THE SOUTH AFRICAN SOCIETY FOR HISTORY TEACHING ... - … Newsletter 4.pdfSASHT EHISTORY NEWS JUNE 2011 0 IN THIS ISSUEIN THIS ISSUE 1. Foreword 1 2. (CAPS)tivating Curriculum – Jimmy

THE SOUTH AFRICAN SOCIETY FOR HISTORY THE SOUTH AFRICAN SOCIETY FOR HISTORY THE SOUTH AFRICAN SOCIETY FOR HISTORY THE SOUTH AFRICAN SOCIETY FOR HISTORY

TEACHING (SASHT)TEACHING (SASHT)TEACHING (SASHT)TEACHING (SASHT)

(An association of History educators, organisations, publishers (An association of History educators, organisations, publishers (An association of History educators, organisations, publishers (An association of History educators, organisations, publishers

and people interested in History teaching)and people interested in History teaching)and people interested in History teaching)and people interested in History teaching)

eHISTORY TEACHING 4eHISTORY TEACHING 4eHISTORY TEACHING 4eHISTORY TEACHING 4

JUNE 2011JUNE 2011JUNE 2011JUNE 2011

SASHT EHISTORY NEWS JUNE 2011

0

IN THIS ISSUEIN THIS ISSUEIN THIS ISSUEIN THIS ISSUE

1. Foreword 1

2. (CAPS)tivating Curriculum – Jimmy Verner 4

3. Using political cartoons in the History classroom –

Simon Haw

9

4. Ideas for the putting the oomph into your history

classroom – Dee Gillespie

20

5. The Cold War and Africa – Jenna-Lee Bruce 31

6. Book Review 40

7. All about the latest edition of Y&T 42

HistoryontheNet.com www.gwu.edu/~nsarchivwww.gwu.edu/~nsarchivwww.gwu.edu/~nsarchivwww.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv

www.eyewitwww.eyewitwww.eyewitwww.eyewitnesstohistory.comnesstohistory.comnesstohistory.comnesstohistory.com http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/

http://capehttp://capehttp://capehttp://cape----slaveryslaveryslaveryslavery----heritage.iblog.co.za/heritage.iblog.co.za/heritage.iblog.co.za/heritage.iblog.co.za/ www.historyplace.comwww.historyplace.comwww.historyplace.comwww.historyplace.com

ComptonHistory.com www.sahistory.org.zawww.sahistory.org.zawww.sahistory.org.zawww.sahistory.org.za

HistoryMad.com www.freeinfosociety.comwww.freeinfosociety.comwww.freeinfosociety.comwww.freeinfosociety.com

HistoryLearningSite.co.uk www.historybuffs.co.zawww.historybuffs.co.zawww.historybuffs.co.zawww.historybuffs.co.za

http://public.wsu.edu/~dee/MING/COMM.HTMhttp://public.wsu.edu/~dee/MING/COMM.HTMhttp://public.wsu.edu/~dee/MING/COMM.HTMhttp://public.wsu.edu/~dee/MING/COMM.HTM JohnDClare.net

HistoryGCSE.org

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have added a few new ones since the last newsletter. Some of these do not seem to workhave added a few new ones since the last newsletter. Some of these do not seem to workhave added a few new ones since the last newsletter. Some of these do not seem to workhave added a few new ones since the last newsletter. Some of these do not seem to work when you when you when you when you

click on them, but can be made to work by pasting the URL into your address bar.click on them, but can be made to work by pasting the URL into your address bar.click on them, but can be made to work by pasting the URL into your address bar.click on them, but can be made to work by pasting the URL into your address bar.


1

FOREWORDFOREWORDFOREWORDFOREWORD

Dear History Education colleagues: The fourth edition of eHistory Teaching has

been a very long time in gestation, partially because the new CAPS curriculum has

overwhelmed many of us with more work than we expected. The focus has not

changed for 2011. We still aim to use the newsletter to promote the South African

Society for History Teaching (SASHT) and its activities and provide a service to its

members and the wider history teaching community by sharing ideas about good

practice in terms of teaching and learning. Please help us by distributing the

newsletter far and wide to especially non-members. We can, at this stage, report

that we have had positive feedback on the first three newsletters.

We have something of a mixed bag in this edition. There is an article by Jimmy

Verner giving his impressions on the new CAPS curriculum. This is followed by an

article by Simon Haw entitled “Using political cartoons in the classroom”. Then

comes Dee Corbishley’s highly practical article, the main part of which is an

interesting and interactive way in which learners can revise the French Revolution.

Professor Johan Wasserman has kindly supplied work done by some of his past

students. I have chosen one of these – a piece on the Cold War and Africa. It was

originally in the form of a pamphlet, so I have taken the liberty of “de-

pamphleting” it and putting it into our house style. There is also our regular book

review to keep you informed and entertained.

On a more personal note – Am I alone in being concerned about a dangerous

tendency towards present-mindedness in the way we approach History education?

Most historians would agree that what they are trying to do is get as close as

possible to presenting the past “wie es eigentlich gewesen”. However, few would

disagree that this is a very difficult thing to do. To start with, as one writer puts it,

“the past is another country”. Like another country it has different customs and

even a different language. We need to be aware that we tend to look at the past

from our present perspective. To really understand the past we need to accept that

many of the values and beliefs we hold today are different from, but not necessarily

superior to, those which were held in the past.

A good example of how easily we can go astray if we interpret the past using the

lens of the present was given to me by an English expert on history teaching so

many years ago that I have forgotten exactly who he was. In his example, King Louis

XIV of France visits one of his country chateaus unexpectedly and finds the staff are

all either absent or drunk and disorderly. What would he have done? Your learners


2

are all likely to answer that severe punishment would have been meted out for such

obvious dereliction of duty. The answer, however, is that Louis would in all

likelihood have apologised for dropping in unannounced. The key point is that in

Louis’ day protocol was all-important. The monarch was at fault for having

dropped in unexpectedly as the rules of society in those days decreed that no

action, particularly by a royal personage, should be spontaneous and not hedged

about with a great deal of ceremony. This applied to everything, even to such

simple things as getting up and going to bed and the order in which people came

into and left the room.

For more information about the SASHT and its flagship publication the Yesterday &

Today please visit our website at www.sashtw.co.zawww.sashtw.co.zawww.sashtw.co.zawww.sashtw.co.za. Incidentally, the latest edition

of the Yesterday & Today is now available on the SASHT website.

Happy reading and please let us know what you think and let the contributions roll

in for the idea is that this must be a practical publication for use by history

educators.

The Editor

Simon Haw

SASHT 2010 / 2011 Committee Members & Regional representativesSASHT 2010 / 2011 Committee Members & Regional representativesSASHT 2010 / 2011 Committee Members & Regional representativesSASHT 2010 / 2011 Committee Members & Regional representatives

SASHT Committee e-mail addresses:

Elize S van Eeden [email protected] (chairperson)

Byron Bunt [email protected]

Dee Gillespie [email protected]

Michelle Koekemoer [email protected]

Jimmy Verner [email protected]

Patrick McMahon [email protected]

Paul Haupt [email protected]

Thomas Tervitt [email protected]

Fiona Frank [email protected]

Pieter Warnich [email protected]

REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES:

Matthew Marwick [email protected]

Boitumelo Moreeng [email protected]

Barry Firth [email protected]

Please note that the views expressed in this editorial are those of the editor and are not necessarily shared by the SASHT or its publication Yesterday &

Today.


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Please join the SASHT! The home for all History Educators!Please join the SASHT! The home for all History Educators!Please join the SASHT! The home for all History Educators!Please join the SASHT! The home for all History Educators!


4

(CAPS)TIVATING CURRICULUM(CAPS)TIVATING CURRICULUM(CAPS)TIVATING CURRICULUM(CAPS)TIVATING CURRICULUM

Jimmy Verner, the current principal of Bishop Bavin

School has been a teacher of history for over 40

years. As an examiner and sub-examiner for the JMB

and the IEB he has had over 30 years experience of

matric marking in total. He has served on various

IEB and other history committees. He was the

former chairman of SASHT and is currently the

society’s treasurer. He is a co-author of the History

for All series of textbooks for the FET phase. In this

article he comments on the new CAPS curriculum.

