NSSCO History 6138 study plan
NSSCO History 6138 · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule
Map the main pre-colonial societies of southern Namibia and the wider region (Nama, Oorlam, Herero, Ovambo kingdoms, San, Basters) onto a blank outline map and label their approximate territories and economies
Explain in writing how the ivory and cattle trade and the guns-for-cattle exchange reshaped power between 1800 and 1860, giving at least three concrete cause-and-effect chains
Build a one-page timeline of key events from 1800 to 1884, including Oorlam migration north of the Orange River, the founding of Rehoboth, and the start of German South West Africa
Define five key terms (trekboer, Oorlam, raad, protectorate, concession) in your own words with one Namibian example each
Your checkpoint
Annotated map plus a 400-word written explanation of trade and migration before 1884, checked against your timeline
Colonial rule, resistance and the making of modern Namibia, c.1884–1945
Sequence the phases of German colonial rule from 1884 to 1915, noting the shift from trading concessions to direct administration after 1905
Analyse the causes and consequences of the Herero and Nama war of 1904-1908, listing at least four causes and four consequences with evidence from at least two sources
Compare German and South African administration of Namibia, identifying three continuities and three changes after the 1915 occupation
Explain the legal and economic mechanisms of land dispossession, including the 1907 native reserves and the pass and labour systems
Your checkpoint
A comparative table (German rule vs South African rule) with a 300-word commentary on continuities and changes
Colonial rule, resistance and the making of modern Namibia, c.1884–1945 & Historical skills: source analysis, interpretation, chronology, causation and historiography
Evaluate at least three primary sources on the 1904-1908 war (for example a German official report, an oral testimony, and a missionary letter) for origin, purpose, value and limitations
Distinguish between evidence and interpretation by writing two competing accounts of the same event and explaining what each selects and omits
Use chronological reasoning to explain why the war escalated, identifying turning points rather than listing events
Assess how terminology (for example 'extermination order', 'genocide', 'war') shapes historical debate
Your checkpoint
A source-evaluation exercise on three sources, each assessed for origin, purpose, value and limitation, plus a 250-word judgement on the terminology debate
Namibia's liberation struggle, nationalism and independence, 1945–1990
Trace the shift from petitions and early nationalist organisations (for example SWANS, NUDO, SWAPO's formation in 1960) to armed struggle, explaining why each shift occurred
Explain the roles of key figures such as Sam Nujoma, Herman Toivo ya Toivo, Andimba Toivo ya Toivo's trial, and the churches, without reducing the struggle to one person
Analyse the international dimension: the ICJ rulings, UN Resolution 435, the role of the OAU, the Frontline States, Cuba and the Cold War superpowers
Sequence the events from 1966 to 1990, including the start of the armed struggle, the Turnhalle conference, the Constituent Assembly elections and independence on 21 March 1990
Your checkpoint
A 500-word essay plan with thesis, three body arguments and evidence for the question 'Why did Namibia achieve independence in 1990?'
Africa and the wider world: the Scramble for Africa, imperialism and decolonisation
Explain at least four causes of the Scramble for Africa, distinguishing economic, political, strategic and ideological motives with examples
Compare the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 with the actual process of conquest, showing where the conference did and did not decide outcomes
Contrast two African responses to colonial conquest (for example Ethiopia at Adwa and Herero/Nama resistance) and explain the different outcomes
Map the decolonisation of Africa after 1945 by date and explain why independence came earlier in some regions than others
Your checkpoint
A comparative case-study sheet on two African responses to imperialism, plus a dated decolonisation map
International relations and conflicts of the 20th century, including the two World Wars and the Cold War
Explain the causes of the First World War and assess how the war's outcome shaped Namibia's transfer to South African mandate
Explain the causes of the Second World War and describe how it reshaped international norms, including the UN Charter and the mandate system
Analyse at least three Cold War crises or conflicts and explain the logic of containment and proxy war
Connect Cold War dynamics to southern Africa, explaining how superpower rivalry affected Angola and Namibia's transition
Your checkpoint
A one-page cause-and-consequence diagram linking the World Wars and the Cold War to Namibian history, with a 200-word explanation
Namibia and Southern Africa in the 19th century: pre-colonial societies, trade, migration and the onset of colonial rule & Colonial rule, resistance and the making of modern Namibia, c.1884–1945 & Namibia's liberation struggle, nationalism and independence, 1945–1990
Re-test the heaviest domains by answering at least 30 practice questions across domains 1-3 and logging every error by cause (knowledge gap, misread question, weak chronology)
Rewrite your weakest three topics into one-page summaries from memory, then check them against notes
Practise timed source questions under exam conditions, allocating time per mark
Build a consolidated timeline from 1800 to 1990 and test yourself on it until you can reproduce the twenty key dates
Your checkpoint
An error log with at least 30 practice questions attempted, plus a corrected one-page summary of your three weakest topics
Africa and the wider world: the Scramble for Africa, imperialism and decolonisation & International relations and conflicts of the 20th century, including the two World Wars and the Cold War & Historical skills: source analysis, interpretation, chronology, causation and historiography
Answer at least 20 practice questions across domains 4-6 and review every error against the mark scheme
Complete two full timed papers or paper sections and self-mark using mark-scheme language
Revise source-analysis technique by writing four short evaluations of unseen sources
Produce a final one-page 'exam tactics' sheet covering command words, timing and how to structure source and essay answers
Your checkpoint
Two completed timed papers with self-marking notes and a final exam-tactics sheet
Milestones
Week 2: Can explain, without notes, three causes and three consequences of the 1904-1908 war and locate the main events on a timeline
Week 4: Can write a thesis-led essay plan on Namibian independence and name the key international instruments and turning points
Week 6: Can link at least three global conflicts to specific developments in Namibian history in under ten minutes of writing
Week 8: Score at least 70% on two self-marked timed papers and show a reduced error log compared with week 7