A Little Tip on World History

Just moments before our pens touched the paper for the World History test during the Foreign Service Officers Exam, one of our proctors cleared his throat and said, "Our batch back then used to fear the World History test because it is the most difficult subject among all other subjects of the Written test."  Nothing like a nice, reassuring note, really.  I gripped my pen tightly when I heard those worlds and I could feel my stomach make a slight somersault.

There is a grain of truth when past batches would say that the World History test is one of the hardest--if not the hardest--and that is because the test can, at times, get a little bit too objective for anyone's taste.  Yes, there is a chance that you might be asked about people whose small actions made a big difference in the pages of history and it doesn't stop there.  You might be asked to enumerate their contributions, the explain the significance of a tiny event, maybe even at some point to discuss how the dawn of farming gave birth to the wars of the 21st century.

The bigger challenge here is that not all history books will have you at the edge of your seat.  Believe me, I've come across so many history books that can pass off as willing substitutes to sleeping pills.

Like all other subjects covered in the FSOE, the trick to preparing isn't just about working hard.  It's also about working smart--of covering as much ground as you can given the limited number of months you have to prepare for a test with a high level of uncertainty in tow.

As far as World History is concerned, I ditched nearly 80% of the books I hoarded at the beginning and instead resorted to what was then my new found best friend--History Channel.

History Channel is a treasure trove of documentaries on countless milestones in World History.  The beauty about the History Channel documentaries is that they don't just give you a presentation of what happened.  Each documentary is carefully crafted to explain how slight ripples of actions were more than enough to create waves in the story of humankind.  I like how History Channel's documentaries are able to humanize the stories that we have heard time and time again in our History classes.  These documentaries are able to give depth to issues and to people we have long ago passed our judgment on.  Sometimes, I find it quite fascinating that in certain events, the villain and the hero are one and the same person.

Here are five documentary series I highly recommend any reviewing examinee to watch.  These stories will not only help you gear up for the exam.  It will change the way you look at the story of all of us.

Mankind: The Story of All of Us

Mankind is my all-time favorite documentary on World History simply because the storytelling is unbeatable.  If schools used this documentary series to teach kids about World History, I'm pretty certain no one will doze off.  Mankind is a 12-part documentary series that manages to capture the most important milestones of World History in a nutshell.  I'm tempted to spill the spoilers but I guess I'll have to zip my mouth or I'll run the risk of ruining your entire viewing experience.  Mankind's strength is its ability to bring to the forefront profound lessons from real experiences not just of history's greatest leaders but even lessons drawn from the experiences of people, places, and events many of us have overlooked.  This documentary will serve as a great supplement to any history book you are currently reading.

Declassified

Mao Zedong, Joseph Stalin, Osama bin Laden and the Taliban, and Fidel Castro are among the few people deemed as some of the world's greatest 'villains'.  At least that is how some people would like us to think.  But as they say, one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter.  At the end of the day, it may be just a game of perception.  It may depend on who the storyteller is and from whose eyes one is viewing history.  Declassified is a documentary series that tackles the rise and fall of many of history's most striking dictators and 'terrorists'.  It also sheds light on some of the greatest conspiracy theories of all time so that everyone may get a glimpse of who the puppet master and the puppets truly are.  I find this documentary essential to watch because it will help you understand the roots of some of history's greatest conflicts and why some men resort to the dark side to realize what they believe are noble intentions.

Engineering an Empire

Empires are yesterday's superpowers.  These are the powerful civilizations, on the shoulders of which today's superpowers are standing on.  This documentary tells the story of World History from the paradigm of technological development.  It's a tour through Egypt, Rome, Russia, and China to name a few in an attempt to show us that no civilization, no empire has the monopoly of all knowledge and technology.  The main point of this series is that technology is the heritage of all mankind.  The development of technology is a constant flow of one idea being built on top of another in an attempt to foster continuous development for the benefit of humanity.

America: The Story of Us

One's study of World History will never be complete without digging deep in the history of today's most prominent and most influential superpower--The United States of America.  Created in the amazing storytelling tradition of Mankind , America relives the story of how the United States, a former colony of Great Britain, came to rise and surpass the glory of its mother nation.  It's the classic story of zero to hero--a common theme one finds in many American stories.  This documentary takes you through the American psyche.  After watching this series, you will come to understand why the North Americans are some of world's greatest risk takers and innovators.

Innovators: The Men Who Built America

How exactly did America reach superpower status and when did it all begin?  Not a lot of people realize that the USA's status as one of the most technologically-advanced, and one of the most influential nations in the world started from the dreams of five men who pushed the boundaries and the limitations of technology and commerce during their day.  From the creation of massive railways (Vanderbilt) to the development of automobiles (Ford), business, industry, commerce, and innovation form the foundation of America's success.  The best part is that these five men don't even realize the impact their competition would have not only on the USA but on the entire world as well.

On a final note, when you study for World History, don't just stop at the usual overview.  Go full-circle by studying the history of today's most influential nations and international organizations.  Include the history of the USA, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, the ASEAN in your study list and try to find how each of their histories overlap.  The secret to World History is about finding the threads that tie all of mankind together.