Although I am focusing on the Grade 10 to 12 CAPS document, I will refer at times

to the Social Sciences CAPS in order to comment on the history to be covered in the

lower grades. The CAPS documents are policy statements which replace all the old

subject statements, learner progression guides and subject assessment guidelines

and provide the norms and standards for National Education and assessment in

both public and private schools. (Note that the IEB has not yet published its

interpretation of the CAPS). The philosophy behind the CAPS is to “promote the idea

of grounding knowledge in local conditions while being sensitive to global

imperatives.” They also hope to “encourage an active and critical approach to

learning.” The CAPS continue to say: “History is the study of change and

development in society over time. The study of History enables us to understand

and evaluate how past human action impacts on the present and influences our

future. History is about learning how to think about the past, and by implication the

present, in a disciplined way. History is a process of enquiry and is about asking

questions of the past.” To all of this there can be no objection, nor can we complain

when the document says that the study of history should support the development

of good citizenship.

The aims of teaching history and the skills which this teaching should develop are

also likely to be generally applauded stressing as they do issues of interest and

understanding of the past and the ability to conduct an historical enquiry through

the examination of sources and to be aware of issues of multiperspectivity,

chronology, cause and effect, change and continuity. The use of key questions to

help to give a clear focus to each topic is also commendable and helps to give

direction to the overall question of “How do we understand our world today?”


5

It is in the selection of content and especially the decision as to what content is to

be taught at which grade, that most of the objections are likely to come. In fairness

to those who designed the curriculum, they have obviated the repetition of the

same subject matter year after year, but in trying to do this within a general broad

chronology; they have placed some aspects of the syllabus at seemingly

inappropriate levels. In the Intermediate Phase of Grades 4, 5 and 6 history is linked

to geography as Social Science and the history component covers the following:

Grade 4:

Term 1 Local History

Term 2 Learning from leaders

Term 3 Transport through time

Term 4 Communication through time

Grade 5

Term 1 Hunter-gatherers and herders in South Africa

Term 2 The first farmers in South Africa

Term 3 An ancient African society: Egypt

Term 4 A heritage trail through the provinces of South Africa

Grade 6

Term 1 An African kingdom long ago in southern Africa: Mapungubwe

Term 2 Explorers from Europe find southern Africa

Term 3 Democracy and citizenship in South Africa

Term 4 Medicine through time

Social Sciences is allocated 3 hours of teaching per week so history has half of this

and yet in that short time you are supposed to teach a ten year old about transport

and communication in the time of animal drawn traffic when the urban child has

probably no idea what a horse or ox is and few South African children can envisage

canals as a means of transport. Grade 5 is no easier to teach to a modern often

irreligious youth because of the complexities of ancient civilizations with their

tendency to interweave political and religious issues and powers. In Grade 6 you are

asked, among other things, to look at scientific medicine through time which really

requires some knowledge of both biology and chemistry! Did the syllabus planners

think at all about the level of understanding children of these ages have?

The Senior Phase has its own problems. Its content covers:


6

Grade 7Grade 7Grade 7Grade 7

Term 1 The kingdom of Mali and the city of Timbuktu in the 14th Century

Term 2 The transatlantic slave trade

Term 3 Colonisation of the Cape in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Term 4 Co-operation and conflict on the frontiers of the Cape Colony in the early 19th

Century.


Term 1 The Industrial Revolution in Britain and South Africa from 1860.

Term 2 The Mineral Revolution in South Africa.

Term 3 The scramble for Africa – late 19th Century

Term 4 World War I (1914 – 1918)


Term 1 World War II (1919 - 1945)

Term 2 The Nuclear Age and the Cold War

Term 3 Turning points in South African history: 1948 and 1950s

Term 4 Turning points in South African history: 1960, 1976 and 1994.

In Grade 7 at the age of 13 children battle to understand the issues of slavery and

much of what one might want to show them by way of DVD material is age

restricted beyond 13. Grade 8 is a better bet as one can turn the scramble for

Africa into a “land grab” game and many children have some awareness of the

issues of mining from one or other perspective. World War I can be a fun topic if

one avoids trying to explain too clearly. Grade 9 continues the greatly increased

focus on South African and African history, without neglecting some quite juicy

episodes such as the Second World War.

The FET phase is of greater interest as it is now that the learners have chosen to

study history. In many cases this choice is simply what has been seen as the least of

the evils contained within the school’s subject choice, but there are those who are

genuinely interested in the subject. Here the general plan is a broad sweep of

history over the period 1600 to 2000 over the three years and many may feel that

chosen areas of focus within this sweep are not well chosen. The broad sweep

covers the following:


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1 The world around 1600

2 Expansion and conquest in the 15th – 18th centuries

3 The French Revolution

4 Transformations in southern Africa after 1750

5 Colonial Expansion after 1750

6 The South African War and Union


1 Communism in Russia 1900-1940

2 Capitalism and the USA 1900-1940

3 Ideas of Race in the late 19th and 20th Century

4 Nationalisms: South Africa, the Middle East and Africa

5 Apartheid South Africa: 1940s–1960s


1 The Cold War

2 Independent Africa

3 Civil Society protests 1950s–1990s

4 Civil resistance 1970s–1980s: South Africa

5 The coming of democracy in South Africa and coming to terms with the past.

6 The end of the Cold War and a new global world order

The CAPS tells us that the first topic of Grade 10 should be weighted less than the

others and that topic 4 of Grade 11 should be weighted more than the others (this

is why Grade 11 only has 5 where the other grades have 6 topics). In Grade 10 the

“space” is to be taken up by a compulsory heritage task, separately outlined. (see

p31 of CAPS).

The syllabus content for Grades 10 to 12 has not changed too drastically, certainly

enough to need new textbooks but not enough to change the overall concept of a

gallop through the centuries in three years. The content has been reduced by

looking at four hundred years instead of six hundred and fifty years and some of

the sections like slavery have been moved to earlier years. The emphasis in Grade

10 is definitely on South Africa (and the section labeled the South African War

includes a large chunk on industrialization and the issues of labour on the gold

mines). In Grade 11 the Russian section moves the emphasis from the story of the

revolution to the theory and implementation of Communism as a doctrine – possibly

to minimize repetition of what was done in Grade8. The emphasis becomes far


8

greater on issues of race, nationalism and apartheid than in the current syllabus

and one cannot help wonder if we are not doing these issues to death rather like

the old National Party government’s emphasis for many years on the Great Trek.

The Grade 12 syllabus confirms the removal of globalization which the national

examination had effectively removed by taking it off the examinable sections of the

syllabus although the IEB continues to examine it. The emphasis is South African

and African rather than on world history which is understandable given that history

teaching always has a political role to play.

The CAPS includes the programme of assessment that teachers are expected to

follow although I find it has too few tasks that are formally assessed and always

make my learners complete more than these guidelines. It has outlines of the

format of the national matric exam (we wait to see what the IEB will offer) as well as

a useful essay marking grid (page 37).

On balance I find, as a teacher in the classroom, the CAPS a good working

document. Where I feel appropriate I will, being in a private school, adjust the

content to suit my own views but the essential points of the aims and skills that the

CAPS hope to achieve in history learners can only be supported.


9

USING POLITICAL CARTOONS IN THE HISTORY CLASSROOMUSING POLITICAL CARTOONS IN THE HISTORY CLASSROOMUSING POLITICAL CARTOONS IN THE HISTORY CLASSROOMUSING POLITICAL CARTOONS IN THE HISTORY CLASSROOM

Simon Haw taught History for twenty years. First

at Wartburg-Kirchdorff High School and then at

Maritzburg College. He then worked as an

educational researcher and later History subject

advisor before retiring at the end of 2007. He is

the author of three books as well as being a

Social Science and History textbook writer. To

keep the wolf from the door, he has of late also

turned his hand to newspaper subediting.

