AQA_2024: A-level History - Component 1L The Quest for Political Stability: Germany, 1871–1991 (Merged Question Paper and Marking Scheme)

AQA_2024: A-level History - Component 1L The Quest for Political Stability: Germany, 1871–1991 (Merged Question Paper and Marking Scheme) A-level HISTORY Component 1L The quest for political stability: Germany, 1871–1991 Thursday 23 May 2024 Materials For this paper you must have:  an AQA 16-page answer book. Instructions Morning Time allowed: 2 hours 30 minutes  Use black ink or black ball-point pen.  Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is 7042/1L.  Answer three questions. In Section A answer Question 01. In Section B answer two questions. Information  The marks for questions are shown in brackets.  The maximum mark for this paper is 80.  You will be marked on your ability to: – use good English – organise information clearly – use specialist vocabulary where appropriate. Advice  You are advised to spend about: – 1 hour on Question 01 from Section A – 45 minutes on each of the two questions answered from Section B. IB/M/Jun24/G4006/E4 For A-level History, Component 1L on The Quest for Political Stability: Germany, 1871–1991, you’ll explore the political developments and challenges faced by Germany over more than a century, from the formation of the German Empire in 1871 through to reunification in 1991. 1. Unification and the German Empire (1871–1918)  German unification under Otto von Bismarck and the creation of the German Empire in 1871.  Bismarck’s policies: Realpolitik, wars with Denmark, Austria, and France, and his role in shaping the political system.  The Kaiserreich: The structure of the empire, with the Kaiser at the top, the Bundesrat (Federal Council), and the Reichstag (parliament).  Political stability under the Kaiser and the rise of Socialism and workers' movements. 2. World War I and the End of the Kaiserreich (1914–1918)  The causes and consequences of World War I, including the impact on Germany’s political system.  The abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II and the collapse of the German Empire in 1918.  The creation of the Weimar Republic and the initial struggles for political legitimacy. 3. The Weimar Republic (1919–1933)  The Weimar Constitution, the political structure of the republic, and the challenges it faced, such as extreme political divisions, economic instability (e.g., hyperinflation and the Great Depression).  The role of extremist parties (e.g., the Nazi Party and the KPD), political violence, and uprisings such as the Kapp Putsch (1920) and the Munich Putsch (1923).  The impact of the Treaty of Versailles on Germany’s political stability.  The rise of Adolf Hitler and the growing appeal of the Nazi Party in the 1930s. 4. The Nazi Period (1933–1945)  The rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party’s acquisition of power in 1933.  Totalitarianism under Hitler: The establishment of a one-party state, suppression of opposition, propaganda, and the SS/ Gestapo.  The impact of Nazi policies, including anti-Semitism, militarisation, and territorial expansion, leading to World War II (1939–1945).  The downfall of Nazi Germany following its defeat in 1945, the destruction caused by WWII, and the collapse of the Third Reich. 5. Post-War Germany: Division and Reunification (1945–1991)  The division of Germany after WWII into East Germany (German Democratic Republic - GDR) and West Germany (Federal Republic of Germany - FRG).  The political systems in both East and West Germany: o West Germany: A democratic state, aligned with the Western bloc and NATO. o East Germany: A communist state, under Soviet influence, with a one-party system led by the SED (Socialist Unity Party).  The Berlin Blockade (1948–49), the Berlin Wall (1961), and the Cold War rivalry between the USA and the USSR. 7042/1L 2 IB/M/Jun24/7042/1L Section A Answer Question 01. Extract A After the First World War, the free-market economy was restored, and from 1919 German industrialists gained greater influence within the state and over the trade unions. During the inflation year of 1923, and in the period of stabilisation that began in 1924, the growing influence of the major industrialists continued. The strongest section of employers, which was grouped around the coal, iron and steel industrialists, worked towards a capitalist economic system, which they could control. From 1929, the leaders of heavy industry envisaged a solution to the economic crisis involving the suppression and destruction of the trade unions. This is precisely what was offered to them by Hitler, who won over the industrialists by proposing an economic programme which focused on tax cuts and an industrial production policy. Hitler made it clear, in his discussions with industry representatives, that his assumption of office would mean no significant change in the