Qualification Accredited A LEVEL Candidate Style Answers HISTORY A H505 For first teaching in 2015 Unit 3 (Y302, Y305 – Y307, Y311 – Y312, Y314 – Y321) Version 1 www.ocr.org.uk/history A Level History A Candidate Style Answers Contents Introduction 4 Y302 – The Viking Age c.790–1066 5 Section A Medium level response 5 Section A High level response 7 Section B Medium level response 8 Section B High level response 10 Y305 – The Renaissance c.1400–c.1600 12 Section A Medium level response 12 Section A High level response 13 Section B Medium level response 14 Section B High level response 15 Y306 – Rebellion and Disorder in Tudor England 1485–1603 18 Section A Medium level response 18 Section A High level response 20 Section B Medium level repsonse 21 Section B High level response 23 Y307 – Tudor Foreign Policy 1485–1603 25 Section A Medium level response 25 Section A High level response 26 Section B Medium level response 27 Section B High level response 29 Y311 – The Origins and Growth of the British Empire 1558–1783 31 Section A Medium level response 31 Section A High level response 32 Section B Medium level response 33 Section B High level response 35 Y312 – Popular Culture and the Witchcraze of the 16th and 17th Centuries 37 Section A Medium level response 37 Section A High level response 39 Section B Medium level response 40 Section B High level response 42 Y314 – The Challenge of German Nationalism 1789–1919 44 Section A Medium level response 44 Section A High level response 46 Section B Medium level response 47 Section B High level response 49 2 © OCR 2017 A Level History A Candidate Style Answers Y315 – The Changing Nature of Warfare 1792–1945 51 Section A Medium level response 51 Section A High level response 53 Section B Medium level response 54 Section B High level response 56 Y316 – Britain and Ireland 1791–1921 58 Section A Medium level response 58 Section A High level response 60 Section B Medium level response 61 Section B High level response 63 Y317 – China and its Rulers 1839–1989 65 Section A Medium level response 65 Section A High level response 66 Section B Medium level response 67 Section B High level response 69 Y318 – Russia and its Rulers 1855–1964 71 Section A Medium level response 71 Section A High level response 72 Section B Medium level response 73 Section B High level response 75 Y319 – Civil Rights in the USA 1865–1992 77 Section A Medium level response 77 Section A High level response 78 Section B Medium level response 79 Section B High level response 81 Y320 – From Colonialism to Independence: The British Empire 1857–1965 83 Section A Medium level response 83 Section A High level response 85 Section B Medium level response 86 Section B High level response 88 Y321 – The Middle East 1908–2011: Ottomans to Arab Spring 90 Section A Medium level response 90 Section A High level response 91 Section B Medium level response 92 Section B High level response 94 3 © OCR 2017 A Level History A Candidate Style Answers Introduction OCR has produced these candidate style answers to support teachers in interpreting the assessment criteria for the new GCE History A specification and to bridge the gap between new specification release and availability of exemplar candidate work. This content has been produced by senior OCR examiners, with the support of the Subject Specialist, to illustrate how the sample assessment questions might be answered and provide some commentary on what factors contribute to an overall grading. The candidate style answers are not written in a way that is intended to replicate student work but to demonstrate what a ‘HIGH LEVEL’ or ‘MEDIUM LEVEL’ response might include, supported by examiner commentary and conclusions. As these responses have not been through full moderation and do not replicate student work, they have not been graded but give an indication of the level of each response. Please note that this resource is provided for advice and guidance only and does not in any way constitute an indication of grade boundaries or endorsed answers. 4 © OCR 2017 A Level History A Candidate Style Answers Y302 – The Viking Age c.790-1066 Section A Evaluate the interpretations in both of the two passages and explain which you think is a more convincing explanation for the success of the Great Heathen Army in 865. Medium level response The two passages offer a variety of reasons as to why the Great Heathen Army of 865 was successful. Both Passages suggest that one reason was the division and disunity within Northumbria, which is given emphasis in Passage A than Passage B. Passage B stresses that it was the sheer size of the Viking force that enabled it to initially succeed, although it also mentions the ability of the Vikings to negotiate. Passage A also emphasises that Viking success was due, at least in part, to a willingness of the king’s to buy off the raiders, a tactic that had been successfully used by the Carolingians. Both Passages therefore offer a range of reasons and although they agree on some of the factors, Passage A emphasises the disunity and civil war in Northumbria, whilst B sees the sheer size of the force as being the most important factor. Passage A argues that the disunity and civil war within Northumbria was the most important factor for Viking success and this factor is also mentioned in Passage B, which uses the Anglo Saxon Chronicle to support this view. Passage B states that the Chronicle says that the Northumbrians had deposed their king, Osberht and replaced him with Alla and that this created disunity. Passage A also focuses on the strengths of the Viking force and notes that it was a co-ordinated force that, because of its experience of fighting in the Carolingian empire meant they were formidable and knew how to build defences and use them to raid nearby areas. Not only that, but the Vikings were also great negotiators and were able to win over aristocrats and kings who collaborated with them, making their task that much easier. This was also aided by the fact, as A suggests, that the first idea of many kings was to make peace, this may have been because of the size of the force or because the Viking force was so skilful and they would be unable to resist it. However, there are some limits to the explanation offered in Passage A as the first part of it does not focus on the success of 865 but instead looks at later developments, making it less useful as an explanation for their success. Passage B, as mentioned in the Introduction offers very similar explanations for the success, however its emphasis is on the sheer size of the force that came in 865. The Passage argues that earlier raids had been by much smaller forces and that they were really just raiding forces, but that a change had taken place since about 850 with the size of the force increasing. The Passage also argues that the forces instead of just raiding had begun to overwinter in England. One reason that Passage emphasises is that the force that came in 865 was a co-ordinated group made up of forces already operating in Britain, Ireland and Francia, which would have increased the manpower available. This in itself would have made it difficult to resist and the Passage goes on to imply that resistance would have been more difficult because of the civil war and divisions in areas such as Northumbria. However, Passage B implies, unlike Passage A, that disunity in Northumbria was a less important factor because it argues that later Northumbrian sources claim that Osberht and Alla were brothers, suggesting that perhaps A has exaggerated the divisions. Despite this, A’s view appears to have some credence as B does go onto say that they were soon able to seize York and within two years had control of Northumbria, suggesting that it was quite weak. Passage B also suggests that Viking success was aided by the arrival in 871 of the ‘great summer army’ and implies that this gave them the numbers and confidence to over-run virtually all of Anglo Saxon England. However, neither Passage mentions that Alfred was able to resist the advance. Although both Passages offer similar reasons, with slightly different emphasis, Passage B is more convincing in its explanation as there is greater focus on the army of 865 and it provides more detail about the weakness of Northumbria, which made their task that much easier. However, Passage A is useful in providing the context for their success, but that is also covered in B. Passage B is also more convincing as it provides statistical support for the claim that the Viking forces attacking England had grown in size. Therefore, although A is useful in providing context, B is more convincing because of the details it provides. 5 © OCR 2017 A Level History A Candidate Style Answers Examiner commentary The response explains the views of the two Interpretations with detailed reference to both. There is a clear understanding of the similarities between the two Passages, but the response also recognizes that they have a different emphasis as to the most important reason. The response is also able to use the Passages to both support and challenge each other, with gives the answer greater credibility. There are some hints as to the limitations, but the own knowledge that is present could be better linked to the actual Passage.