Political cartoons have featured in school history textbooks for longer than most

other types of primary sources. Earlier generations of history scholars will no doubt

remember Modern Europe by Denis Richard, published in 1937, as a prime example

of their use.

The political cartoon is one of the most enduring forms of political commentary. It

has been dated to 1517 when Martin Luther broke with the Roman Catholic Church.

Part of his campaign involved the production of what we would now recognise as

political cartoons. Nearly five hundred years later, political cartoons are still

regularly published in most newspapers.

An effective political cartoon expresses in a sophisticated visual shorthand the

views of the cartoonist about an important current topic. It amounts to more than

just sloganeering as it actually presents an argument which challenges the viewers

to engage with the cartoon on a complex intellectual level. It also engages with the

viewer on an emotional level arousing his or her amusement or disgust, according

to the purpose of the cartoonist. For the historian it is a useful way of gauging the

way events and issues were perceived at the time they were happening and provides

valuable social context for past happenings.

From the perspective of the teacher, cartoons as a source present a considerable

challenge. Research has indicated that many adults do not easily understand even

modern cartoons. How much more challenging for teenagers in school therefore

must be cartoons that were produced during a period many years before they were


10

even born. What this means is that as history teachers we need actively to teach

cartoon interpretation and not simply assume that young Mary or Sipho is going to

be able to decode such subtle source material without acquiring the necessary

visual literacy skills.

Political cartoons make use of a number of devices to get their message across.

Some of the most important of these are:

1. Symbols

2. Metaphor

3. Visual distortion

4. Irony

5. Stereotypes

6. Caricature

In examining these six elements of the cartoonists’ trade, we will make use of

examples of cartoons drawn from several time periods.

1. SymbolsSymbolsSymbolsSymbols are visual elements

which stand for something

else. For instance, the dollar

sign may be used to

symbolise the U.S. economy.

Common symbols for

countries are John Bull for

Britain, Uncle Sam for the

U.S., the bear for Russia and

the dragon for China. A

common symbol for liberty is

the Statue of Liberty, a female

figure with a torch raised in

her right hand. This is the

symbol used in our

illustrative cartoon. The

cartoon dates from 1950 – a

time when rampant fear of

communism was having the effect of endangering the U.S.’s own

commitment to civil liberties. The cartoonist has drawn a figure labelled

“Hysteria” climbing a ladder with a full bucket of water to extinguish the

torch of liberty. The bucket of water is also a symbol. It stands for the sort

of repressive measures which would put out the flame of liberty.


11

2. MetaphorsMetaphorsMetaphorsMetaphors and symbols are closely related. The Collins Dictionary defines a

metaphor as “a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an

object or action that it does not literally denote in order to imply a

resemblance, for example he is a lion in battle.” A cartoonist might use the

example given in the dictionary, by drawing a famous general in the form of

a lion. A far less flattering view would be if the same general were portrayed

as a mouse.

Cartoonists draw heavily on literature, folk tales, religious writing, songs and

other cultural phenomena to provide metaphors for their visual messages. A

good example is our illustrative cartoon. The cartoonist’s message is that

once black people become aware of their power, all the efforts of the

apartheid government to keep them under control will be ineffective. The

metaphor he employs is Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels. In one of the

stories in this book, Gulliver journeys to Lilliput, where he is a giant among

tiny people. The people of Lilliput become fearful of Gulliver’s great size and

strength and they wait till he is asleep before tying him down with their

strongest ropes. Needless to say, Gulliver is so strong that the ropes prove

totally ineffective.

While Gulliver’s experiences in Lilliput provide the metaphor for this cartoon,

the cartoon is also filled with visual symbols – the black Gulliver stands for

the black people of South Africa, the ropes stand for the apartheid laws

which are meant to subdue him and the tiny figures stand for the

apparatchiks of apartheid.


12

Not all metaphors used in cartoons are drawn from literature. In the Cuban

Missile Crisis cartoon, which provides our second example, the cartoonist

uses the metaphor of arm wrestling. This emphasises the very personal

nature of the confrontation that took place between Khrushchev and

Kennedy. The British cartoonist seems to feel that Kennedy is getting the

better of the confrontation as he has sweat breaking out on Khrushchev’s

brow. To emphasise the dangerous tussle between these two men the

cartoonist has both men sitting on nuclear warheads with their free hands

poised to press the buttons that would set off nuclear war.

3. Visual distortionVisual distortionVisual distortionVisual distortion is a commonly used device in cartoons. For instance a huge

Russian Bear looming up over a small Uncle Sam would visually suggest that

Russia is both extremely dangerous and powerful and that in any conflict

between the two Uncle Sam (that is the U.S.) is likely to come off worse. A

small frightened-looking Bear running away from a huge Uncle Sam would

suggest quite the opposite.

Both our example cartoons are by Jock Leyden of Durban’s Daily News. Both

deal with the dangers to free institutions of a repressive authoritarian

government and both make use of visual distortion.


13

The cartoon on the left is from 1964. John Vorster, the Justice minister of

the time, had proposed the setting up of a government tribunal to control

the press, here portrayed as a plucky little terrier. Part of the message is put

across by the huge difference in size between the looming Vorster, who fills

virtually the whole frame of the cartoon and the tiny terrier. However, the

visually distorted element that stands out most prominently is the enormous

club labelled “Press Tribunal”. By drawing the club in this way the cartoonist

is saying that this brutal wielding of state power is out of all proportion to

any need the government might feel to regulate the press.

The second cartoon refers to the Bureau of State Security (BOSS) – a dreaded

secret police outfit set up by the apartheid government, which was secretly

funded and reported directly to the prime minister. Boss is drawn as a huge

shadowy figure completely overshadowing the judge and his law books.

4. IronyIronyIronyIrony is defined in the Collins dictionary as “the humorous or mildly sarcastic

use of words to imply the opposite of what they normally mean or an

instance of this used to draw attention to some incongruity or irrationality”.

There are three main types of irony – verbal (the words being used signify the

opposite of what is being said), situational (an outcome turns out to be very

different from what was expected – one’s holiday to relax and unwind

coincides with a tsunami for instance) and dramatic irony (such as in a play

where a character talks about what he will be doing tomorrow, but the

audience knows that he will be dead before dawn).


14

A common form irony takes

in cartoons is a mismatch

between a grandiose

description and the image

which illustrates it. For

instance the cartoon we are

using as an example is

entitled “A physical force

Chartist arming for the

fight”. This suggests

something noble and

grand. However, the

cartoonist's image presents

the ridiculous spectacle of a

moronic-looking man being

adorned with a coalscuttle

and other domestic

hardware by his frumpy

wife.

5. A stereotypestereotypestereotypestereotype is a vastly oversimplified view of a group. These are commonly

used in a cartoon to associate a character or characters in the cartoon with a

particular group. This can be done by exaggerating some common physical

characteristic such as a facial feature or style of dress regarded as common

to a particular group or by using behavioural stereotypes, such as basing the

cartoon on the grossly oversimplified view that all Scottish people are mean

with their money.

A particularly odious use of stereotypes in cartoons is to be found in Der

Stümer – leading Nazi Julius Streicher’s virulently anti-Semitic publication. In

the two cartoons used as examples, the publication draws Jews so that they

appear ugly, misshapen and alien, creating a stereotype calculated to raise

fear and rejection in the viewer.

In the first of the two Der Stürmer cartoons, the Jewish figure is depicted as a

puppeteer controlling world politicians and discarding them when they are

no longer of use to him. The second cartoon presents a particularly

monstrous image of a Jew as well as a stereotypical view of the racially pure

Aryan woman. The cartoon, which is entitled Legion of Shame, refers to

those German women who, according to the cartoonist, have been tempted


15

by money into having sexual relations with Jewish men. It is an example of

the Nazi obsession with racial purity and the stock Nazi portrayal of the Jew

as the defiler and destroyer of the German nation.

6. A caricaturecaricaturecaricaturecaricature is related to but is essentially the opposite of a stereotype. In a

caricature the cartoonist exaggerates a particular feature of an individual

(e.g. large ears or nose, a prominent chin, bushy eyebrows) in order to make

him or her instantly recognisable to the viewers and these features are often

drawn in such a way as to fit in with the message of the particular cartoon.

