2025 AQA A-LEVEL HISTORY Component 2C The Reformation
in Europe, c1500–1564 Question Paper & Mark Scheme
(Merged) Friday 6 June 2025 [VERIFIED]
A-level
HISTORY
Component 2C The Reformation in Europe, c1500–1564
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
7042/2C.
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/Jun25/G4001/E4 7042/2C
, 2
Section A
Answer Question 01.
Source A
From ‘A statement of the Magdeburg Pastors Concerning Resistance’, by
Nicholas Gallus, 1550. Gallus was a Lutheran pastor in Magdeburg when it was attacked
by Catholic forces, 1550–51.
We will show that a Christian government should defend its subjects against a higher
authority which tries to compel the people to deny God’s word.
We do not expect to convince the Catholics that subjects may resist their lord and a lower
power may resist a higher one if it seeks to uproot the Christian religion. The Catholics
do not admit that we are Christians and consequently think they have the right to wage 5
war upon us.
We address ourselves to the Emperor and beg him not to let the Pope persecute us, as
the Pope’s followers do. Even if Your Majesty will not concede that Lutherans are
Christian, he still should not threaten anyone with force as the Catholics do. Obedience
to God, and to the Emperor, is not incompatible, provided each stays within his sphere. 10
We will show from Holy Scripture that if a higher power undertakes by force to eliminate
the true teaching of the Gospel then we may defend ourselves.
Source B
From The Peace of Augsburg, 1555.
In order to bring peace to the Holy Empire of the Germanic Nation.
Let neither his Imperial Majesty nor the electors and princes, do any violence or harm to
any part of the Empire on account of the Augsburg Confession of 1530.
Let the electors and princes enjoy their religious belief, worship and ceremonies as well
as their land and other privileges in peace. Complete religious peace shall be obtained 5
by Christian means of friendship, or under threat of punishment.
Likewise, the Lutheran states of the Augsburg Confession shall let all the states and
princes who cling to the old religion live in absolute peace.
However, all such as do not belong to the two above mentioned religions shall not be
included in the present peace but be totally excluded. 10
Where an archbishop, bishop or other priest of our old religion shall abandon the same,
his church position, together with any income and revenue which he has previously
enjoyed, shall be abandoned by him without any objection or delay.
IB/M/Jun25/7042/2C
, 3
Source C
From Charles V’s Abdication Speech to the nobles of the Netherlands, Brussels, 1556.
Charles handed over control of the Netherlands to his son Philip and asked the nobles for
forgiveness.
When I last came to Germany in 1552, I had no ambition to rule so many kingdoms but
merely sought to safeguard Christianity against the Turks and to extend the Christian
religion.
Despite these objectives, I was unable to achieve them as I wished, on account of the
troubles raised by the heretics of Luther and others in Germany and on account of 5
serious war which the hostility and envy of neighbouring princes had caused.
Nothing I have experienced has given me so much pain as parting from you today
without leaving behind the peace and quiet I desired.
When I last went to Germany, I intended to abdicate but could not when I saw the
wretched condition of the Christian state. It was therefore my duty to risk my life for the 10
safety of Christianity.
This is the fourth time I go to Spain, where I will yield to my son Philip, the possession of
all my states, and to my brother, the king of the Romans, the Empire.
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 religious problems in
the Holy Roman Empire in the years 1550 to 1556.
[30 marks]
Turn over for Section B
IB/M/Jun25/7042/2C Turn over ►
in Europe, c1500–1564 Question Paper & Mark Scheme
(Merged) Friday 6 June 2025 [VERIFIED]
A-level
HISTORY
Component 2C The Reformation in Europe, c1500–1564
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
7042/2C.
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/Jun25/G4001/E4 7042/2C
, 2
Section A
Answer Question 01.
Source A
From ‘A statement of the Magdeburg Pastors Concerning Resistance’, by
Nicholas Gallus, 1550. Gallus was a Lutheran pastor in Magdeburg when it was attacked
by Catholic forces, 1550–51.
We will show that a Christian government should defend its subjects against a higher
authority which tries to compel the people to deny God’s word.
We do not expect to convince the Catholics that subjects may resist their lord and a lower
power may resist a higher one if it seeks to uproot the Christian religion. The Catholics
do not admit that we are Christians and consequently think they have the right to wage 5
war upon us.
We address ourselves to the Emperor and beg him not to let the Pope persecute us, as
the Pope’s followers do. Even if Your Majesty will not concede that Lutherans are
Christian, he still should not threaten anyone with force as the Catholics do. Obedience
to God, and to the Emperor, is not incompatible, provided each stays within his sphere. 10
We will show from Holy Scripture that if a higher power undertakes by force to eliminate
the true teaching of the Gospel then we may defend ourselves.
Source B
From The Peace of Augsburg, 1555.
In order to bring peace to the Holy Empire of the Germanic Nation.
Let neither his Imperial Majesty nor the electors and princes, do any violence or harm to
any part of the Empire on account of the Augsburg Confession of 1530.
Let the electors and princes enjoy their religious belief, worship and ceremonies as well
as their land and other privileges in peace. Complete religious peace shall be obtained 5
by Christian means of friendship, or under threat of punishment.
Likewise, the Lutheran states of the Augsburg Confession shall let all the states and
princes who cling to the old religion live in absolute peace.
However, all such as do not belong to the two above mentioned religions shall not be
included in the present peace but be totally excluded. 10
Where an archbishop, bishop or other priest of our old religion shall abandon the same,
his church position, together with any income and revenue which he has previously
enjoyed, shall be abandoned by him without any objection or delay.
IB/M/Jun25/7042/2C
, 3
Source C
From Charles V’s Abdication Speech to the nobles of the Netherlands, Brussels, 1556.
Charles handed over control of the Netherlands to his son Philip and asked the nobles for
forgiveness.
When I last came to Germany in 1552, I had no ambition to rule so many kingdoms but
merely sought to safeguard Christianity against the Turks and to extend the Christian
religion.
Despite these objectives, I was unable to achieve them as I wished, on account of the
troubles raised by the heretics of Luther and others in Germany and on account of 5
serious war which the hostility and envy of neighbouring princes had caused.
Nothing I have experienced has given me so much pain as parting from you today
without leaving behind the peace and quiet I desired.
When I last went to Germany, I intended to abdicate but could not when I saw the
wretched condition of the Christian state. It was therefore my duty to risk my life for the 10
safety of Christianity.
This is the fourth time I go to Spain, where I will yield to my son Philip, the possession of
all my states, and to my brother, the king of the Romans, the Empire.
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 religious problems in
the Holy Roman Empire in the years 1550 to 1556.
[30 marks]
Turn over for Section B
IB/M/Jun25/7042/2C Turn over ►
