A Level History H1 Practice Paper 5

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TuitionGoWhere Practice Paper - History H1 A-Level

TuitionGoWhere Practice Paper (AI) — Version 5

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. It is NOT derived from past-year papers; no Stage 2-1 or Stage 3 evidence exists for this subject group.
• Answer all questions in the spaces provided.
• Section A is compulsory and tests source-based skills on Theme I (Development of the Cold War).
• Use the provided sources carefully. Marks are awarded for use of sources, contextual knowledge, and analysis.

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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 British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, delivered at 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, and all are subject in one form or another, not only to Soviet influence but to a very high and, in many cases, increasing measure of control from Moscow."

Source B
From the Long Telegram sent by US diplomat George Kennan from 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. Soviet pressure against the free institutions of the Western world is something that can be contained by the adroit and vigilant application of counter-force at a series of constantly shifting geographical and political points."

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 bind the economies of European states to Wall Street. Under the guise of relief, the USA seeks to establish its dominance over the weakened nations of Europe and to build a bloc against the Soviet Union. The Soviet government will not permit the economies of Eastern Europe to be dragged into this trap."

Source D
From a post-revisionist historian's monograph published in 1990.
"Both superpowers misunderstood each other's security needs after 1945. The USSR sought a buffer zone in Eastern Europe due to repeated invasions; the USA read this as ideological expansion. Neither side intended a permanent split, but structural pressures and mutual suspicion hardened the divide by 1948."

Source E
Statistics from a 1950 US State Department report on post-war aid (figures in US$ billion):

• Marshall Plan total authorised (1948–1951): 13.0
• Aid to UK: 3.2
• Aid to France: 2.7
• Aid to West Germany: 1.4
• Aid to Italy: 1.5
• Aid to Eastern European states (rejected by USSR): 0.0

Image pending generation: table for Q1.

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Question 1 (10 marks)

(a) Compare the views of Churchill in Source A and Kennan in Source B about the nature of the Soviet threat. Use details from both sources. [10]

Question 2 (30 marks)

(b) "The Cold War was caused primarily by mutual misunderstanding rather than deliberate aggression." Using all the sources and your own knowledge, test this assertion. [30]

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End of Paper

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

Version 5 — Answer Key

Total Marks: 40

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

Sample Answer (L3 standard): Both Churchill (Source A) and Kennan (Source B) view the Soviet Union as a threat to Western freedom, but they frame it differently. Churchill describes a concrete political division — an "iron curtain" across Europe — and emphasises Soviet control over Eastern European capitals as fact (Stettin to Trieste). Kennan (Source B) analyses the threat more conceptually: he calls it "Russian expansive tendencies" and proposes "containment" via "counter-force" at shifting points. Similarity: both see Soviet pressure as needing a Western response. Difference: Churchill uses vivid geographic imagery of imposed control; Kennan provides a strategic policy prescription based on long-term patient vigilance. The difference arises because Churchill speaks as a political leader warning the public, while Kennan writes as a diplomat advising government.

Teaching Note: Students must quote or paraphrase specific phrases ("iron curtain", "containment", "expansive tendencies") and not just say "both think USSR is bad". Link purpose to author role for L3.

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Question 2(b) — Test assertion using all sources (30 marks)

Marking Descriptors (L0–L5):

• L5 (25–30): Treats sources as a set; critical awareness; evaluates in context; sustained analytical argument with supported conclusion.
• L4 (19–24): Good use of sources; attempts evaluation in context but with gaps.
• L3 (13–18): Some cross-referencing; attempts evaluation through content/provenance but not full context.
• L2 (7–12): Uses sources at face value; isolation; some provenance awareness.
• L1 (1–6): Limited use; description; contextual knowledge only.
• L0 (0): No response.

Sample Answer (L5 standard): The assertion that the Cold War was caused primarily by mutual misunderstanding rather than deliberate aggression is partially supported but oversimplified.

Source D (post-revisionist) directly supports the assertion: it states both superpowers "misunderstood each other's security needs" and that "neither side intended a permanent split". This aligns with the "mutual misunderstanding" view.

However, Source A (Churchill) and Source B (Kennan) show Western perception of deliberate Soviet expansion — Churchill cites "increasing measure of control from Moscow"; Kennan describes "Russian expansive tendencies". This suggests the West saw aggression, whether or not USSR intended it.

Source C (Soviet Pravda) reverses the blame: it calls the Marshall Plan "American imperialists" scheme" to "establish dominance" — showing the USSR also perceived US deliberate aggression, not mere misunderstanding.

Source E (aid table) shows 0.0 billion to Eastern Europe because USSR rejected it — evidence of structural division, not just misunderstanding; both sides built blocs.

Own knowledge: Yalta/Potsdam tensions, Sovietisation, Truman Doctrine show real policy clashes. But Gorbachev later revealed USSR's defensive fears.

Conclusion: Misunderstanding existed (Source D, Source C's reciprocal suspicion), but deliberate policies (Sources A, B, E) also drove the split. Assertion is too narrow; a combination of structural insecurity and perceived aggression is more accurate.

Teaching Note: Must use ALL five sources. Link Source D to post-revisionist view; contrast with traditional (Source A/B) and Soviet (Source C). Use table to show aid exclusion. Contextualise with 1945–48 events. Mark per source use (≈4–5 marks each) + synthesis (≈5–10 marks).

Common Mistake: Ignoring Source E or using only 2–3 sources → capped at L2/L3.