However, although the Der Stürmer cartoons are an example of stereotyping

they also make use of caricature – in this case not of an individual, but of a

whole race. The gross exaggeration of the nose, dress and general physical

appearance in the images of Jews in these cartoons is an example of

caricature.

The cartoon we will be using as an example is by one of South Africa’s best

cartoonists, Jonathan Shapiro (Zapiro). In this cartoon he exaggerates PW

Botha’s relatively thick lips, bald head, glasses and portly figure to create a

highly unflattering but instantly recognisable image of the apartheid era

president.


16

The cartoon uses the metaphor of the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale of

the emperor who had no clothes. In this story, the emperor appears naked

before his people having been conned by a pair of weavers, but because

most of the people are too concerned with their own advancement or

personal safety they flatter his magnificent attire. Only a little child is

prepared to tell the truth and call out that the emperor has no clothes.

Here the truth-teller is the black journalist from the Alternative Press, while

the government-funded SABC and the mainstream press are seen in servile

postures praising Botha’s new clothes. The angry Botha is seen ordering

Home Affairs Minister Stoffel Botha to deal with the alternative press for

“spreading blatant distortions and miserable lies”. This last is a good

example of irony as the cartoonist and presumably most of the newspaper’s

readers would not regard them as lies at all and would see that the wrong

people are being accused.


17

This cartoon also illustrates very effectively another important feature of

cartoons, namely that all of them tend to be biased. Cartoonists make no

secrets of their opinions and feelings about a current issue. Consequently it

is possible to imagine a cartoon produced by the Nationalist press in this era

that would present exactly the opposite view.

What this means for the teacherWhat this means for the teacherWhat this means for the teacherWhat this means for the teacher

As mentioned earlier in this article, teachers need actively to teach cartoons and not

simply leave it up to chance that learners will be able to interpret them. The best

place to start the teaching process is with modern cartoons on a hot national or

international topic. This at least removes the added dimension of distance in time

from the task of interpretation. Furthermore, as most modern newspapers publish

cartoons, it is very easy for learners to access political cartoons themselves.

With this in mind let us run a recent Zapiro cartoon through the categories we have

established. Zapiro is commenting on the recent decision of the Competition

Tribunal to allow Walmart, a huge U.S. chain, to buy a controlling interest in

Massmart with only very modest preconditions.

SymbolsSymbolsSymbolsSymbols - The cartoon makes use of several symbols. For example the gun being

hauled up behind the landing party is a symbol of the forceful methods that are

likely to be employed in the future.

MetaphorMetaphorMetaphorMetaphor - The metaphor being used

here is the landing of Jan van

Riebeeck in 1652. Walmart is seen

as a foreign economic power which is

colonising South Africa. The images

are based on Charles Bell's famous

painting of the encounter between

Van Riebeeck's party and the

indigenous Khoikhoi (right).

VisualVisualVisualVisual distortiondistortiondistortiondistortion - This cartoon does

not make use of visual distortion to

any great extent.

Irony Irony Irony Irony – can be detected in the contrast between the smiling figures of the leader,

the two soldiers holding the banner and the leader’s reassuring greeting and the

gun being pushed up out of view behind them. It is also inherent in the words “in a

spirit of co-operation and mutual prosperity”. It is clear from the cartoon that the

cartoonist does not expect this to be the outcome of the Walmart takeover.


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StereotypesStereotypesStereotypesStereotypes – This cartoon uses the same stereotypes that appear in the original

Bell painting, which emphasises the contrast between the civilised and

technologically advanced landing party and the comparatively primitive indigenous

people. However, in Zapiro’s cartoon, the indigenous people are drawn on the

same physical level as the new arrivals and are a whole lot more savvy than the

figures in the Bell painting.

CaricatureCaricatureCaricatureCaricature – While there is no marked exaggeration of the features of any of the

characters in the cartoon, the spectacles and facial features of the character labelled

“Unions” makes him instantly recognisable as Zwelinzima Vavi, the Cosatu boss who

is a known opponent of the Walmart takeover.

Words to the wiseWords to the wiseWords to the wiseWords to the wise

Here are some quick tips to bear in mind when teaching about or using political

cartoons in class or in tests and examinations:

• Avoid cartoons where the symbolism is likely to be obscure to the learners. In

the example of the cartoon that uses Gulliver’s travels as a metaphor, it is quite

possible to interpret the meaning of the cartoon without knowing anything

about Gulliver’s travels in Lilliput.

• Cartoons should not require specific local knowledge in order to be interpreted.

For instance a cartoon comparing the situation in Canada to Gorbachev’s

policies in the Soviet Union would be extremely difficult for most teachers and

all learners to decode.

• Start the teaching process by making use of contemporary cartoons.


19

• Draw learners’ attention to the following:

- date of publication

- where was it published? – name and place of publication

- labels used in the cartoon – these are commonly used and provide a

vital aid to decoding.

• Give your learners lots of practice in class, using the criteria in this article.

I cannot resist ending with one of my favourite cartoons. This is a British cartoon

from 1962 which comments on South Africa’s pass laws with devastating

simplicity.


20

IDEAS FOR PUTTING THE OOMPH INTO YOUR HISTORY IDEAS FOR PUTTING THE OOMPH INTO YOUR HISTORY IDEAS FOR PUTTING THE OOMPH INTO YOUR HISTORY IDEAS FOR PUTTING THE OOMPH INTO YOUR HISTORY

CLASSROOM CLASSROOM CLASSROOM CLASSROOM

Dee Gillespie is a woman of many parts. She

currently teaches History from grade 8 to 10 at

Jeppe Girls’ High School in Johannesburg, but

she has also taught mathematics and physical

science, as well as being involved in business

training. She has had a long and distinguished

career in developing course material in subjects

as diverse as Technology and Life Orientation.

In this article, I would like to discuss three different techniques I have used

successfully in my History classroom. The first deals with stereotyping, the second

with heritage and the third is a fun revision exercise on the French Revolution,

1. Stereotyping – Get the learners to divide an A4 page into b equal blocks Then

get the learners to draw a person to represent a Zulu, Xhosa, Ndele, Pedi,

Afrikaaner, etc

Once everyone has drawn their pictures – discuss:

a. Did you draw more males or females? Why?

b. Did you draw more traditional or modern dressed people?

c. Why do we draw more traditional interpretations?

d. Who drew similar “Zulu” people? How are they similar?

e. Who has a completely unique picture?

f. What do these pictures tell us about our perceptions about other

races?

2. Working in groups create a “memorial” to celebrate the “heritage of the

class” using sponge cake, icing, colouring , sweets, smarties, etc.

(Alternative: Recreate a battle field –Isandhlwana – using edible goodies!)


21

3. French Revolution – Chain of events. On the following pages you will find the

following components.

A – Instructions

B – Questions

C - Answers

A. InstructionsA. InstructionsA. InstructionsA. Instructions

1. Divide the class into groups of 6. (If the class is not in multiples of 6 – either

appoint a 7th person to staple the answers. . . . or give one person an extra

sheet – the bright child gets two pages to look for answers)

2. Give each group member a question sheet. (on white paper)

3. Give each person in the group one coloured page of answers. That is to say,

each person should have one page of coloured answers – One group should

have – a pink, blue, green, yellow, lilac, orange page of answers.

4. The group leader needs to read the first question. All group members need to

read the answers on their coloured page – once the answer has been identified.

The person needs to cut the strip from the page and staple the strip into a

ring.

5. The person holding the first answer reads the second question. All group

members need to look for the answer on their sheet. The person having the

answer must take the first ringed answer and after cutting the answer from

their page – thread their second answer through the first answer to link the

answers to make a chain.

6. The person who answered the second question – reads the third question.

They should pass the chain with two links to the person having the third

answer. The third answer must be linked to the second answer.

7. Continue with the chain.

8. Learners should be encouraged to record key words to answer all questions on

their own page.

9. The answers should form a chain having the letters recorded in order to form

the words of the slogan of the French revolution!


