The title of the third unit in the CiE Option B International Relations Core Content is 'Why had international peace collapsed by 1939?' This unit investigates the collapse of international peace and order in the 1930s and the events that led to the outbreak of the Second World War.

This unit focuses on international relations and the way in which different nation states interacted, and the change, continuity and significance of their relationships over time. You will study their priorities, agreements, disagreements and the key events that affected them.

This unit gives you the information you need to understand the following:

• ❖ The long-term consequences of the peace treaties of 1919 - 1923.
• ❖ The consequences of the failure of the League of Nations in the 1930s.
• ❖ The extent to which Hitler's foreign policy was to blame for the outbreak of war in 1939.
• ❖ Whether the policy of appeasement can be justified.
• ❖ The importance of the Nazi-Soviet Pact.
• ❖ Why Britain and France declared war on Germany in 1939.

Topics covered in this course include:

• ❖ The long-term causes of the Second World War.
• ❖ Hitler's foreign policy aims.
• ❖ The development of alliance between the Axis powers in the 1930s.
• ❖ The remilitarisation of the Rhineland in 1936.
• ❖ The Spanish Civil War of 1936.
• ❖ Anschluss between Germany and Austria.
• ❖ The Sudeten Crisis and Munich Conference in 1938.
• ❖ The invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1939.
• ❖ The Nazi-Soviet Pact.
• ❖ The threat to, and invasion of, Poland in 1939.
• ❖ Britain and France's response to the threats to international peace.

Key individuals studied in this course include:

• ❖ Adolf Hitler.
• ❖ Benito Mussolini.
• ❖ Neville Chamberlain.
• ❖ Joseph Stalin.

This unit usually appears as one of four possible questions in Option B Core Content International Relations Since 1919 on the Paper 1 exam, of which you must complete two. Therefore, you will answer one question on the causes of the Second World War, if this appears as an option on your exam paper. The question is comprised of 3 sections; a), b), and c). However, check with your teacher to find out whether this unit will appear on the Paper 2 source paper in your exam.

• ❖ On the Paper 1 exam, you may choose to complete a three-part question on this topic, which will be divided into sections a), b) and c).
• ❖ Question a is worth 4 marks. This question will require you to describe key features of the time period. You will be asked to recall 2 relevant points and support them with details or provide at least four relevant points without supporting detail.
• ❖ Question b is worth 6 marks. This question will require you to explain a key event or development. You will need to identify two reasons, support those reasons with relevant factual detail and then explain how the reasons made the event occur.
• ❖ This unit usually appears as one of four possible questions in Option B Core Content International Relations Since 1919 on the Paper 1 exam, of which you must complete two. Therefore, you will answer one question on the causes of the Second World War, if this appears as an option on your exam paper. The question is comprised of 3 sections; a), b), and c). However, check with your teacher to find out whether this unit will appear on the Paper 2 source paper in your exam.
• ❖ If this topic appears on Paper 2, you will answer six questions on a range of source material about this topic. Check with your teacher to find out your Paper 2 topic.