A Level History H1 Practice Paper 3

<!-- TuitionGoWhere generation metadata: stage=5-2; model=tencent/hy3:free; model_label=Tencent HY3 Free; generated=2026-07-10; Sources: Stage 4-0 LLM templates, syllabus context, and Stage 2 evidence where available. -->

TuitionGoWhere Practice Paper - History H1 A-Level

TuitionGoWhere Practice Paper (AI) — Version 3

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 tests source-based skills aligned to Theme I of the H1 History syllabus (8838): The Development of the Cold War (1945–1991).
• Section A contains one source-based case study with two sub-questions. Answer all parts.
• Use the provided sources. You may refer to historical knowledge only to support source analysis.
• Write your answers in continuous prose where required.
• This is a syllabus-first practice paper generated from inferred templates; it is not derived from past-year exam papers.

---

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 telegram sent by George Kennan, Charge d'Affaires at the US Embassy in Moscow, to the US State Department, February 1946 (the Long Telegram).
"At the bottom of the Kremlin's neurotic view of world affairs is the traditional and instinctive Russian sense of insecurity… The Soviet government's structure of power does not rest on the love of the people but on a brittle police state. We may expect a long-term, patient but firm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies."

Source B
From a speech by Winston Churchill at Fulton, Missouri, March 1946 (Iron Curtain speech), as reported in a US newspaper.
"From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe are subject to Soviet influence and control. Communist parties have been raised to supremacy in all these countries."

Source C
From a Soviet newspaper editorial, Pravda, April 1946, responding to Western policies.
"The Marshall Plan is a scheme of the American imperialists to bind the economies of Europe to Wall Street. The Truman Doctrine is open interference in the internal affairs of free peoples under the pretext of resisting communism. The USSR seeks only the security of its borders and the friendship of peace-loving nations."

Source D
From a post-revisionist historian's essay published in 1990.
"Neither side planned the Cold War from the start. Both the USA and USSR acted from genuine security fears after 1945. The atomic monopoly of the US and the Red Army's presence in Eastern Europe created a spiral of mutual suspicion that neither leader could easily reverse."

Source E
From a statistical table compiled by a research institute in 1985.

Year	US defence spending (USD billion)	USSR defence spending (USD billion, est.)	NATO members	Warsaw Pact members
1948	12.0	13.5	0 (formed 1949)	0 (formed 1955)
1950	13.5	15.0	12	0
1955	40.0	32.0	15	8

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

Question 1 (40 marks)

(a) Compare the views of the Cold War's origins in Source A and Source B. (10 marks)

(b) "The Cold War was caused primarily by mutual security fears rather than ideological hostility." Using all the sources and your knowledge, test this assertion. (30 marks)

<!-- TuitionGoWhere generation metadata: stage=5-2; model=tencent/hy3:free; model_label=Tencent HY3 Free; generated=2026-07-10; Sources: Stage 4-0 LLM templates, syllabus context, and Stage 2 evidence where available. -->

TuitionGoWhere Practice Paper - History H1 A-Level (Answers)

Version 3 — Answer Key

Total Marks: 40

Section A: Source-Based Case Study

Question 1(a) — Compare Source A and Source B (10 marks)

Marking Descriptors (L0–L3):

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

Teaching Notes & Sample Answer:

• Similarity: Both Source A (Kennan) and Source B (Churchill) portray the USSR as a threat to the West. Kennan describes "Russian expansive tendencies" needing "containment"; Churchill describes an "iron curtain" of Soviet control over Eastern Europe. Both reflect a Western perception of Soviet aggression in 1946.
• Difference: Source A is a confidential diplomatic telegram focusing on the internal nature of the Soviet regime ("brittle police state") and recommends a policy (containment). Source B is a public speech aimed at rallying US and Western public opinion, using vivid imagery ("iron curtain") to describe the geopolitical divide. Kennan emphasises long-term patient strategy; Churchill emphasises immediate moral and political warning.
• Perspective insight: Kennan writes as a diplomat with knowledge of Soviet structure; Churchill as a former leader seeking to influence postwar Western policy.

Award: Full L3 if student integrates both content and provenance as above (max 10).

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

Marking Descriptors (L0–L5):

• L5 (25–30): Treats sources as set; critical awareness; evaluates in context; sustained argument + conclusion.
• L4 (19–24): Good use; attempts evaluation in context with minor gaps.
• L3 (13–18): Some cross-referencing; evaluation via content/provenance not fully contextual.
• L2 (7–12): Face-value use; isolation; some provenance.
• L1 (1–6): Limited use; description.
• L0 (0): No response.

Teaching Notes & Sample Answer Structure:

• Introduction: State that the assertion has partial support; sources show both security fears and ideology played roles.
• Source A: Kennan frames USSR action as insecurity-driven ("sense of insecurity") but also ideological ("police state") → supports mixed view.
• Source B: Churchill highlights Soviet expansion as factual control, not solely security → suggests ideological/critical view.
• Source C: Soviet editorial presents USSR as seeking "security of its borders" against "American imperialists" → supports mutual security fears from Soviet side.
• Source D: Post-revisionist historian explicitly states "genuine security fears" and "mutual suspicion" → strongly supports assertion.
• Source E: Spending rises on both sides; NATO/Warsaw Pact formed → institutionalisation of security fears (alliance building).
• Cross-reference: A and C show each side feared the other's power (US atomic monopoly, Red Army). D and E corroborate structural security dilemma.
• Counter: B and A also show ideology (communism vs capitalism) as lens.
• Conclusion: Assertion is largely valid for early emergence (1946–55) but ideology cannot be separated from how security was interpreted.

Mark Breakdown Example (L5 response):
Use of 5 sources (5), cross-referencing (5), context of postwar power vacuum (5), evaluation of assertion (5), reasoned conclusion (5), writing (5) → 30.

Image Note: Q1-fig1 must show table exactly as Source E; answer uses values to show parallel increase in spending and alliance formation as evidence of security dilemma.