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B. QuestionsB. QuestionsB. QuestionsB. Questions

1. What war did France lose in 1763?

2. Which family were the absolute monarchs in France in the eighteenth century?

3. What was the First Estate?

4. Who belonged to the Second Estate and what privileges did they receive?

5. Which Estate did most of the population belong to?

6. Name and explain the three types of taxes the French population had to pay in

the 18th century.

7. Describe what was life like for most of the French population in the 1780’s?

8. What were absolute monarchs?

9. What type of king was Louis XIV?

10. The “Sun King” built Versailles. Describe this palace.

11. When did Louis XVI become king of France? How old was he?

12. Why was Louis XVI overweight?

13. How many children did Louis XVI have?

14. What problems was Louis XVI faced with in the 1780’s?

15. Why did the financial situation get worse in France in the 1780’s?

16. What was Calonne’s solution to France’s financial problem?

17. What happened when Calonne tried to get the First and Second Estate to pay

taxes?

18. Who replaced Calonne? Was he successful in raising the money for the

government?

19. What was the Estates General?

20. What happened when the Estates General met in May 1789?

21. What was the National Assembly?

22. Why was bread so expensive in the 1780’s?

23. Where did the people get weapons and why did they want to destroy the Bastille?

24. What happened when the people attacked the Bastille?

25. What happened after the Storming of the Bastille?


23

26. How did the National Assembly try to stop the violence in France?

27. What changes in France did the new constitution introduce?

28. Why did the people loose confidence in the king?

29. When and where was the King of the French executed?

30. What was it like to live in France during the Reign of Terror in 1793 to 1795?

31. What happened in France after Robespierre was executed?

32. Outline Napoleon’s early life and rise to power.

33. When did Napoleon become Emperor of France?

3. 3. 3. 3. Answers Answers Answers Answers –––– The answers appear in tabular form in six separate tables starting on

the next page.


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1 L

France was a powerful and important country. In 1763 France had to surrender most of its overseas empire to Britain after it had been beaten in the Seven Year War.

7 Y

Most of the people in France were peasants, who made up 80% of the population of France. They had a hard life. Most of them did not own the land they farmed. As well as paying rent, they had to work free of charge for the local landowner on certain days of the year. They had to pay taxes to the government, like the taille and the gabelle (salt tax) and tithes to the Church. Sometimes they paid three quarters of their yearly income in taxes. They were also expected to fight whenever France went to war.

31

After the fall of Robespierre in July 1794, the policies of the government changed.

The Terror was over, the power of the Jacobins was broken and a more moderate

group took power.

Restaurants reopened. Those people who had money could sample the large number of

new dishes made by the chefs, some of whom had learned their skills before the

Revolution in the kitchens of noblemen. Large numbers of people were very poor. Before

and during the Revolution there had been both very poor and very rich people in Paris.

Some of the `new poor' were noblemen who had lost everything in the Revolution. Others

were victims of inflation. They had been given the new assignats. As the economic crisis

grew worse the paper money became less and less valuable.

Gambling clubs and the theatre prospered. There was also a craze, among both rich and

poor people, for dancing. There were hundreds of dance halls - in old churches, gardens

and palaces. The Church of St Sulpice was painted yellow. A dance floor was laid over

the gravestones.

19

Estates General was a group which represented all the different estates in France. It had not had a meeting since 1614. First and Second Estate could join forces to out vote the Third Estate. The King called this meeting when he wanted people to agree to new taxes in 1789.

13

In 1778 the Queen gave birth to a daughter. A son was born 1781 and another in 1785. Louis was a proud father and enjoyed spending time with his children. It was a terrible blow to him when his eldest son died from tuberculosis at the age eight. The royal couple were so upset that they stopped all their public appearances. Only a few courtiers were allowed to see the unhappy King.

25

The fall of the Bastille sparked off violence all across France. There were many

uprisings by peasants. The summer of 1789 was called the Grand Peer (Great Fear).

Peasants attacked the houses of rich landowners, broke down fences and killed their

animals. They burnt the records which said how much rent and tax the peasants had

to pay. These violent acts were encouraged by a group of people who called

themselves the Jacobins. They said that peasants should no longer do what the

landowners told them to do.


25

2 I

France was ruled by the Bourbon family. Louis XVI (1754 – 93) was an absolute monarch. An Absolute monarch is a king or queen claiming to be appointed by God to rule the country. They do not share power with anyone – even parliament.

26

On 4 August 1789 the National Assembly tried to do away with the things that were

making the peasants so angry. A new law ended many of the powers of the nobles and

the Church. This stopped them punishing peasants in their own private courts, and taking

taxes and tithes from them. All adult citizens were given the right to vote. On 26 August

they produced a Declaration of the Rights of Man. This promised freedom to the

people of France. This still did not stop the violence. In October a crowd marched from

Paris to the Palace of Versailles and forced the King and his family to return to Paris.

8

French kings were absolute monarchs. Their powers were not limited by other people or groups, so they felt that they did not have to answer to the people for what they did. But they did think that they had to answer to God and that they had duties and obligations. One of these was to ensure respect for God. Another of the King's duties was to defend his people and make sure that people respected the law. The people also expected kings to rule by the law of the land. Monarchs who didn't do this were called despots.

32

Napoleon Bonaparte was born at Aj accio in Corsica on 15 August 1769, the second son of a lawyer. France had taken over Corsica, from Italy, in the year before Napoleon's birth. In 1778 he was sent to school in France. His teachers noticed that he was very good at science and mathematics. In 1784 he went to the military school in Paris and a year later joined an artillery regiment of the French army. Napoleon was in Paris during the revolutionary summer of 1789. He won fame in 1793 at the siege of Toulon. The English navy had landed troops, who had captured the town. Napoleon was in command of the French army gunners who bombarded the English and forced them to withdraw from Toulon. The revolutionary government, known as the Directory, was very grateful to Napoleon and he was rapidly promoted.

20

The Estates General met in May 1789. The middle-class people or Bourgeois demanded a share of power. They demanded a constitution. This was a set of rules which said how the country should be run. Even the King would have to obey these rules. Many of these ideas were opposed by the King and by the richest members of the First and Second Estates.

14

Louis XVI was facing financial ruin in the early 1780s. One problem seemed to lead to another and it was difficult to find a way our. You can see from the diagram that the French government was spending more than it could afford. Louis needed money to pay for his court, his government officials, his

solicitors and his debts. If he couldn't find the money there was a real danger that government might break down, or that the King might

have to depend too much on the nobles or on people he owed money to.


26

3 B

The First Estate was made up of members of the Church (the clergy). In 1789 the French Church was very important. It owned about one tenth of the land in France and some of its leaders, played a very important part in the government. Yet of the 130,000 clergy in France, most were parish priests who were quite poor. The Church was very important in an age when most people believed in heaven and hell. In return for praying for the King and the people, the First Estate was allowed privileges. Its members did not have to pay the main tax. They could not be called up for military service. If they broke the law they were tried in their own courts.

21

When the King tried to break up the meeting, members of the Third Estate met in a nearby tennis court. They pledged not to go home until France had a constitution. They called themselves the National Assembly. This was on 20 June, 1789. Historians call this pledge The Tennis Court Oath.

15

In the past the King and his government had got hold of money by borrowing it from wealthy people. When the government paid back the loan, it had to pay interest on it. This meant the government paid back more money than it originally borrowed. Lenders made money by charging high interest.

Over the years the King had borrowed huge amounts of money. In 1788 50% of all the government's spending went just on paying interest to people who had loaned it money. This cost twice as much money as running the French army and navy. Things were getting out of control.

9

For some French people a good example of a great king was Louis XIV. He came to the throne in 1643 when he was only four years old. In his early years he relied on his chief minister, Mazarin. From 1661, after Mazarin's death, Louis became more involved in the day-to-day government of the country, and made every part of the government answerable to him personally. Louis XIV was an intelligent man. He was prepared to work very hard and was not afraid to make difficult decisions. His armies won many battles. Under his leadership France was feared and respected as the greatest power in Europe. Louis XIV died in 1715, having reigned for 72 years. He had dazzled the people of Europe, but left France in financial ruin with his extravagance at court and his costly wars.

