| International Relations 1919-91
There will be five topics that you might be able to do and you will need to
be able to answer two
questions. You are guaranteed two questions covering the
three pre-1945 topics.
- Were the Peace Treaties of 1919-23
fair?
- To what extent was the League of
Nations a success?
- Why had international peace
collapsed by 1939?
These questions are often made up
from parts of each of the three topics. Therefore you have to revise
all three topics thoroughly.
The most important thing is to answer the question
set (ATBQ). Therefore it is very important that you
understand the question set. If you have any doubts about meaning,
leave the question well alone. Unless the question is identical to a
question you have prepared in advance, do not be tempted to use a
pre-prepared answer.
- What caused the First World War has been on every exam paper
as question 4 since this new syllabus began in 2000. I suppose
it has to be missing at some point but this would be a very
unpopular decision. However, this time it is also the prescribed
content for Paper 2. For the 5 and 7 mark question can you
answer all the previous questions? What has not been asked
previously? (This is also worth asking of all the topics below) The 8 mark
question always requires an evaluation of one factor as a cause
of war. Because this is such a predictable question
expect the examiners to add a twist to the question. If in doubt
do not attempt.
- Peace Treaties is the
second prescribed subject for Paper 2 in 2005, therefore do not
expect a full question dedicated to it on Paper 1. Expect a
'part' question and a focus on the other treaties for 5 or 7
marks. The specified content states: 'The
peace treaties of 1919-23 (Versailles, St. Germain, Trianon,
Neuilly, Sevres and Lausanne)'.
- League
of Nations might well be combined with the Peace Treaty
question. There hasn't been a full question on the League in the
summer exam since May 2001 but there has been at least a part
question 9 times out of 10! Manchuria and Abyssinia might be
combined with the causes of WWII topic. The eight mark question
almost always asks for an evaluation of the successes and
failures of the League and whether it was doomed from the start
(How far did weaknesses in the
League's organisation make failure inevitable?) or might have
survived had it not been for the Depression (How far did the
Depression make the work of the League more difficult?). It
might also be split into 1920s and 1930s. This page
and the following are important and include a number of links to
outstanding revision pages in John D Clare.
- Causes of WWII is almost as popular as causes of WWI
but was on last summer. It did not feature at all in the
November 2004 paper. Expect a part question. Remember the 6
factors which caused the war? All of the factors have been
covered in the 8 mark question except Nazi Soviet Pact and the
Depression. As with the WWI question expect the examiners to
include a more difficult question to make you think. (e.g. the
'Hitler was a gambler' question in May 2003)
- Cold War blame
was on last May and not last November. Worth revising as a
back-up but not as strong a possibility as...
- Vietnam and Cuba. A strong
possibility but almost impossible to call. Cuba has not been on
in the summer since May 2001 but has been on the last two
November papers. Vietnam has not been on since May 2003.
- As predicted here last year,
USSR and Eastern Europe was on last
summer. Not a popular topic, do not expect a question this
time.
- UNO
has not been on any paper since May 2003.
My prediction for May 2005
- No WWI
this time. If it is on expect something tough from the specified
content: the focus on
Russia's or Britain's responsibility or perhaps colonialism?
- League of Nations 1920s mixed with
Peace Treaties?
- Causes of WWII
mixed with LoN (see Nov 2002)?
- Cuba
(or Vietnam or maybe
Cuba ;-))
- UNO.
Should you only revise these topics? Absolutely not. There are 7 topics (key questions) in this part of the syllabus. You should
insure you have thoroughly revised at least 4 and preferably 5
topics. You
should also revise the whole of topic 3, 'Why
had international peace collapsed by 1939?'. This is an
important topic, a topic we have spent a long time on and a topic
you should do well.
Germany 1919-45
With Germany it is much more difficult to select the topics that
are most useful to revise. It is therefore important that your
revision covers everything. There will be only two questions and you
will only need to answer only one of them. Something on Weimar has
come up regularly and is obviously popular
but as predicted last year it did not come up. In contrast May 2004
and November 2005 both had questions on Hitler's rise to power. There has never been a question on
Weimar culture even
though this is a 'focus point' and specified content.
My prediction for May 2004
- Weimar
Germany. Doomed form the start? (of course) but also prepare
yourself for culture.
- You must cover all post 1934
content. Coercion, persuasion and consent.
Print out and learn your completed
table thoroughly. The question of 'totalitarianism'
has never been examined (apart from 'total control' last
November) and neither has economic
policy including re-armament. Women, children and (in
particular) the war years are worth revising thoroughly.
Click here
to see what the paper might look like!
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