A comparison of CHP and DP period history education (1939-1960)

History, which is one of the most important cultural elements that are effective in the formation of a nation, is the memory of a nation. History science is used in the regulation of international relations and in determining the changes and developments of societies. In history researches, researches on methodological approach and method started in the 18th century. With the democracy movements in the 19th century, with the emergence of the nation-state system, history started to gain a special importance in education in the world. Creating historical awareness and developing historical thinking and understanding skills have been the main objectives of history teaching.History education started to take place in school curriculum with the concept of secularism and nation awareness. History teaching after the declaration of the republic in Turkey, has experienced a turning point. M. Kemal Atatürk himself had very important works on Turkish history. He regarded the research and teaching of Turkish history, which was not paid sufficient attention in the Ottoman period, as an indispensable condition for the formation of Turkish national identity and awareness. Republic of Turkey staff placed special emphasis on history and grammar in national education programs and community centers programs, and the process of preparing new history textbooks was accelerated. İsmet İnönü period understanding of history, which had great efforts in the establishment of the republic together with Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, is different from that of Atatürk period. Atatürk focused on national history policy in order to adopt the reforms to the people. Between 1938 and 1950, the period education system, in which CHP was the leader, shows a policy focused on the West and humanism. Although the democratic party period seems to have adopted a national approach, history education was rather close to the period of İsmet İnönü. In order to create national unity and solidarity in the society, to create national awareness, education in accordance with the national culture and historical character, creating a national history curriculum is a mandatory requirement.At this point, the curriculum of secondary and high school programs, the coherence of the textbooks taught with the curriculum, the scope and content of the textbooks, the currents of thought, socio-political changes, the understanding of history according to the conditions of the period, the basic principles of the methodology of history are important. In this study, in 1939-1960 years in Turkey; historical consciousness, history education system, the history teaching program in schools has been handled in three periods,by comparing the differences, deficiencies and innovations of the periods, analyzed the history teaching process in Turkey.