27

A new constitution was introduced. A constitution is a set of, laws or ideas for the

running of a country. The new constitution meant that the King would have to accept

restrictions on his power. He would no longer be an absolute monarch. The legislature

would make the laws. From now on the King would have to accept laws he didn't like.

Tax-paying citizens would be given the right to vote for members of the legislature.

Most poor people would still not have the right to vote, even though they paid taxes.

33

In 1804 Napoleon crowned himself Emperor of France. The poor lawyer's son from Corsica ruled a mighty empire in Europe as well as colonies in other parts of the world. Now it was time to make sure people appreciated his greatness.

During his campaigns in Italy he had seen the glory of the ancient Romans. He had also read about the lives of the Roman emperors, especially the first of the emperors, Caesar Augustus. This seemed an ideal person to model himself on.


27

4 E

The nobles belonged to the Second Estate of France. In 1789 there were about 400,000 nobles in France. They owned about one third of the land. The older noble families had served the king for centuries - in battle, at court and in government jobs. Some noble families had fallen on hard times. They had been left behind by the newer noble families who had done well in business and bought their way into the nobility. Rich or poor, the nobility were expected to serve the King in war. In return they were granted privileges. For example, they did not have to pay many taxes to the government.

22.

In 1788 the harvest had been very bad. The price of a loaf of bread went up by 50% between April1788 and March 1789. There were riots and the country was becoming impossible to run. Then hail the size of tennis balls made bread even more expensive.

16

By 1787 the French government had been in debt for over one hundred years and the King needed to find a new way of raising money. The person responsible to the King for raising money was Calonne. He decided that the only way to raise more money was to tax the people in the First and Second Estates.

Calonne's idea was that people should pay tax depending on how much land they owned. People who owned more land would pay more tax. Obviously this was not popular with the people in the First and Second Estates. They were not used to paying taxes and did not want to start.

28

In June 1791 the King and the royal family tried to escape from the Tuileries Palace in Paris and leave France. They sought help from French princes across the French border and from the Emperor of Austria. They only got as far as the village of Varennes before they were recognized and brought back. Many French people lost confidence in the King.

10

The Palace of Versailles, outside Paris, still stands as a monument to Louis XIV. Versailles had been a fairly small hunting lodge. In 1661 Louis XIV employed the architect Louis LeVau to build a palace fit for the King and his court. The front of the building is 402 metres long. The central section alone is 73 metres long. Magnificent furniture, decorations and art treasures made Versailles the wonder of the age. The finest musicians, artists and writers came to the court of the `Sun King', as Louis XIV was known. French nobles were encouraged to come to court to pay their respects to the King. This meant the King could keep an eye on powerful nobles who might challenge his rule.


28

5 R

The Third Estate comprised most of the population, ranging from rich businessmen and professionals to poor peasants. The members of this estate had no privileges and played no part in running the country.

11

Louis XVI came to the throne in 1774. Four years earlier he married Marie Antoinette, the daughter of Maria Theresa, the Empress of Austria. The marriage was arranged by diplomats who wanted to strengthen the links between the two powerful royal families. At the time of the wedding, Louis was only 1 years old.

17

Calonne called a meeting of members of the First and Second Estates. This meeting was called the Assembly of Notables. He hoped that they would see how badly the King needed the money and agree to the land tax. Instead they said that such a tax could only be agreed by people from all the Estates meeting together. This was called the Estates General and it had not had a meeting since 1614.

23

In Paris there were fears that the King was going to get rid of the National Assembly. The National Assembly was unable to control the working people of Paris. A crowd of 8000 of them broke into a building called the Invalided. They captured weapons and on July 14 they marched to the fortress of the Bastille.

This fortress was used by the King as a prison. To many people the Bastille stood for all that was wrong in the way France was run. It was a symbol of the King and his government. They wanted to destroy it.

29

Louis and his family were imprisoned. On 21 September a new Convention (parliament) was set up. It voted for a republic. In December 1792 Louis XVI was put on trial. He was accused of plotting against the French nation and helping the Austrian invasion. He was found guilty and sentenced to death. On Monday the 21 January 1793 `Louis Capet', the former King Louis XVI of France, was executed at the Place de la Revolution in Paris at half past ten.


29

6 T

Taxes

The taille was a tax on either land or income which neither the First nor Second

Estates had to pay.

The gabelle was a special tax on salt. Today it seems an unusual tax, but in 1780 salt

was an essential part of everyday life. It was used as a preservative for meat, and also

to disguise the taste of stale food.

Tithes were taxes of one tenth of yearly income or produce paid to the Church.

12

Louis XVI grew into a big man with a huge appetite. He would get up at six o'clock, eat four chops, a fat chicken, six eggs poached in meat juice, a slice of ham and drink a bottle and half of champagne. Then he would get dressed, go out hunting and return hungry again.

18

The King was angry. He told the Assembly of Notables to stop meeting. He replaced Calonne with a man named Brienne. Brienne knew that if the new tax was ever going to work he had to get the agreement of the Parlement of Paris. This was the Paris law court. It was controlled by nobles.

Like Calonne, Brienne was soon in trouble. The Parlement of Paris refused to agree to the new tax. They too said that only the Estates General could agree to such an idea. The angry King dismissed the members of the Parlement.

24

The governor of the Bastille, the Marquis de Lunacy, refused to hand the fortress over to the people and the crowd attacked the prison. Although there were many soldiers in and around Paris they refused to stop this attack. Louis was losing control of the army, too.

The crowd captured the Bastille and cut off the governor's head. They found that there were only seven prisoners inside. Despite this many people were excited by this victory.

30

Early in 1793 France was fighting a war against six European countries - Austria, Prussia, Spain, Sardinia, Britain and Holland. The price of bread began to rise again.

The National Convention (the parliament which had been set up in 1791) tried to deal with this crisis. In April 1793 it gave great powers to a Committee of Public Safety to the radical Jacobins. The leading figure in this Committee was Maximilien Robespierre. In September 1793 the Convention passed the Law of Suspects. People could now be put in prison without trial.

The Terror continued during the autumn and winter of 1793. About 3000 executions took place in Paris, and about 14,000 in the rest of the country. One of the first to die was Queen Marie Antoinette, executed in October 1793 for treason.

Eventually people got sick of all the killing and lost confidence in the Committee of Public Safety. Some were bold enough to complain about the horrible smell near the scaffold. There was an atmosphere of fear. Eight out of every ten people who died in the Terror were poor people and not rich nobles. Many were worried that they would be the next to die.


30

THE COLD WAR AND AFRICATHE COLD WAR AND AFRICATHE COLD WAR AND AFRICATHE COLD WAR AND AFRICA

The following material was originally produced in pamphlet form by Jenna-

Lee Bruce, as an exercise for Professor Johan Wasserman’s class. My thanks

go to Professor Wasserman and to Jenna-Lee for a useful collection of

material on these topics.

According to the pictures above, why do you think there waAccording to the pictures above, why do you think there waAccording to the pictures above, why do you think there waAccording to the pictures above, why do you think there was a Cold War?s a Cold War?s a Cold War?s a Cold War?

What was the Cold War?What was the Cold War?What was the Cold War?What was the Cold War?

• it was a clash between the USA and the USSR (the ‘superpowers’)

• the USA and its allies were often called ‘the West’

• the USSR and its allies were sometimes called ‘the East’

• it was a competition between two systems – communism and capitalism

• it lasted for nearly 50 years (1945 – 1989)

• there was never an actual war between the superpowers, but they threatened

each other by building more and more nuclear weapons.

Although the Cold War started in Europe, it influenced events in other continents

too. The USA and USSR never went to war against each other, but the tension

between them often made conflict situations worse in other parts of the world.

Examples of countries or regions affected in this way by the politics of the Cold war


31

were Vietnam, Cuba, Angola and the Middle East. In each of these regions, local

conflicts were made worse by the intervention of the Cold War superpowers.

What were the differences between capitalism and communism? What were the differences between capitalism and communism? What were the differences between capitalism and communism? What were the differences between capitalism and communism?

