Cambridge International AS & A Level: History 9389/13 October/November 2020
Cambridge International AS & A Level: History 9389/13 October/November 2020
Cambridge International AS & A Level: History 9389/13 October/November 2020
HISTORY 9389/13
Paper 1 Document Question October/November 2020
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Maximum Mark: 40
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Level 3: Uses the sources to support and challenge the statement 11–15
Makes valid points from the sources to both challenge and support the
statement in the question. These comments may be derived from source
content or may be about the provenance/nature of the sources.
1(a) Compare and contrast Sources B and D as evidence about the causes of 15
the Revolutions of 1848.
Similarities include:
• Source B blames ‘arbitrary rule’ for causing the revolutions as well as the
fact that ‘riches and honours go to those in power and their supporters’.
Similarly, in Source D the Diet was ‘to be merely consultative’ and ‘its
members were not satisfied with this role’. Both sources showed that
there were political grievances
• Source B refers to ‘the misery of the people has become intolerable’ and
states that in Upper Silesia there is a famine. Source D also refers to
‘economic’ issues and speaks of the ‘lower orders who had many
different grievances’. Both sources agree that there were more than just
political reasons for the revolutions.
Differences include:
• Source B focuses much more on social and economic issues stating that
‘security of property and of the person, education and freedom for all, are
the goals for which the German people strive’.
• Source D states that ‘the King had good reason to be worried’ as the
Liberal League who wanted political power were to ally with the lower
orders ‘who had different grievances’ suggesting that political aims were
much more prominent.
Explanation
1(b) ‘The main aims of the German revolutionaries of 1848 were political in 25
nature.’ How far do Sources A to D support this view?
Source B challenges the assertion in that its main focus is on improving the
lives of the people. It states that ‘the misery of the people has become
intolerable’. It maintains that ‘security of property and of the person, education
and freedom for all’ are what the German people are aiming to achieve.
However, the source also supports the assertion in that the statement refers
to ‘arbitrary rule’ and the fact that ‘riches and honour go to those in power and
their supporters’. Thus, there is a combination of political goals and ones
which would bring about social and economic change.
Source C mainly challenges the assertion in that many of the points in the
petition are social and economic in nature. For the workers much of the
petition concentrates on improving their living and working conditions
including ‘the fixing of the minimum working wage and of the hours of work’
and ‘exemption from taxation for the poor’. It also requests the legalisation of
trade unions, free education, free movement and state care for the disabled.
For manufacturers and masters, it requests more export opportunities and
free import of raw materials while for artisans it wants the formation of
corporations. However, there was a political element in the petition as the
workers were asking for ‘greater eligibility for election to parliament’ which
could be used to support the assertion.
1(b) Evaluation
Source A: Coming from a leading liberal newspaper, this editorial reflects the
desires of the German liberals who wanted greater representation in
government. However, it may not be a reliable representation of the
motivations of those outside of liberal circles.
Source D: The source is written by Karl Marx after the revolutions of 1848.
Although Marx was in favour of a revolution of the lower classes, in this
instance he is writing as a journalist on a particular event. Marx had a good
knowledge of the events of the revolution but is inclined to focus here on the
middled classes pushing for change. This fits in with his burgeoning idea of
the bourgeoisie within his theories.
2(a) Compare and contrast the opinions expressed in Sources A and D about 15
the Kansas-Nebraska Bill.
Similarities include:
• Both sources agree that the Bill is designed to save the Union. In Source
A Stephen Douglas states that he ‘believes that the peace, harmony and
permanence of the Union require us to leave the people under the
Constitution, to do as they see proper in their own internal affairs’ which is
making reference to the terms of the bill and his belief in popular
sovereignty. Similarly, in Source D it refers to the bill as ‘a great Union-
saving measure’.
• Both men want to support some sort of compromise – Douglas says so;
Lincoln implies that the same is true.
Differences include:
• While Source A is a firm advocate of the bill stating it will ‘destroy all
sectional parties and sectional agitations’, Abraham Lincoln, Source D,
maintains that it is ‘an aggravation of the only thing which ever endangers
the Union’ and continues by saying ‘we will have thrown away the spirit of
compromise’.
• Source A states that the bill will ‘withdraw the slavery question from
Congress, commit it to those immediately interested in its consequences’
and Douglas asserts that the North is wrong in saying that the South want
to bring slavery to the Territories stating ‘to our Northern friends. I desire
to say that they must stop the slander uttered against the South, that they
desire to legislate slavery into the territories’.
