AQA_2024: A-level History - Component 1G Challenge and Transformation: Britain, c1851–1964 (Merged Question Paper and Marking Scheme)

AQA_2024: A-level History - Component 1G Challenge and Transformation: Britain, c1851–1964 (Merged Question Paper and Marking Scheme) A-level HISTORY Component 1G Challenge and transformation: Britain, c1851–1964 Thursday 23 May 2024 Materials For this paper you must have:  an AQA 16-page answer book. Instructions Morning  Use black ink or black ball-point pen. Time allowed: 2 hours 30 minutes  Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is 7042/1G.  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. To revise Challenge and Transformation: Britain, c.1851–1964, focus on these key areas and themes: 1. Political and Social Reform (1851–1914):  Political Reform: Key reforms include the Great Reform Acts (1832, 1867, 1884), which expanded the electorate and shifted political power. The Chartist Movement and growing demands for universal male suffrage laid the groundwork for these changes.  Social Reform: The rise of industrial cities led to the need for reform in working conditions, child labor, and housing. Notable reforms include the Factory Acts (1833–1901), the Education Act of 1870, and the Public Health Act of 1875, which aimed to address urban squalor and improve public welfare. IB/M/Jun24/7042/1G 3 2. The Impact of the Industrial Revolution (1851–1914):  The Industrial Revolution continued to transform Britain, with technological innovations like the steam engine, railways, and machinery driving economic growth. The shift to industrial cities led to social changes, including class divisions and the rise of trade unions advocating for workers' rights.  Key challenges included overcrowded cities, poor working conditions, and the growth of the Labour Party in the early 20th century, advocating for workers and social justice. 3. The Role of Empire (1851–1914):  The British Empire reached its peak during this period, with Britain controlling vast territories in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. However, the empire also faced challenges, including colonial resistance and the economic strain of imperial expansion. 4. World War I and its Aftermath (1914–1918):  World War I had a profound impact on Britain. The war caused significant loss of life and economic strain, leading to social unrest and a questioning of Britain’s global position. Key outcomes included the 1918 Representation of the People Act, which granted women over 30 the vote, and the rise of Labour Party as a political force. 6. World War II and Post-War Britain (1939–1945):  World War II reshaped Britain, leading to significant losses and the destruction of infrastructure. The war effort united the nation and led to the creation of the National Health Service (NHS) in 1948, a pivotal moment in the development of the welfare state.  Post-war Britain saw Labour Party reforms and the creation of the welfare state, including nationalization of key industries and the introduction of social security. 7. Post-War Social Change (1945–1964):  After WWII, Britain underwent significant social transformation. The NHS provided universal healthcare, and the welfare state expanded with policies designed to reduce poverty and inequality.  The 1960s saw cultural shifts, including the rise of youth culture, the Beatles, and the "Swinging Sixties", which challenged traditional values and norms. IB/M/Jun24/G4006/E2 IB/M/Jun24/7042/1G 7042/1G Turn over ► 4 IB/M/Jun24/7042/1G Section A Answer Question 01. Extract A As a result of the wartime experience and the unity of the Churchill coalition, the leaders of both the Labour and Conservative parties came to adopt roughly similar attitudes towards the post-war economy, embracing the mixed economy and full employment. This consensus represented a sort of halfway house between socialism and private enterprise, and showed both Labour and the Conservatives moving towards the middle ground of politics. In 1947, Sir Stafford Cripps stated that ‘the Budget is the most important instrument for influencing economic policy’. The situation was no different after 1951, when the general tone of Conservative economic policy was set by Butler, who was also influenced by Keynes’ ideas. In their basic commitment to full employment, the mixed economy and an active government role in preventing economic recession, one can detect a fundamental consensus, which was continued under Macmillan. The consensus worked well: unemployment was below 3% during the whole period 1945–64. Adapted from P Adelman, Britain: Domestic Politics 1939–64, 1994 5 10 Extract B The new Labour administration of 1945 had a clear idea of its objectives. The government embarked on a major extension of state intervention in the form of nationalisation of key industries. This element of socialist economic planning proved to be a success in many ways. The government was able to boost exports, restrain inflation and maintain full employment – achievements which eluded all subsequent governments. By contrast, in the 1950s and early 1960s, the Conservatives, anxious to keep on the right side of public opinion, promoted consumerism by relaxing credit and lowering taxes. However, annual rates of economic growth were well behind those of other western countries. The problem lay in the misuse of Keynesian methods by a succession of Conservative chancellors for political purposes. The first guilty politician in this series was RA Butler, whose 1955 pre-election giveaway boosted consumer spending, stimulated inflation and weakened the balance of payments. After the election the economy had to be dampened down – the start of what was to be a damaging stop/go pattern. Adapted from M Pugh, State and Society, 2008 5 10 3 Extract C Post-war governments had no idea of the complete rebuilding of the national transport system or the massive modernisation of industry that was needed. Major government spending was already being directed elsewhere – into housing, into the welfare state, into ways to maintain full employment. Yet building a new society was not the only wartime fantasy to distract the British from a clear vision of their true post-war priorities. Their political leaders still took it for granted that Britain stood in the first rank of nation states, and simply could not accept that British power had vanished as a result of the Second World War. Instead, they were resolved to restore Britain’s traditional world role. The pursuit of this delusion in the next quarter of a century was to cost Britain in defence expenditure up to twice as much of the national income as spent by her European industrial competitors. This defence expenditure was a dead weight on Britain’s sluggish economy and on her fragile balance of payments. Adapted from C Barnett, The Audit of War, 1986 5 10 0 1 Using your understanding of the historical context, assess how convincing the arguments in these three extracts are in relation to British economic policy in the years 1945 to 1964. [30 marks] Turn over for Section B IB/M/Jun24/7042/1G Turn over ► 6 IB/M/Jun24/7042/1G Section B Answer two questions. 0 2 ‘In the years 1851 to 1873, the quality of life of the working classes improved significantly.’ Assess the validity of this view. [25 marks] 0 3 To what extent was the emergence of the Labour Party by 1906 due to the influence of trade unionism? [25 marks] 0 4 ‘Throughout the years 1912 to 1939, British governments damaged the stability of Ireland.’ Assess the validity of this view. [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 7042/1G Component 1G Challenge and transformation: Bri