History Bac 2026 — Complete Revision Guide
The Bac 2026 history exam covers three major themes from 1945 to the present day.
Theme 1: International Relations (1945-1991)
The Cold War
Key dates and concepts:
- 1947: Truman Doctrine (containment) and Marshall Plan ($13 billion aid to Western Europe) vs. Jdanov Doctrine
- 1948-49: Berlin Blockade — American airlift (277,000 flights)
- 1962: Cuban Missile Crisis — closest the world came to nuclear war
- 1964-75: Vietnam War — massive US involvement (500,000 troops by 1968)
End of the Cold War:
- Gorbachev's glasnost and perestroika (1985+)
- Fall of the Berlin Wall: November 9, 1989
- Dissolution of the USSR: December 25, 1991
Decolonization
- India (1947): independence and partition, led by Gandhi and Nehru
- Indochina (1946-1954): French defeat at Dien Bien Phu
- Algeria (1954-1962): war of independence, Evian Accords
- Bandung Conference (1955): birth of non-alignment and Third World concept
Theme 2: European Construction and the Post-1991 World
European milestones: ECSC (1951), Treaty of Rome (1957), Maastricht Treaty (1992, EU creation), euro (2002), Brexit (2016).
Post-Cold War world: US hyperpower, 9/11 attacks (2001), rise of emerging powers (China joins WTO 2001, BRICS), shift toward multipolarity.
Theme 3: France's Fifth Republic (since 1958)
Key presidents and events:
- De Gaulle (1958-69): end of Algerian War, independent foreign policy, May 1968
- Mitterrand (1981-95): political alternation, death penalty abolition, European integration
- Chirac (1995-2007): five-year term, refusal to join Iraq War (2003)
Exam Method Tips
Essay structure: Introduction (hook + thesis question + plan outline), 2-3 parts with dated examples, conclusion (summary + broader perspective).
Document study: Present (nature, author, date, context), analyze (main ideas with quotes), critique (add your knowledge, show limits), conclude.
