A Level History H1 Practice Paper 1

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TuitionGoWhere Practice Paper - History H1 A-Level

TuitionGoWhere Practice Paper (AI) — Version 1

Subject: History H1
Level: A-Level
Paper: Practice Paper (Source-Based Skills Focus)
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Marks: 40
Name:
Class:
Date:

Instructions:

• This practice paper is generated from syllabus-first inference. No past-year paper evidence was available; it is NOT an official SEAB paper.
• Answer all questions in the spaces provided.
• Section A is compulsory and tests source-based skills on Theme I: The Development of the Cold War (1945–1991).
• Use the provided sources to support your answers.
• Write clearly in continuous prose where required.

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Section A: Source-Based Case Study (40 marks)

The following sources relate to the emergence of the Cold War after the Second World War.

Source A
From a speech by Winston Churchill, Fulton, Missouri, 5 March 1946:
"From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe. Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest and Sofia, all these famous cities and the populations around them lie in what I must call the Soviet sphere."

Source B
From the Long Telegram sent by George Kennan, US Charge d'Affaires in Moscow, 22 February 1946:
"The main element of any United States policy toward the Soviet Union must be that of a long-term, patient but firm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies... Soviets view world as divided between progressive socialist and decadent capitalist camps."

Source C
From a Soviet newspaper Pravda editorial, 24 March 1946, responding to Western policies:
"The Marshall Plan is a scheme of the American imperialists to enslave the economies of Europe. Under the guise of relief, the USA seeks to impose its will and open markets for its surplus goods, while Soviet aid to fraternal peoples is based on equality and mutual benefit."

Source D
From a post-revisionist historian's monograph, 1990:
"Both superpowers misunderstood each other's security needs after 1945. The USSR's desire for a buffer zone was defensive, but US policymakers read it as offensive expansion. Structural tensions, not just personalities, caused the Cold War."

Source E
Chart: Public opinion in the UK on perception of Soviet threat, 1945–1948 (percentages saying USSR is a 'major threat'):
1945: 18% | 1946: 41% | 1947: 55% | 1948: 63%

Image pending generation: chart for Section A(b).

Question 1 (a) — Compare Sources A and B. [10 marks]

How similar are the views of Churchill (Source A) and Kennan (Source B) on the nature of the Soviet Union's position in Europe after 1945?

Question 1 (b) — Test an assertion using all sources. [30 marks]

" The Cold War emerged primarily because of aggressive Soviet expansionism rather than mutual misunderstanding."
Using all the sources and your own knowledge, how far do the sources support this assertion?

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TuitionGoWhere Practice Paper Answers — History H1 A-Level (Version 1)

Subject: History H1
Level: A-Level
Paper: Practice Paper (Source-Based Skills Focus)
Total Marks: 40

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Section A: Source-Based Case Study — Mark Scheme

Question 1 (a) — Compare Sources A and B [10 marks]

Level Descriptors (from syllabus):

• L3 (8–10): Effective use of both; clear explanation of similarities/differences with details; insight into reasons.
• L2 (4–7): Uses both; clear explanation with source details.
• L1 (1–3): Describes content; simple comparison.
• L0 (0): No relevant response.

Teaching Notes & Sample Answer (L3 standard):
Both Sources A and B depict the Soviet Union as a threat to Western/European stability after 1945. Churchill (A) uses the metaphor of an "iron curtain" to describe Soviet political control over Eastern Europe, listing capitals "in the Soviet sphere." Kennan (B) similarly sees "Russian expansive tendencies" and a global divide between socialist and capitalist camps.
Similarity: Both view USSR as expansionist and ideologically opposed to the West.
Difference: A is a public political speech focused on geographic division in Europe; B is a diplomatic telegram emphasising long-term policy of "containment" and ideological worldview. A is rhetorical, B is analytical.
Reason: Churchill as politician sought to alert public; Kennan as diplomat provided strategic prescription.
[Mark breakdown: identification of similarity 3, difference 3, use of details 2, insight into reason 2 = 10]

Common mistake: Only paraphrasing one source; not explicitly comparing.

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Question 1 (b) — Test assertion using all sources [30 marks]

Assertion: Cold War emerged primarily due to aggressive Soviet expansionism rather than mutual misunderstanding.

Level Descriptors:

• L5 (25–30): Treats sources as set; critical awareness; evaluates in context; sustained argument + conclusion.
• L4 (19–24): Good use; attempts evaluation with gaps.
• L3 (13–18): Some cross-referencing; evaluation not fully in context.
• L2 (7–12): Face-value use; isolation.
• L1 (1–6): Limited; contextual only.

Teaching Notes & Sample Answer (L5 standard):
Introduction: The assertion blames USSR aggression. Sources offer mixed support.

Source A (Churchill) and B (Kennan) support assertion: A shows Soviet sphere over E. Europe; B notes expansive tendencies → implies aggression.
Source C (Pravda) rejects: calls Marshall Plan US imperialism, presents Soviet aid as equal → Soviet view is defensive/western aggression.
Source D (post-revisionist) opposes assertion: argues mutual misunderstanding of security needs; structural tensions → not solely USSR.
Source E (chart) shows rising UK perception of threat 18%→63% (1945–48); reflects Western belief in Soviet threat but is perception, not proof of aggression.

Own knowledge: Truman Doctrine, Berlin Blockade as Soviet pressure; but Yalta agreements show mutual wartime cooperation broken by suspicion.

Conclusion: Sources do not predominantly support assertion. A and B support; C, D, E (as perception) challenge. Cold War arose from both expansion and misunderstanding.
[Mark breakdown: use of 5 sources 10, evaluation in context 8, cross-ref 5, argument structure 4, conclusion 3 = 30]

Common mistake: Using sources in isolation; ignoring Source D's historiography.