Lessons on Case study 1: Post-war displacement in Europe (1945–1960)

Our lesson plans listed below provide students with an in-depth understanding of post-war displacement in Europe between 1945 and 1960 and the conditions that forced millions of people to flee their homes after the Second World War. The lessons include primary and secondary sources, videos, research activities, and IB History Paper 1 source analysis tasks. All lessons are editable so teachers can modify the content to suit their teaching style and the learning needs of their students.

Students examine the key conditions that led to mass displacement, including combat operations during the final stages of the war, Allied victory, persecution and fear of reprisals, and the economic devastation caused by destroyed cities, housing shortages, famine, and collapsed infrastructure.

The lessons also explore the national and international responses to displacement. Students investigate displaced persons (DP) camps, migration, emigration and repatriation policies, and the role of international organisations such as the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA), the International Refugee Organization (IRO), and the International Red Cross.

Students will also analyse how displacement affected different groups across Europe, including refugees, stateless persons, Jewish survivors of concentration camps, Roma communities, prisoners of war, and former forces under German command.

By analysing historical sources, case studies, and key events, students develop the historical thinking and source analysis skills required for IBDP History Paper 1 and are well prepared for the IB History 2028 examinations.

Suggested Lesson Order

These lessons follow the IB DP History Paper 1 focused study structure for Focused Study 4: Conflict and displacement: Post-war displacement in Europe (1945–1960).

Inquiry Question 1: What were the conditions that led to mass displacement

1. Yalta Conference Role-play Teacher Guide
   Introduces the post-war context and Allied decision-making.
2. Yalta and Potsdam Conferences and Border Changes
   Explores the Allied decisions that reshaped Europe and contributed to population movement.
3. Combat Operations and Allied Victory Student Worksheet
   Examines how the final stages of the war and Allied victory contributed to mass displacement.
4. Persecution and Fear of Reprisals after the Second World War
   Explores how persecution, fear and reprisals caused people to flee or avoid returning home.
5. Economic Devastation and Mass Displacement after the Second World War
   Looks at how destroyed cities, housing shortages, famine and collapsed infrastructure contributed to displacement.

Inquiry Question 2: What was the national and international response to displacement?

1. Displaced Persons Camps in Germany and Austria (1945–1960)
   Introduces DP camps, living conditions, migration, emigration and repatriation.
2. UNRRA, IRO & Allied Repatriation Policies
   Examines the role of Allied governments, non-government organisations and international organisations.
3. Operation Keelhaul & Soviet Pressure
   Focuses on forced repatriation, Soviet pressure and the fears of displaced persons.
4. Western Labour Recruitment and Resettlement Policies
   Explores how Western countries used resettlement policies to meet labour needs.

Inquiry Question 3: How was displacement experienced by different groups?

1. Experiences of Displacement in Post-war Europe Research and Presentation Task
   Brings the unit together through student research, source analysis, visual presentations and a comparative written response on how displacement was experienced by different groups.

Together, these resources cover the three Paper 1 inquiry questions: the conditions that led to mass displacement, the national and international response, and the experiences of different displaced groups.

Suggested Video Support

Peace Problems – The Displaced Person Camps after WW2 (1:20:08)

This video explores the conditions and challenges within Displaced Persons (DP) camps in Europe after 1945, highlighting the experiences of refugees and the complexities of post-war recovery.

Topic Guide: A Day of Deliverance – Clip 1 (2:24 minutes)

This video is an excerpt from A Day of Deliverance (1949), produced by the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), showing how aid organisations supported Holocaust survivors living in displaced persons camps in Germany and Austria after 1945.

Life in a Displaced Persons Centre, 1945 (2:16)

This short Imperial War Museums film shows displaced persons at the 2nd Army Displaced Persons Centre at the Winkelhaus Barracks in Osnabrück, Germany, in April 1945. It gives students a visual insight into daily life inside a displaced persons centre shortly after liberation, including care, organisation and support for people affected by war and displacement.

“In the Wake of the Armies” – UNRRA (19:36)

This archival film explores the work of UNRRA in Europe after the Second World War. It is useful for helping students understand the scale of post-war displacement, the condition of destroyed communities, and the role of international relief organisations in providing food, shelter, medical care and support for displaced persons.

Holocaust Survivors in Post-war Germany | DW Documentary (52:05)

This documentary examines the experiences of Holocaust survivors in Germany after liberation in 1945. It explores the challenges survivors faced as they tried to rebuild their lives in the country of the perpetrators, including displacement, trauma, memory, identity and the search for justice after the war.

U.S. Generals Visit Displaced Persons Camps, Wolfratshausen, Germany, 1945 (3:32 minutes)

This archival film shows U.S. generals visiting a displaced persons camp in Wolfratshausen, Germany, in September 1945. It gives students a visual source for examining camp life, Allied inspection of DP centres, and the ways displaced people were organised, observed and supported in the immediate post-war period.

Liberation and Return to Life (10:36–19:56)

This selected section from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum footage shows survivors rebuilding their lives in displaced persons camps after liberation. It gives students a visual source for examining vocational training, religious gatherings, children’s activities and the efforts made to restore community, dignity and routine after persecution and displacement.

What Happened at the Nuremberg Trials | History (13:29)

This video gives students a clear overview of the Nuremberg Trials and how leading Nazi officials were prosecuted after the Second World War. It is useful for introducing the legal response to war crimes and helping students understand why some former forces under German command faced detention, screening, prosecution or fear of reprisals after 1945.