History – 2019 World War 1 Past Paper
1. Source A is critical of the Bolsheviks during the First World War. How do you
know? Explain your answer using Source A and your contextual knowledge.
(4 marks)
Source A depicts Russia as a vulnerable woman in Russian costume being dragged towards
the German Kaiser by a Bolshevik. It appears as though Russia does not want to be ‘kissed’
by the Kaiser and is being forced to go to Germany, depicted by the Kaiser, against her will.
The cartoon is British and the title of the cartoon ‘Betrayed’ suggests that the British felt
they had been betrayed by Russia when they withdrew from the First World War. Britain
had been part of the Triple Entente, with France and Russia; therefore, Britain was upset
and felt betrayed when Russia failed to continue to support the allies. Also, it could suggest
that Germany encouraged the Bolsheviks to revolt and encourage the Russian revolution.
We see Russia presented as a victim of the Bolsheviks. The Kaiser is rubbing his hands
together and it suggests that he has achieved his plan to dominate Russia and manipulate
them into submission.
2. How useful are Sources B and C to an historian studying military technology and
tactics in the First World War? (12 marks)
Sources B and C shows that military technology and tactics evolved over the course of the
war and had to change due to the challenges of trench warfare. Source B is taken from a
British newspaper showing British soldiers advancing towards the enemy in no-man’s land
under a barrage of large guns being fired at the enemy trenches with the aim of weakening
the Germans. The picture reflects that it is the War of Attrition where each side were trying
to wear each other down. The picture is featured in a British newspaper in 1917 and
therefore, could be seen as propaganda. It does not capture the full horrors of trench
warfare. Whereas, Source C was produced by a soldier, who was a tank commander and it
was published after the war in 1918. It gives an account of the German Spring Offensive that
took place a year after Source B was published. A historian would be able to see how tanks
had improved since they were first used in 1916 at the Somme. We see in Source C that
tanks became much more effective after 1917 in the Battle of Cambrai and they began to
offer a significant boost to British morale. In 1918, we see that tanks had become faster and
we see they played a key role in later battles.
However, Source B is limited in its knowledge of military tactics because it fails to show the
demoralising effect of stalemate on the soldiers and it could be seen as a form of
propaganda to boost the morale of the British public because it has been a long and arduous
war. It fails to show the impact of poison gas and fails to depict the conditions of the
trenches. Furthermore, Source C is more reliable, since the soldier was present and
experienced the battle first-hand. But it fails to show the change in the situation in 1918.
There were improvements in technology allowing for more innovative tactics, but the tank
commander fails to show that the Germans broke through the allied lines and advanced
1. Source A is critical of the Bolsheviks during the First World War. How do you
know? Explain your answer using Source A and your contextual knowledge.
(4 marks)
Source A depicts Russia as a vulnerable woman in Russian costume being dragged towards
the German Kaiser by a Bolshevik. It appears as though Russia does not want to be ‘kissed’
by the Kaiser and is being forced to go to Germany, depicted by the Kaiser, against her will.
The cartoon is British and the title of the cartoon ‘Betrayed’ suggests that the British felt
they had been betrayed by Russia when they withdrew from the First World War. Britain
had been part of the Triple Entente, with France and Russia; therefore, Britain was upset
and felt betrayed when Russia failed to continue to support the allies. Also, it could suggest
that Germany encouraged the Bolsheviks to revolt and encourage the Russian revolution.
We see Russia presented as a victim of the Bolsheviks. The Kaiser is rubbing his hands
together and it suggests that he has achieved his plan to dominate Russia and manipulate
them into submission.
2. How useful are Sources B and C to an historian studying military technology and
tactics in the First World War? (12 marks)
Sources B and C shows that military technology and tactics evolved over the course of the
war and had to change due to the challenges of trench warfare. Source B is taken from a
British newspaper showing British soldiers advancing towards the enemy in no-man’s land
under a barrage of large guns being fired at the enemy trenches with the aim of weakening
the Germans. The picture reflects that it is the War of Attrition where each side were trying
to wear each other down. The picture is featured in a British newspaper in 1917 and
therefore, could be seen as propaganda. It does not capture the full horrors of trench
warfare. Whereas, Source C was produced by a soldier, who was a tank commander and it
was published after the war in 1918. It gives an account of the German Spring Offensive that
took place a year after Source B was published. A historian would be able to see how tanks
had improved since they were first used in 1916 at the Somme. We see in Source C that
tanks became much more effective after 1917 in the Battle of Cambrai and they began to
offer a significant boost to British morale. In 1918, we see that tanks had become faster and
we see they played a key role in later battles.
However, Source B is limited in its knowledge of military tactics because it fails to show the
demoralising effect of stalemate on the soldiers and it could be seen as a form of
propaganda to boost the morale of the British public because it has been a long and arduous
war. It fails to show the impact of poison gas and fails to depict the conditions of the
trenches. Furthermore, Source C is more reliable, since the soldier was present and
experienced the battle first-hand. But it fails to show the change in the situation in 1918.
There were improvements in technology allowing for more innovative tactics, but the tank
commander fails to show that the Germans broke through the allied lines and advanced
