Level 3 History

This course is highly recommended to any students interested in studying History, Law or Criminal Justice at university.

The 2026 course will focus on either Topic A, Topic B or Topic C.

TOPIC A: “I believe we were all glad to leave New Zealand. It is not a pleasant place. Amongst the natives there is absent that charming simplicity which is found at Tahiti; and the greater part of the English are the very refuse [rubbish] of society. Neither is the country itself attractive.” So wrote the naturalist Charles Darwin in 1835 of New Zealand. However, over the next 185 years this land was to be the setting of dramatic and transformative confrontation as the rival worlds of Māori and Pākehā clashed and, out of this conflict, there would emerge a new and unique nation – New Zealand. The story of the beginnings of this history, and the legacies that are still being lived with today, will be explored. The course has a particular focus on the period from pre-European times up to the end of the 1840s as armed conflict emerged, setting the scene for New Zealand's future race-relations. Never has it been so important to learn about our own national past. This course is for anyone who is interested in learning about New Zealand’s forgotten or misunderstood history.

TOPIC B: King Henry VIII of England is one of the most infamous figures in history. He ruled England at a time of tremendous change, especially in religion. A deeply complex figure, he had six wives and changed the course of English history. The story of Henry and his break from the Roman Catholic Church will be explored. His daughter by his second wife, Queen Elizabeth I, will also be studied. Very much her father's daughter, she was an even more impressive monarch, especially in the context of her time, which was a society dominated by men. Her reign, and how she has been viewed by historians over time, will be examined.

TOPIC C (NEW FOR 2026): Study the causes, course, and consequences of the Russian Revolution (c. 1905-1921). Revolutionary change in Russia, with an emphasis on the 1917 February and October revolutions will be examined. Topics include the nature of Tsarist rule, the 1905 Revolution, the impact of World War I, the fall of the Tsar, the role of the Bolsheviks and key leaders, the October seizure of power, the Civil War, War Communism, the NEP, and the revolution’s political, social, and international significance. You will analyse primary and secondary sources, explain cause and consequence, continuity and change, and evaluate differing historical interpretations.