existing free-enterprise system. Adapted from F Fischer, From Kaiserreich to Third Reich, 1986 5 10 Extract B The question of how Germany’s long-term economic future could be secured was made more acute by the loss of the First World War and by the Depression. The loss of land and colonies after 1919 intensified the feeling among Germans of being a people without space. Under such conditions, economic factors intruded ever more on the sphere of political debate and the solutions suggested were frequently anti-capitalist. Hitler was simply an extreme example of this movement and the National Socialists attempted to bring into being an alternative to the liberal capitalist order which they had seen collapse in 1929. National Socialist economic policy in general represented not merely a departure from, but a positive threat to, the capitalist system. As a result, between 1933 and 1936 there was a substantial growth of economic activity in Germany fuelled by a programme of public works and state expenditure. From 1936, the Four Year Plan continued the movement towards a long-term crisis-free economic order. Adapted from J Hiden & J Farquharson, Explaining Hitler’s Germany, 1989 5 10 3 Extract C The structural weaknesses of the German economy, which had existed from 1919, were very visible during the brief period of stabilisation after 1924. The only way that workers’ demands for higher wages and the greatly increased claims for welfare benefits and pensions could be met was by an economic miracle. This did not happen. After 1929, with the onset of the Depression, the battle to deal with the escalating cost of welfare payments seemed impossible. Therefore, in January 1933, the Hitler government was confronted by formidable economic problems. The German economy was practically bankrupt and the official unemployment rate was well over six million. However, Nazi efforts to revive the economy were remarkably successful. By the summer of 1934 unemployment had come down to 2.5 million. Conscription and rearmament caused this decline to accelerate further and by 1938 virtually full employment was achieved. By 1939, the German economy was second only to America’s and less vulnerable to global pressures than either the French or the British. Adapted from DG Williamson, Germany since 1789, 2016 5 10 0 1 Using your understanding of the historical context, assess how convincing the arguments in these three extracts are in relation to the development of the German economy in the years 1919 to 1939. [30 marks] Turn over for Section B IB/M/Jun24/7042/1L Turn over ► 4 IB/M/Jun24/7042/1L Section B Answer two questions. 0 2 ‘In the years 1878 to 1914, the chancellors of Germany responded effectively to the challenge of socialism.’ Assess the validity of this view. [25 marks] 0 3 ‘Very little was done to confront the legacy of Nazism in West Germany in the years 1945 to 1969.’ Assess the validity of this view. [25 marks] 0 4 To what extent did West German society change in the years 1969 to 1991? [25 marks] END OF QUESTIONS Copyright information For confidentiality purposes, all acknowledgements of third-party copyright material are published in a separate booklet. This booklet is published after each live examination series and is available for free download from Permission to reproduce all copyright material has been applied for. In some cases, efforts to contact copyright-holders may have been unsuccessful and AQA will be happy to rectify any omissions of acknowledgements. If you have any queries please contact the Copyright Team. Copyright © 2024 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. A-level HISTORY 7042/1L Component 1L The quest for political stability: Germany, 1871–1991 Mark scheme June 2024 Version: 1.0 Final MARK SCHEME – A-LEVEL HISTORY – 7042/1L – JUNE 2024 Mark schemes are prepared by the Lead Assessment Writer and considered, together with the relevant questions, by a panel of subject teachers. This mark scheme includes any amendments made at the standardisation events which all associates participate in and is the scheme which was used by them in this examination. The standardisation process ensures that the mark scheme covers the students’ responses to questions and that every associate understands and applies it in the same correct way. As preparation for standardisation each associate analyses a number of students’ scripts. Alternative answers not already covered by the mark scheme are discussed and legislated for. If, after the standardisation process, associates encounter unusual answers which have not been raised they are required to refer these to the Lead Examiner. It must be stressed that a mark scheme is a working document, in many cases further developed and expanded on the basis of students’ reactions to a particular paper. Assumptions about future mark schemes on the basis of one year’s docume