten stages of genocide are; classification, symbolisation, discrimination, dehumanisation, organisation, polarisation, preparation, persecution, extermination, and denial.
Here is a reminder of some resources that are available to help teachers discuss the significance of this day with students:
Linked to this key theme of genocide and war, those of you who live in London, or who plan to visit London may be interested to know about the Imperial War Museum's new Blavatnik Art, Film and Photography Galleries which provide a vivid account of modern war. 'Showcasing the experiences and innovations of artists, filmmakers and photographers, these galleries explore the complex tension between creativity and destruction.'
It sounds a fascinating and thought-provoking exhibition. As this review from the Guardian newspaper writes 'In 2023, as war marches on unstoppably from one folly to another, the space offered to us by the Imperial War Museum to pause and reflect seems not just topical but essential.'
Anniversaries for 2024
Anniversaries mark the passage of time, recall our triumphs, and honor our losses. (CFR site)
And for teachers they always provide a good opportunity to revisit key historical events and highlight their significance - especially as such anniversaries will also be explored in the news.
The Council of Foreign Relations site has a list of the ten most significant anniversaries for 2024 - which include the 75th anniversary of both the establishment of NATO and the establishment of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
Ten Anniversaries to Note in 2024 (Council on Foreign Relations)
As 2023 comes to a close, here are ten notable historical anniversaries to mark in 2024.
We will revisit these anniversaries during the course of the year on this blog page.
Site update
Over the last couple of months we have added more pages for teachers to give guidance on all aspects of the examination. This includes examples of top scoring courseworks and Paper 1 answers; we will continue to add to these sections over the next few months.
Plans for 2024
As mentioned above, we will continue to add exemplar student answers to the site and to update existing student pages with more activities.
In addition, we plan to add Core Option A on 19th Century History to provide an alternative for those of you who wish to move away from 20th Century history for IGCSE.
We have both taught this option in the past and found that students enjoyed studying topics such as the US Civil War and Imperialism.
Please get in touch if you have any thoughts on these plans and/or to give feedback on any aspect of the site!