Capitalism:Capitalism:Capitalism:Capitalism:

• Democratic state, regular elections and many political parties.

• Private ownership of farms, factories, mines etc. Free market economy – little

government involvement.

• Few limits on human rights (e.g. freedom of speech). Media free to criticize

government.

• Gap between rich and poor.

Average living standards higher

than in the East – but uneven

spread of wealth. Wide variety of

goods and services.

• Emphasis on private services

(e.g. doctors, schools0.

• Freedom is more important than

equality.

• Competition is healthy – it leads

to progress and invention.

Communism:

• One party state. Communist

Party in control – makes

decisions for society.

• Resources owned by the state on

behalf of the people. Profits

used for the public good. No individual ownership.

• Strict limits on human rights. No criticism of government allowed.

• Lower standard of living than in the West, but greater equality. Fewer people

either rich or poor. No class divisions.

• Housing, medical services, pensions, education system provided by the state.

• The common good is more important than the freedom of the individual.

• Equality is more important than freedom and democracy.


32

Why did the Cold War start?Why did the Cold War start?Why did the Cold War start?Why did the Cold War start?

It started when tensions grew between the superpowers after World War Two:

• The growth of Soviet control over Eastern Europe worried the Americans.

• American actions in Europe worried the USSR. These included:

� The Truman Doctrine, which promised that the USA would help any country

fight against communism.

� The Marshall Plan, which gave money to European countries that needed to

rebuild after the war. The USA believed that this would stop communism

from spreading any further.

Activity:Activity:Activity:Activity:

Why was this period called the Cold War?

Research the following:Research the following:Research the following:Research the following:

Why did the Cold War start in Germany?

What were the Berlin Blockade and the Berlin Airlift?

What was the nuclear arms race?

Why did Berlin become a symbol of the Cold War?

Source A

This extract from a book by I. S. Kremer, Soviet Foreign Policy, 1968, explains the Soviet view

of the Marshall Plan. The Americans said that the Marshall Plan was ‘a plan to save peace’. This was not true. It was really intended to unite countries against the Soviet Union. The Marshall Plan of 1947 led to a reduction in trade of the Soviet Union and the other communist countries with the rest of the world. The USA hoped that this would lead to a split among the communist states and bring them under American influence. It was also clear that much of the Marshall Plan was aimed at rebuilding the military power of West Germany.

Source B

From a speech by Andrei Vyshinsky, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, to the United

Nations, 18 September 1947.

The so-called Truman Doctrine is a particularly glaring example of the way in which the United States has tried to force its will on other independent countries. At the same time it is obviously using the money distributed as relief to needy [poor] countries as an instrument of political pressure.

1. According to Source A, why did the Americans introduce the Marshall Plan?

2. Source B is written by a Soviet official. Why is this relevant?

3. In what ways are these two sources similar?


33

4. Write a 50 word speech for the American Secretary of State (Minister for

Foreign Affairs), explaining why America has introduced the Marshall Plan.

LetLetLetLet us examine the case study of Angola us examine the case study of Angola us examine the case study of Angola us examine the case study of Angola

How did the Cold War affect Angola? How did the Cold War affect Angola? How did the Cold War affect Angola? How did the Cold War affect Angola?

The people of Angola were severely affected by the Cold War politics. Neither of the

superpowers had a direct strategic interest there but, by backing opposite sides in a

civil war, they used it for a battleground for Cold War rivalry.

What were the causes of the war in Angola? What were the causes of the war in Angola? What were the causes of the war in Angola? What were the causes of the war in Angola?

• When other African states became independent in the 1950s and 1960s,

Portugal decided to keep control of its African colonies (including Angola).

• This led to wars between Portuguese troops and national liberation groups.

• In 1974, army officers overthrew the government of the Portuguese dictator and

announced that independence would be

granted as soon as possible.

• Three rival liberation groups in Angola:

o The Popular Movement for the

Liberation of Angola (MPLA), led by

Agostinho Neto (right), supported

the creation of a communist state.

It was supported by the USSR.

o The Front for the Liberation of

Angola (FNLA), led by Holden

Roberto, had links with both China

and the USA, both of which wanted

to counteract Russian support for

the MPLA.

o The National Union for Total Independence for Angola (UNITA), led by Jonas

Savimbi, was an offshoot of the FNLA. It was first supported by China and

later by the USA and South Africa.

• A shaky interim coalition government was formed but it collapsed leaving the

power in the hands of the MPLA.


34

In your opinion, why is this wall painting significant?

How did outside powers become involved in Angola? How did outside powers become involved in Angola? How did outside powers become involved in Angola? How did outside powers become involved in Angola?

The USA became involved by supplying weapons, funding and supplies to both the

FNLA and UNITA to prevent the Soviet-backed MPLA from coming to power.

The South African army invaded Angola in 1975 as the South African government

did not want the left-wing MPLA government coming to power in Angola. It was

thought that it would threaten the white-minority governments still in control of

South Africa, South West Africa

(Namibia) and Rhodesia

(Zimbabwe).

The MPLA was saved from defeat

by massive military aid from the

Soviet Union and Cuba: Soviet

arms and Cuban troops.

This cartoon was published in an African newspaper. What is the

meaning behind the cartoon?

What effects did the war have on Angola?What effects did the war have on Angola?What effects did the war have on Angola?What effects did the war have on Angola?

• The ongoing war destroyed the economy of Angola.

• The country’s resources went on arms instead of improving education and health

care.


35

• Foreign businesses were reluctant to invest in a potentially rich country.

• The government was dependent on Angola’s oil wealth to keep it going.

• Angola was turned into a battleground for Cold War conflict.

• It lasted for over two decades and killed 1.1 million people and injured

thousands of others.

Find Information on the following:Find Information on the following:Find Information on the following:Find Information on the following:

1 What are landmines?

2 What are the effects of landmines?

Source A From J. Isaacs and T. Downing, Cold War, 2001

Bloodletting in Angola researched a new pitch as the countdown to independence on 11 November approached. The stakes got higher, for neither superpower could easily stand by and watch its players in the battle being defeated.

Source B An extract from a speech by Fidel Castro (the leader of communist Cuba) at

the First Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba in Havana, December 1975.

Quoted in D. Deutschmann (ed), Changing the History of Africa.

Angola is a territory rich in natural resources. Cabinda, one of Angola’s provinces, has large oil deposits. This country has great mineral wealth – diamonds, copper, iron. This is one of the reasons why the imperialists want to take hold of Angola.


36

Source D From C. Bledowska and J. Bloch, KGB CIA Intelligence and Counter

Intelligence Operation, 1987.

Worried about the possibility of an MPLA victory, the administration of President Gerald Ford authorised the CIA to spend $32 million in support of the two other groups. Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, insisted that absolute secrecy be maintained, since there were legal obstacles to providing military assistance to rebels, and overt aid would lead to “unimaginable and overt confrontation with the Soviet Union.” … Almost half the total sum was reportedly spent on providing arms and equipment. Support for UNITA in the south was largely left to the South Africans, with the encouragement of the CIA.

Source-based questions

1 Study sources A to D. Use the information from these sources to explain both

why and how the superpowers became involved in Angola. Refer to each source

to support your answer.

2 Examine source C. Explain the message and whether the artist supports

communist involvement in Angola or not. Refer to details in the cartoon in your

answer.

3 According to source D why did America not send full military assistance?

The collapse of the USSR in 1985The collapse of the USSR in 1985The collapse of the USSR in 1985The collapse of the USSR in 1985

� Mikhail Gorbachev became leader of the USSR.

� The economy was collapsing

Source C. A cartoon

drawn by a South African,

Fred Mouton, and

published in Die Burger,

1976.

It shows a large soviet hand dropping ash from a cigar (for which Cuba is famous) into the ashtray of Africa.


37

� Spending more money on the Cold War arms race than it could afford

� Tensions with the West

� USSR was losing a war in Afghanistan

� People were angry about their poor standard of living and the long queues

for basic goods.

