AQA A-level HISTORY 7042/1H Component 1H Tsarist and Communist Russia, 1855– 1964 Version: 1.0 Final IB/M/Jun23/E5 7042/1H A-level HISTORY Component 1H Tsarist and Communist Russia, 1855–1964// QUESTION PAPER & MARKING SCHEME/ [MERGED] Marl( scheme June 2

AQA A-level HISTORY 7042/1H Component 1H Tsarist and Communist Russia, 1855– 1964 Version: 1.0 Final IB/M/Jun23/E5 7042/1H A-level HISTORY Component 1H Tsarist and Communist Russia, 1855–1964 Wednesday 24 May 2023 Morning 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 7042/1H. • 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 IB/M/Jun23/7042/1H Section A Answer Question 01. Extract A There were significant strains and tensions in Tsarist society before 1917. In the 1890s Russia had embarked on rapid industrialisation, yet the absolutist monarchy had refused to admit to political power the industrial and professional classes created in this process. The consequent explosion in 1905 and the granting of the October Manifesto offered Tsardom a new opportunity to foster stability. Absolutism gave way to constitutional monarchy. Although doubt must exist as to whether the Tsar succeeded in creating a wider basis of support, it would be incorrect to deduce from the wave of strikes in 1912–14 that Nicholas II faced a truly revolutionary threat before 1914. There was no possibility that the forces opposed to Tsardom could have formed a united coalition and destroyed the monarchy. It was the Great War that intensified, to breaking point, the political and social stresses which pre-war policies had temporarily addressed, but without providing a lasting solution. It was the Great War that destroyed the Romanov dynasty. Adapted from RB Mckean, The Russian Constitutional Monarchy, 1907–17,1977 5 10 Extract B The February/March revolution came as a surprise to everyone, both those within Russia and those abroad. From the 1890s, socialists of all types had ardently desired revolution and the abolition of the Romanov dynasty, yet there is no evidence that any of these groups saw the impending storm. Even Lenin, in Switzerland, was pessimistically preparing himself for the awful reality of not seeing revolution in Russia in his lifetime. However, even without the need for leaders, the ordinary workers and soldiers took over. In Petrograd, strikes involving workers, women and young people grew throughout February 1917 until the Tsarist government had a general strike on its hands. Even then, Nicholas II did not feel unduly insecure and many Duma members, although wanting to end the existing government, still upheld the monarchy. The new element in the situation was the changed mood of the soldiers. Almost bloodlessly, workers and soldiers forced the Tsar’s abdication. Imperial Russia collapsed with breathtaking suddenness. Adapted from M McCauley, The Russian Revolution and Soviet State 1917–1921, 1984 5 10 3 IB/M/Jun23/7042/1H Turn over ► Extract C In 1895, Tsar Nicholas II dismissed hopes of zemstvo representation in national government as a ‘senseless dream’. Such disregard for political change remained a feature of his rule. The result was that his prestige was critically damaged, and with it, that of the autocracy. Nicholas was convinced, until the very end, that he was the best judge of the country’s mood. To him, protest and dissent were temporary and caused by agitators or selfish politicians. Even after the 1905 revolution had forced him to grant a popularly-elected Duma, Nicholas tried to narrow its sphere of competence. Nicholas lacked the talent needed for his role. He sat for hours over papers of state, but this led, particularly in the last years of his reign, to a near-paralysis at the centre of government. His assumption of personal command over the armies in the field in 1915 was running away from government, rather than an act of solidarity with his troops. It proved fatal; he was forced to abdicate in March 1917. Adapted from H Rogger, Russia in the Age of Modernisation and Revolution 1881–1917, 1983 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 reasons for the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II. [30 marks] Turn over for Section B 4 IB/M/Jun23/7042/1H Section B Answer two questions. 0 2 ‘Alexander II’s attempts at reform, in the years 1855 to 1881, were half-hearted and ineffective.’ Assess the validity of this view. [25 marks] 0 3 ‘Lenin’s and Stalin’s agricultural policies, in the years 1917 to 1941, were an economic success but a social failure.’ Assess the validity of this view. [25 marks] 0 4 In the years 1945 to 1964, to what extent was internal opposition to both Stalin and Khrushchev a threat to their authority? [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 © 2023 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. *236A7042/1H* A-level HISTORY 7042/1H Component 1H Tsarist and Communist Russia, 1855–1964 Mark scheme June 2023 Version: 1.0 Final *236A7042/1H/MS* MARK SCHEME – A-LEVEL HISTORY – 7042/1H – JUNE 2023 2 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 document should be avoided; whilst the guiding principles of assessment remain constant, details will change, depending on the content of a particular examination paper. Further copies of this mark scheme are available from Copyright information AQA retains the copyright on all its publications. However, registered schools/colleges for AQA are permitted to copy material from this booklet for their own internal use, with the following important exception: AQA cannot give permission to schools/colleges to photocopy any material that is acknowledged to a third party even for internal use within the centre. Copyright © 2023 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. MARK SCHEME – A-LEVEL HISTORY – 7042/1H – JUNE 2023 3 Level of response marking instructions Level of response mark schemes are broken down into levels, each of which has a descriptor. The descriptor for the level shows the average performance for the level. There are marks in each level. Before you apply the mark scheme to a student’s answer read through the answer and annotate it (as instructed) to show the qualities that are being looked for. You can then apply the mark scheme. Step 1 Determine a level Start at the lowest level of the mark scheme and use it as a ladder to see whether the answer meets the descriptor for that level. The descriptor for the level indicates the different qualities that might be seen in the student’s answer for that level. If it meets the lowest level then go to the next one and decide if it meets this level, and so on, until you have a match between the level descriptor and the answer. With practice and familiarity, you will find that for better answers you will be able to quickly skip through the lower levels of the mark scheme. When assigning a level, you should look at the overall quality of the answer and not look to pick holes in small and specific parts of the answer where the student has not performed quite as well as the rest. If the answer covers different aspects of different levels of the mark scheme you should use a best fit approach for defining the level and then use the variability of the response to help decide the mark within the level, ie if the response is predominantly Level 3 with a small amount of Level 4 material it would be placed in Level 3 but be awarded a mark near the top of the level because of the Level 4 content. Step 2 Determine a mark Once you have assigned a level you need to decide on the mark. The descriptors on how to allocate marks can help with this. The exemplar materials used during standardisation will help. There will be an answer in the standardising materials which will correspond with each level of the mark scheme. This answer will have been awarded a mark by the Lead Examiner. You can compare the student’s answer with the example to determine if it is the same standard, better or worse than the example. You can then use this to allocate a mark for the answer based on the Lead Examiner’s mark on the example. You may well need to read back through the answer as you apply the mark scheme to clarify points and assure yourself that the level and the mark are appropriate. Indicative content in the mark scheme is provided as a guide for examiners. It is not intended to be exhaustive and you must credit other valid points. Students do not have to cover all of the points mentioned in the Indicative content to reach the highest level of the mark scheme.