• Source D disagrees saying that instead of compromise already ‘a few in
the North defy all constitutional restraints and in the South claim the
constitutional right to take and hold slaves in the Free States’.
Explanation
2(b) How far do Sources A to D show that the passage of the Kansas- 25
Nebraska Bill divided the United States along sectional lines?
Source A challenges the assertion. Douglas believes that the bill ‘will
destroy all sectional parties and sectional agitations’. He wishes people to
rally round the idea of popular sovereignty. He maintains that the bill ‘will
withdraw the Slavery question from Congress, commit it to the judgement of
those immediately interested in its consequences, and there is nothing left out
of which sectional parties can be organised’.
Source A also supports by reading against the grain because Douglas
himself suggests that people are already divided and he is asking them to
compromise.
Source C broadly supports the assertion. It shows that the majority of the
slave states supported the bill with 66 representatives in favour and 9 against.
However, in the North 91 representatives opposed it compared with 43
against. Clearly there was more support for the bill in the South but not all of
the support came from the South as 43 Democrats from the North supported it
which can challenge the assertion that the Bill divided the United States
along sectional lines.
Source D supports the assertion maintaining that ‘we have thrown away the
spirit of compromise’ and that Kansa-Nebraska according to Lincoln ‘is an
aggravation of the only thing that ever endangers the Union’ in so doing. He
states that ‘already a few in the North defy all constitutional restraints’ and ‘a
few in the South claim the constitutional right to take and hold slaves in the
Free States’.
Evaluation
Source A: Douglas is speaking to the Senate hoping that it will agree to the
bill; his belief in popular sovereignty is emphasised in his speech but he
believes that it will resolve all of the sectional problems and he is blinkered in
his views. Douglas had political and personal capital tied up with the success
of the Kansas Nebraska act so is not reliable in his considerations of its
possible impact.
Source B: The newspaper article is from Kentucky a Border slave state and
clearly fears the fact that the South may not benefit from this bill. It is useful
for its reference to the Northern Democrats and the view that the South
should not follow them but cannot be relied upon for views across the South.
Source C: is from a New York newspaper reporting at the time that the bill
was passed. It reports, presumably accurately on how the representatives
voted but this may not be a fair reflection of the views of society.
2(b) Source D: Lincoln was clearly a supporter of the Union and hence opposed to
the act. However, he does provide instances of where he feels that the act is
already having the effect that he fears and there is no reason to doubt the
reliability of these. Lincoln, like Douglas, had political and personal capital tied
up in the debate over Kansas and so cannot be taken as a reliable source
when discussing its possible success.
Similarities include:
• Both agree there is support in Britain for general disarmament
• Both mention naval restrictions
• Both recognise that there is hesitancy about disarming/disarmament is
difficult (although for different reasons so this could be a difference)
• Both see that disarmament could bring peace – although only if everyone
does it in Source D)
Differences include:
• Source B sees disarming as a serious policy which might be effective
whereas Source D considers it to be a ‘tragic farce’.
• Source D sees war as inevitable whereas B thinks peace can be
achieved (although Churchill presumably disagrees).
• Source D is focused on the US and Britain whereas Source B mentions
France as a possible threat.
• Source B sees the military advisers as a problem, whereas Source D
blames the British Prime Minister.
Explanation
3(b) ‘The League’s aim to disarm was unrealistic.’ How far do Sources A to D 25
agree with this view?
Source A supports the view suggesting that disarmament will only work if
the nations get to a point of trusting each other. It offers challenge by
suggesting that the League needs to disarm to be trusted which is not quite
the same as saying that it was a realistic prospect.
Source B supports the view by suggesting that the British navy don’t want
disarmament and neither does Churchill. It also offers some challenge as
Cecil supports disarmament and is worried about the economic
consequences of not doing so. He also feels the League has the power to
make disarmament happen.
Source C implies that disarmament seems like a good idea until the girl gets
eaten – then the bystander rushed off to find his gun, suggesting in the end
disarmament not going to work.
Evaluation
Source D: Trotsky is clearly knowledge of the situation the League finds itself
in and the source is useful to suggest wider views. However, Trotsky’s views
on ‘permanent revolution’ mean that this source cannot be trusted in its dismal
view of the intentions of major powers.