2025 AQA A-Level HISTORY 7042/2H
Component 2H France in Revolution, 1774–1815
Question paper and Marking scheme Merged
A-level
HISTORY
Component 2H France in Revolution, 1774–1815
Friday 6 June 2025 Afternoon Time allowed: 2 hours 30 minutes
Materials
For this paper you must have:
• an AQA 16-page answer book.
Instructions
• Use black ink or black ball-point pen.
• Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is
7042/2H.
• 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.
, 2
Section A
Answer Question 01.
Source A
From the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, issued by the National Assembly, July 1790.
Beginning with the day of publication of the present decree, there shall be but one way of
choosing bishops and parish priests, namely that of election.
All elections shall be by ballot and shall be decided by the majority of the votes.
Priests, performing as they do the first and most important functions of society and forced
to live continuously in the place where they work, shall be paid by the government. 5
No bishop shall absent himself from the area that he controls for more than two weeks
consecutively during the year, except in case of real necessity and with the consent of
the directory of the department in which his bishopric is situated.
Bishops and parish priests, as active citizens, are allowed to be elected as deputies to
the legislative body, or as members of the general council of the communes or of the 10
administrative councils of their districts or departments.
Source B
From an article published in the radical newspaper, ‘Les Révolutions de Paris’, July 1790.
The reign of the priests has passed; and the more efforts they make to shore up the
tottering remains of ecclesiastical power, the sooner will they hasten its collapse. The
National Assembly, in debating the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, has declared that
each department will form a single bishopric. It has established the election of bishops
and priests, and committed this election to the same body that nominates the members 5
of the departments and districts. If the clergy were less concerned with their past glory
and wealth, if they did not wish to provoke civil war at any possible price, they would no
longer resist the lawful will of the nation. We would not see the majority of the bishops of
France, together with the priests, crying out that the Catholic religion is lost because they
have been denied a display of wealth that is both offensive and absolutely opposed to the 10
principles and spirit of the Gospel.
IB/G/Jun25/7042/2H
, 3
Source C
From a letter to bishops in France, about the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, from
Pope Pius VI, 13 April 1791.
We have just learned of the war against the Catholic religion, which has been started by
the revolutionary thinkers who, as a group, form a majority in the National Assembly of
France. We have wept in God’s presence, shared our sorrow with the cardinals, and
proclaimed public and private prayers. Then we wrote to King Louis on 9 July 1790 and
repeatedly encouraged him not to confirm the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, which 5
would lead his people into error and schism. For it was intolerable that a political
assembly should change the universal practice of the Church. It is unacceptable that
they disregard the opinions of the Papacy and the decrees of the councils and have
overturned the order of the hierarchy and now control the election of bishops and have
destroyed the bishoprics. We beseech you all, beloved Catholic children in the kingdom 10
of France, as you recall the religion and faith of your fathers, we urge you lovingly not to
abandon it.
0 1 With reference to these sources and your understanding of the historical context,
assess the value of these three sources to an historian studying the Civil Constitution
of the Clergy in the years 1790 to 1791.
[30 marks]
Turn over for Section B
IB/G/Jun25/7042/2H Turn over ►
Component 2H France in Revolution, 1774–1815
Question paper and Marking scheme Merged
A-level
HISTORY
Component 2H France in Revolution, 1774–1815
Friday 6 June 2025 Afternoon Time allowed: 2 hours 30 minutes
Materials
For this paper you must have:
• an AQA 16-page answer book.
Instructions
• Use black ink or black ball-point pen.
• Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is
7042/2H.
• 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.
, 2
Section A
Answer Question 01.
Source A
From the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, issued by the National Assembly, July 1790.
Beginning with the day of publication of the present decree, there shall be but one way of
choosing bishops and parish priests, namely that of election.
All elections shall be by ballot and shall be decided by the majority of the votes.
Priests, performing as they do the first and most important functions of society and forced
to live continuously in the place where they work, shall be paid by the government. 5
No bishop shall absent himself from the area that he controls for more than two weeks
consecutively during the year, except in case of real necessity and with the consent of
the directory of the department in which his bishopric is situated.
Bishops and parish priests, as active citizens, are allowed to be elected as deputies to
the legislative body, or as members of the general council of the communes or of the 10
administrative councils of their districts or departments.
Source B
From an article published in the radical newspaper, ‘Les Révolutions de Paris’, July 1790.
The reign of the priests has passed; and the more efforts they make to shore up the
tottering remains of ecclesiastical power, the sooner will they hasten its collapse. The
National Assembly, in debating the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, has declared that
each department will form a single bishopric. It has established the election of bishops
and priests, and committed this election to the same body that nominates the members 5
of the departments and districts. If the clergy were less concerned with their past glory
and wealth, if they did not wish to provoke civil war at any possible price, they would no
longer resist the lawful will of the nation. We would not see the majority of the bishops of
France, together with the priests, crying out that the Catholic religion is lost because they
have been denied a display of wealth that is both offensive and absolutely opposed to the 10
principles and spirit of the Gospel.
IB/G/Jun25/7042/2H
, 3
Source C
From a letter to bishops in France, about the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, from
Pope Pius VI, 13 April 1791.
We have just learned of the war against the Catholic religion, which has been started by
the revolutionary thinkers who, as a group, form a majority in the National Assembly of
France. We have wept in God’s presence, shared our sorrow with the cardinals, and
proclaimed public and private prayers. Then we wrote to King Louis on 9 July 1790 and
repeatedly encouraged him not to confirm the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, which 5
would lead his people into error and schism. For it was intolerable that a political
assembly should change the universal practice of the Church. It is unacceptable that
they disregard the opinions of the Papacy and the decrees of the councils and have
overturned the order of the hierarchy and now control the election of bishops and have
destroyed the bishoprics. We beseech you all, beloved Catholic children in the kingdom 10
of France, as you recall the religion and faith of your fathers, we urge you lovingly not to
abandon it.
0 1 With reference to these sources and your understanding of the historical context,
assess the value of these three sources to an historian studying the Civil Constitution
of the Clergy in the years 1790 to 1791.
[30 marks]
Turn over for Section B
IB/G/Jun25/7042/2H Turn over ►
