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4. Spanish Civil War: Essay planning for Paper 2

  • /
  • Paper 2/
  • Topic 11: Causes and effects of 20th Century wars/
  • Case Study: Spanish Civil War/
  • 4. Spanish Civil War: Essay planning for Paper 2

The Spanish Civil War: essay planning

This page contains essay plans and essay writing activities on the Spanish Civil War. For comparative essays involving the Spanish Civil war please go to the comparative essay writing page.

Task One

ATL: Thinking skills

The six key concepts in history are:

  • Comparisons
  • Contrasts
  • Causation
  • Effects
  • Perspectives
  • Significance

Discuss in pairs which of these concepts would be relevant to an essay on the causes of the Spanish Civil war

This activity is to get students to understand the type of essay questions that they can get for Topic 10. They will need a copy of the prescribed content for Topic 10 from the IB guide for this exercise to remind them of the key themes. They should then apply these in the context of the Spanish Civil War.

Task Two

ATL: thinking skills

The command words of an essay question tell you how to structure your essay. 

In pairs draft your own Diploma style essay questions for the Spanish Civil War using the command words below and the prescribed content and themes for Topic 11 which can be found here.

The command terms in history are:

Compare – give an account of similarities

Contrast – give an account of differences

Compare and contrast – give an account of similarities and differences

Example:  Compare and contrast the role of air power in two 20th century wars.

Discuss – offer a balanced review and include a range of arguments [thematic approach]

Example:  Discuss the social and economic impact of one 20th century war.

Evaluate – consider the strengths and limitations

Example: Evaluate the role of technology in determining the outcome of one 20th century war.

Examine – consider an argument in a number of ways / interrelationships

Examine the role of economics in causing one 20th century war.

To what extent – give an argument for and against

To what extent were territorial disputes the cause of one 20th century inter-state war.

.

Task Three

ATL: Thinking skills

In pairs plan the following essay question using the material you have studied on the Spanish Civil War. 

Examine the short term causes of one 20th century war.

You can use the outline below to help you develop your essay plan.

Short term causes

Paragraph 1                 Economic issues for the Second Republic

Paragraph 2                 Political divisions within the Second Republic

Paragraph 3                 Military intervention against the Second Republic

Link short term causes to long term factors

Paragraph 4                 Long term economic issues were difficult for the Second Republic to resolve in the short term

Paragraph 5                 Long term political divisions were difficult for the Second Republic to resolve in the short term  

Task Four

ATL: Thinking skills

In pairs now consider the essay question:

To what extent was ideology the cause of one 20th century civil war?

Using the Spanish Civil War as your case study, use the following chart of long term and short term political and ideological issues on the attached PDF to develop the first part of your essay.

Essay plan: To what extent was ideology the cause of one 20th Century War?

Task Five

ATL: thinking skills

In pairs plan the following essay question using the Spanish Civil War as your case study:

To what extent did foreign intervention determine the outcome of one 20th century civil war?

You can use the following ideas as prompt for your paragraph openers.

  • Military support from foreign intervention for Nationalists
  • Limited military support from foreign intervention for Republicans
  • Economic support from foreign intervention for Nationalists
  • Lack of economic support from foreign intervention for Republicans
  • Foreign intervention did not undermine Nationalist political unity
  • Foreign intervention undermined Republican political unity

Task Six

In pairs plan the following essay using the Spanish Civil War as your case study 

Discuss the political, economic, and social effects of one 20th century civil war

You could use the bullet points below to help develop your lines of argument.

  • short-term political effects
  • longer-term political effects
  • short-term human and social effects
  • long term human and social effects
  • short-term economic effects
  • long-term economic effects