Volume 9, Number 4, April 2014
Revision
Churchill 1920–45: AS Unit F963B (pp. 10–11)
Mike Wells
You can use this material alongside the OCR exam focus in this issue of 20th Century History Review (pp. 10–11) to help you revise this topic.
Below is a sample exam question for Unit F963B. A candidate response to part (a), with some accompanying feedback, is given on p. 10 of this issue of the magazine.
Question
Study the five sources on Churchill and relations with Charles de Gaulle and then answer both sub-questions.
It is recommended that you spend two-thirds of your time answering part (b).
(a) Study Sources A and B.
Compare these Sources as evidence for Churchill’s view of de Gaulle. (30 marks)
(b) Study all the sources.
Use your own knowledge to assess how far the sources support the interpretation that wartime relations between Churchill and de Gaulle were more positive than negative. (70 marks)
Advice on approaching a part (b) question
Below is some advice on how to answer part (b) of the question. The sources are not provided here, as the sample question is intended only to remind you of the layout of the paper.
The key things to avoid are running through the sources from A to E, rather than grouping them. So an A-grade answer would not simply say (for example):
A shows the relationship in a negative light because the two men argue, Churchill’s tone is bitter and de Gaulle obviously reduces Churchill to silence by a well-administered out down. B shows that relations are not always bad and the respect and admiration Churchill had for de Gaulle. C shows a view that Churchill is using de Gaulle — he has him on the end of a fishing line, but the relationship has led to nothing as Dakar has not fallen and the Vichy regime is able to use this for propaganda against both de Gaulle and Churchill. D shows relations at their worst as de Gaulle is openly urging a broadcast against the British and Americans and speaking of them in very hostile terms. E is showing warmth and admiration between Churchill and de Gaulle and de Gaulle praises the British resistance and effort while de Gaulle is chosen to broadcast to the French people.
It would be much better to consider how the sources group — for example, D and A go together, and B and E go together.
Some knowledge is necessary when considering the sources. Your own knowledge helps you assess the claims made by the sources. It also puts them in context. For example, it informs you about what happened before and after the events outlined in the sources.
Candidates also need to consider the sources as evidence and offer some evaluation. For example, an extract from a politician’s memoirs may be written some time after the event and may be inclined to stress the abilities of that politician in besting his rivals. A propaganda poster is clearly not objective but might demonstrate how a country wanted a relationship with its allies to be depicted. Other sources may show a longer-term view and not consider the impact of stressful situations for politicians and leaders at a particular time.
In order to gain high marks you should ensure that three elements have been covered:
1 the sources are interpreted correctly and grouped, not simply described in turn
2 there is sustained judgement about the sources by the use of contextual knowledge
3 there is evaluation of the sources as evidence
Students should be able to assess their own answers by using the following questions.
· Have I grouped? Is there anywhere where I have taken sources together rather than dealing with them in the order that they appear in the paper?
· Is there any knowledge here that is my own and does not appear in the sources? If so, is it being used to assess the sources?
· Have I taken the sources just as information or am I aware of what they are, when they were written, how useful, reliable and typical they are?
· Have I written a conclusion with some sense of judgement about how far the sources support the view? Have I made up my mind whether they support the ‘negative’ or ‘positive’ view of relations? This is what the question asks, and your answer must come to some conclusion on this point.
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