HSC Modern History Question Thread

[ilovemycat]

aaahhhh i see, no thats heaps helpful  i thought that it was a term in the syllabus or something that we needed to know hahaha

[Mada438]

hello 
random question - but what is a sarde??

When i first saw this, i laughed because i thought you were talking about the pasta dish sarde, not anything else and wondering how a pasta question relates to modern history. But i understand now, its alright!!!

[sudodds]

When i first saw this, i laughed because i thought you were talking about the pasta dish sarde, not anything else and wondering how a pasta question relates to modern history. But i understand now, its alright!!!

ahaha that's so funny - I can assure you that pasta will not be a feature in your HSC exam (unfortunately maybe petition NESA? Seems like a worthy inclusion in the syllabus)

[Mada438]

ahaha that's so funny - I can assure you that pasta will not be a feature in your HSC exam (unfortunately maybe petition NESA? Seems like a worthy inclusion in the syllabus)

I actually wish it was about pasta. It would be so much easier then. Maybe they could incorporate it (Pasta is a dish involving many ingredients-contributed to food shortages on home fronts in ww1???)

[Claudiaa]

If a source is an extract from a memorandum written by a Commander (Haig), would that be to inform the public on his stance? I'm confused at this, i thought a memo would be for personal uses (like a diary, not supposed to be published etc)

[fantasticbeasts3]

If a source is an extract from a memorandum written by a Commander (Haig), would that be to inform the public on his stance? I'm confused at this, i thought a memo would be for personal uses (like a diary, not supposed to be published etc)

hi! i personally don't think a memo would be to inform the public on his stance (maybe later, but not at the time of the war). i'd say you're right. :-) anyone else want to chip in?

[dancing phalanges]

If a source is an extract from a memorandum written by a Commander (Haig), would that be to inform the public on his stance? I'm confused at this, i thought a memo would be for personal uses (like a diary, not supposed to be published etc)

I get confused by what memorandums are ahaha but with sources written by commanders while useful in providing a perspective from a significant figure in the war are also at times hindered by the fact that they may be using them to draw attention away from their own failings as commanders in battles and are therefore not as reliable in that sense! Eg. In our hsc this year a source was written by a commander explaining reasons for defeat of the army and I wrote its reliability was hindered by the fact he could have been writing to divert reasons for losses away from his own failings as commander, hope that makes sense and is relevant ahah I rambled a lot

[Mada438]

If a source is an extract from a memorandum written by a Commander (Haig), would that be to inform the public on his stance? I'm confused at this, i thought a memo would be for personal uses (like a diary, not supposed to be published etc)

I believe they are. If i was to write memos, i would not be writing them with the intention of showing them to the public

[prickles]

Would a memoir that was written in 1938 that is reflecting on what happened in 1918 be primary or secondary?
Also, what would the audience of a memoir be?
Thanks!!

[Mada438]

Would a memoir that was written in 1938 that is reflecting on what happened in 1918 be primary or secondary?
Also, what would the audience of a memoir be?
Thanks!!

I think it would depend on who wrote the memoirs. Also context.
So if you were studying the nature of trench warfare and the memoir was from a soldier in a trench on the western front describing the features of trench warefare and what life was like in them and how everything happened. Then yes it is primary
If the question is asking about an event and the person who wrote the memoir was involved in the event, then im 99.9% sure it will always be primary.
The audience is your interpretation of it. But with memoirs, it depends on wheather the person intended to have them read by the public.
This is all just what i believe , but i hope it helps!!

[prickles]

I think it would depend on who wrote the memoirs. Also context.
So if you were studying the nature of trench warfare and the memoir was from a soldier in a trench on the western front describing the features of trench warefare and what life was like in them and how everything happened. Then yes it is primary
If the question is asking about an event and the person who wrote the memoir was involved in the event, then im 99.9% sure it will always be primary.
The audience is your interpretation of it. But with memoirs, it depends on wheather the person intended to have them read by the public.
This is all just what i believe , but i hope it helps!!

Yep ok thanks. It's an extract from David Lloyd's memoirs, reflecting on the first world war, so I think it would have been intended for a public audience

[Mada438]

Yep ok thanks. It's an extract from David Lloyd's memoirs, reflecting on the first world war, so I think it would have been intended for a public audience

I agree. Given he was the prime minister during the first part of ww1 then obiviously his memoirs would eventually be read by the public
Also, it would depend on the question that the source related too for wheather it was primary or secondary. If it was about nature of trench warfare then it would be secondary, because he wasn't actually there
But on a topic such as britans home front, then it'd be primary

[sudodds]

Bit of a different perspective here! I was always taught that a memoir, no matter who it was written by, or what subject it was on, is secondary, due to the fact that it is written later than the events in question. Even if they are writing about their own experiences, the fact that time has past will impact their perspective, ie. they may have an altered memory, impact of hindsight etc. etc.

[prickles]

Bit of a different perspective here! I was always taught that a memoir, no matter who it was written by, or what subject it was on, is secondary, due to the fact that it is written later than the events in question. Even if they are writing about their own experiences, the fact that time has past will impact their perspective, ie. they may have an altered memory, impact of hindsight etc. etc.

Yes ok this makes sense too! So do you mean that in the time gap between when they experienced the event in question, to when they wrote it, their perspectives on that event could have changed, or they may have reflected more deeply on it etc?

[sudodds]

Yes ok this makes sense too! So do you mean that in the time gap between when they experienced the event in question, to when they wrote it, their perspectives on that event could have changed, or they may have reflected more deeply on it etc?

Both! Their memory could also be faulty, or they now know more about the events which could have altered their opinion too.

It is a debated topic, so if you say either way you may still be fine. I just know that throughout HSC I always referred to them as secondary sources because that was what I was taught, and was never penalised/told otherwise