Picture of Mikhail GorbachevPicture of Mikhail GorbachevPicture of Mikhail GorbachevPicture of Mikhail Gorbachev

Do you agree with the statement “Man of Do you agree with the statement “Man of Do you agree with the statement “Man of Do you agree with the statement “Man of

the year”, what is your view othe year”, what is your view othe year”, what is your view othe year”, what is your view of Mikhail f Mikhail f Mikhail f Mikhail

Gorbachev?Gorbachev?Gorbachev?Gorbachev?

Gorbachev’s reforms

� Perestroika’ (restructuring) –

improve the way the government

worked. State enterprises could

make their own decisions and buy

and sell at a profit.

� ‘Glasnost’ (openness) – people

were allowed to speak openly and

criticise the government.

Gorbachev’s reforms changed the Soviet Union forever, but they also set the scene

for his own downfall. His moderate economic reforms went further than he had

intended and his belief that the party could keep control of the reform process

proved wrong. The openness he had initiated led to overwhelming public criticism

and hostility.

How did the USSR finally collapse?How did the USSR finally collapse?How did the USSR finally collapse?How did the USSR finally collapse?

In 1991, a group of conservative Soviet leaders tried to overthrow Gorbachev in a

coup. The coup failed, but after it, his position was even weaker. More and more

people supported Yeltsin. They thought that he could solve the USSR’s economic

problems.


38

Berliners sing and dance on top of the Berlin Wall in front of the Brandenburg Gate to celebrate the opening of East-West borders in 1989. Built of barbed wire and concrete in 1961, the wall divided Berlin and became the most powerful symbol of the Cold War.

ExerciseExerciseExerciseExercise

1 Why did Gorbachev think that change was necessary when he became leader of

the USSR?

2 What were the results of Gorbachev’s reforms?

3 What role did nationalism play in the collapse of the USSR?

AFRICA !!!!!

How did the collapse of the How did the collapse of the How did the collapse of the How did the collapse of the

USSR affect Africa?USSR affect Africa?USSR affect Africa?USSR affect Africa?

� South Africa was

regarded as a useful

ally against

communism – no

longer needed by

Western governments.

� They began to put

pressure on the South

African government to

make changes –

National Party starts

the reform process.


39

� People began to demand a return to democracy.

� The ANC was also affected as the USSR had given them a lot of support.

� Support through aid and weapons stopped – pro-communist African

governments collapsed and anti-communist governments either changed

their policies or were overthrown.

Try these

How did the collapse of the USSR affect other communist countrHow did the collapse of the USSR affect other communist countrHow did the collapse of the USSR affect other communist countrHow did the collapse of the USSR affect other communist countries?ies?ies?ies?

• How did the collapse of the USSR affect South Africa?

• How did the collapse of the USSR change the balance of world powers?

• What was the world like after the end of the Cold War?

References:References:References:References:

http://images.google.co.za/images?gbv=2&svnum=10&hl=en&q=Mikhail+Gorbach

ev&btnG=Search+Images

http://www.africanstudies.ox.ac.uk/the_cold_war_in_africa.htm

http://books.google.com/books?id=WBRQr6GRbigC&pg=PA158&lpg=PA158&dq=w

hat+was+the+impact+of+the+cold+war+on+africa&source=web&ots=HrILc0TR-

C&sig=PtZQiRlPN0SJ6IlsGQVFl8jLH7o#PPA158,M1

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/12chapter8.shtml

http://www.espionageinfo.com/Co-Cop/Cold-War-1972-1989-the-Collapse-of-

the-Soviet-Union.html

Bottaro, J and Visser, P. 2007. Exam success study guide. South Africa. Oxford

University Press Southern African (Pty) Ltd.

Bottaro, J, Visser, P and Worden, N. 2007. In search of History. South Africa.

Oxford University Press Southern African (Pty) Ltd.


40

BOOK REVIEWBOOK REVIEWBOOK REVIEWBOOK REVIEW

Tosh John. The Pursuit of History, First published Tosh John. The Pursuit of History, First published Tosh John. The Pursuit of History, First published Tosh John. The Pursuit of History, First published

1984, 51984, 51984, 51984, 5thththth Edition (cover illustrated on the right) Edition (cover illustrated on the right) Edition (cover illustrated on the right) Edition (cover illustrated on the right)

2010. Pearson Educational (Longman), UK. 2010. Pearson Educational (Longman), UK. 2010. Pearson Educational (Longman), UK. 2010. Pearson Educational (Longman), UK.

One of the consequences of our increasing focus on teaching source-based history

is that there has been a new emphasis on historiography. Teachers and examiners

now need to join their university colleagues in considering not simply the content of

history, but its nuts and bolts. How is History researched and written? What

methods should we use to decide whether a source is reliable or not? What are

some of the key concepts in History? Happily no teacher worth his or her salt can

duck these central concerns of our subject any longer.

This said, it must be acknowledged that historiography is an arcane and confusing

topic. As Sam Wineburg, whose book was reviewed in an our second issue, noted,

our natural human tendency is to believe what we are told or read. The tendency to

subject everything to searching critical examination is “unnatural” and needs to be

actively taught. That is where a book like John Tosh’s The Pusuit of History comes

in. In a lucid and accessible text he takes the reader through all the important

steps which a historian must take in order to produce history which is as near as

possible to Von Ranke’s famous dictum of “wie es eigentlich gewesen” (how it

actually was). The fact that the first edition appeared in 1984 and that the latest

and fifth edition of this work by Tosh, who is a professor of History at Roehampton

University in the UK, was published in 2010 tells of the durability of this particular

work.

Tosh, who has also written a book entitled Why History Matters, asserts that “the

most accurate history possible is a social necessity” and in his conclusion to the

preface to the third edition he writes that “historians will continue to merit the


41

support of the societies in which they work as long as they acknowledge the validity

of relevant history."

Tosh encapsulates some of the difficulties which historians face when practising

their craft in a passage which reads:

“… the primary sources are not an open book, offering instant answers. They

may not be what they seem to be; they may signify very much more than is

immediately apparent; they may be couched in obscure and antiquated forms

which are meaningless to the untutored eye. Before the historian can properly

assess the significance of a document, he or she needs to find out how, when

and why it came into being. This requires the application of both supporting

knowledge and sceptical intelligence. ‘Records’, it has been said, ‘like the little

children of long ago, only speak when they are spoken to, and they will not

talk to strangers’. Nor, it might be added, will they be very forthcoming to

anyone in a tearing hurry. Even for the experienced historian with green

fingers, research in the primary sources is time-consuming; for the novice it

can be painfully slow.”

Having warned us of the hard slog that awaits us as practising historians, Tosh goes

on to deepen our insight into the demanding and frequently frustrating business of

trying to part the veils that screen our view of the past. The book covers all the

main areas of historiography and includes new forms of history such as oral history

and history in the media. I found his discussion of short-, medium- and long-term

results particularly interesting, as this is an area which I have often overlooked.

Tosh’s The Pursuit of History is thoroughly recommended to the widest possible

historical community as an accessible, interesting and vital guide to historiography.

In particular, it should be compulsory reading for all our examiners, who often

seem a bit shaky on the technical side of source critique.

SimoSimoSimoSimon Hawn Hawn Hawn Haw

Permission for the use for educational or academic purposes of any of the

material in this publication is freely granted provided that the source is

acknowledged. However, those wishing to use the whole or any part of the

publication for financial gain must first seek permission. Contact with the

author/s can be made by emailing [email protected]


42

The latest edition of the Yesterday and Today is available on the SASHT website The latest edition of the Yesterday and Today is available on the SASHT website The latest edition of the Yesterday and Today is available on the SASHT website The latest edition of the Yesterday and Today is available on the SASHT website –––– www.sashtw.org.zawww.sashtw.org.zawww.sashtw.org.zawww.sashtw.org.za

Documents

THE SOUTH AFRICAN SOCIETY FOR HISTORY TEACHING ... - … Newsletter 4.pdfSASHT EHISTORY NEWS JUNE 2011 0 IN THIS ISSUEIN THIS ISSUE 1. Foreword 1 2. (CAPS)tivating Curriculum – Jimmy