How to improve in Paper 2 and 3

#mayo1786

First of all, to study well, you will need good notes. A lot of people think history notes
are just copying and pasting important names, dates, and events in a piece of paper. But
taking history notes is a completely different thing.

Whenever a teacher is explaining X, Y or Z event, you should not copy everything

he/she says, instead, you should pay attention to his/her words and try to link it to the element
being study. Let's take an example - Social factors in Mao’s rise to power.

If your teacher talks about the long march (1933 - 1944) and is giving you these
chunks of information - despite losing 90% of CCP troops during the march, the long march
was a huge victory.

I would recommend comparing all the factors at once. Is the social factor the most
important on his rise to power? what was the public opinion on CCP and Mao’s triumph?
comparing the economic factor social and political, how does the social is more relevant than
the others? The key to improving in IB history is by questioning yourself these types of
questions. Struggling to develop these questions? don't worry, the best thing you could do is
ask your teacher to compare and contrast the factors you are studying, if you ask this question
to your teacher, he/she will provide you with an in-depth analysis.

Moreover, when taking notes from your books, don't write long sentences just to be
memorized. Try using the 6x10 note strategy. 6 points each with 10 words. This way you will
force yourself to simplify a long sentence into a short one, creating unique lines that you and
only you will understand. For example:

Your book says:

After the bombing of pearl harbor on 7 and 8 December, Roosevelt issued the
presidential proclamations of addressing the issue of enemy aliens. The historic prejudice
against the Japanese erupted and both beatings of Japanese and property damage occurred,
largely against innocent civilians with little or no connection to the Japanese government

It could be simplified as:

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 brought anti-Japanese feelings from
most, not all, Americans.
 Always try to keep a general idea as your first sentence and then you could add
additional information if desired.

- The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 brought anti-Japanese feelings from
most, not all, Americans.
● Japanese integrity and property was damaged
● they had zero connection with their gov.

Great! now that you have awesome notes, we can now start studying on the exam
itself. To improve in history you should practice not on writing essays but writing essay
structures. why? well, the main reason is that writing history essays is time-consuming and
hard to write in a non-exam environment (e.g. your house).

How do you study by doing essay structures? it's really simple to do. let's take an
example - “The conditions in which authoritarian states emerged were mainly determined by
economic factors” discuss with reference to two authoritarian states.

First, you need to recognize the key elements in the question. “​The conditions…
economic factors.” discuss…

Then you would need to create a strong essay plan. A plan exemplar would be

Introduction:
- Thesis

First argument
- Link to thesis

Second argument
- Link to thesis

Third argument:
Link to thesis OR partly or fully contradiction to thesis

Conclusion
- rewrite the thesis
- final evaluation

For each argument try to always use 3 shreds of evidence and 1 analysis per evidence,
as shown below.
Introduction: Thesis:

Economic factors were the most significant

factors of the conditions in which Mao
Zedong in China and Adolf Hitler in
Germany emerged to power.

First argument: Hitler Evidence + Analysis

Link thesis:
One historical perspective argues that 1. Ruhr crisis 1923 - French and
economic factors were the most significant Belgium troops invaded industrial
determinant of the conditions in which land of Germany
Hitler emerged to power. a. This shows that the industrial
sector was able with their
economic restriction to
determine a perfect condition
for Hitler to emerge.
2. Great depression 1929 - German
economic model crashes
a. This represented a perfect
scenario for hitler to take an
advantage of, as businessmen
and proletarians were
desperately in a sought of
radical and different
approaches to solve this
problem.
2. Weimar republic had zero solutions
for the Great depression - Attempted
to restrict foreign imports but lead to
unemployment.
a. The strong reaction of anger,
disapproval and indignation
of said classes shows that the
economic circumstances
affected positively the
conditions which hitler
emerged to power

Evaluation (mini conclusion)

This historical evidence shows the

perspective that economic factors were most
significant is highly strong.
Second argument: Mao
In different circumstances, a similar
historical perspectives prevails. Which
argues that the economic factors were partly
a significant determinant of the conditions
in which Mao emerged to power.
Third argument: Mao and Hitler
Another historical perspectives argues that for Mao:
the social factor was almost if not equally
important as a determinant for both
emerges of power.
for Hitler:
Evidence + Analysis
1. Great depression 1929 - China’s
GDP shrink by 35%, peasants faced
taxes higher than 70% under GMD.
a. The GMD inability to
recover from the GD
strengthened the middle and
lower class discontent, and
therefore created a perfect
environment for Mao and his
emerge to power.
2. During The 1930s China was an
agricultural nation, highly dependent
on foreign powers - lack of industry
a. This shows that the peasantry
Evaluation:
While this perspective present some valid
points, it is crucially deficient by its lack of
consideration on Mao’s conditions for his
emergence of power.
Evidence + Analysis
1. Mao himself was humble with the
working class - relatable figure for
the chinese population.
a. This shows that Mao was
able to persuade easier the
peasantry and therefore,
create a useful condition for
his emergence of power.
1. Events such as the Reparations
demands (ToV 1919) and the lack of
confidence of the Weimar gov. were
a major concern to the german
society.
a. This shows that the German
 population was humiliated
internally and externally by
the ToV and its incompetent
gov. and therefore, Hitler
managed to tackle these
issues properly, and as a
result, the population and
him cultivated a mutual
resent, forming a strong
support link for him.
Evaluation:

Conclusion: rewrite the thesis + final evaluation

Overall, therefore, the weight of the

historical evidence that the perspective
presenting the economic factor is the most
significant. However, the perspective
presenting the social factors was also
important for the emerge of Mao and Hitler
to power.

Most importantly, every essay is different as every person is different. Try different
ways of studying, try being more efficient, try something new. And don't leave everything to
the last seconds before the exams. a 7 in history is always possible <3.