Peace and War c Exam Technique 1 Understanding the Page Layout Example Question. Assessment Criteria: show what is being tested in the question. Example Answer: the blue text gives examples of different levels of an answer. The black italicised text shows the Edexcel mark scheme used for the level. The Top Tip gives pointersThis button returns you Navigation Buttonson improving your answers.to the question menu.

Peace and War c Exam Technique 2 There are a eight rules that apply to every single exam answer. 1.Answer the actual question. This may sound obvious, but if you don’t do this, you can’t get good marks. 2.Stop and think before you start writing an answer. Planning exactly what you are writing about will help you to get the best marks. 3.Always use the words of the question at the beginning and in your answer. This will help you to focus an actually answering the set question. 4.Frequently check that you are still answering the set question how it actually asks you to. 5.Timing. Divide the minutes available by the total marks to find out how much time to spend on each answer. 6.Planning. This is essential for the 16 mark answer, as it involves writing an essay. 7.Answer the right number of questions. In this exam, you have to answer three of the six sections. They are Section 4: How did the Cold war develop? Section 5: Three Cold War crises: Berlin, Cuba and Czechoslovakia c Section 6: Why did the Cold War end? The invasion of Afghanistan (1979) to the collapse of the Soviet Union. Each section contains three questions, as listed below. Click the hyperlinks to access example answers. Question AQuestion A is compulsory. It carries 2 marks. Describe one cause of the building of the Berlin Wall. Question BQuestion B has two parts, of which you chose one to answer. It carries 6 marks. Briefly explain the key features of the Berlin Blockade. Question CQuestion C is compulsory. It carries 12 marks. Explain why relations between the USA and the Soviet Union were changed by the elections of Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. 8. Prepare thoroughly by following a planned programme of revision. What Should I Revise?What Should I Revise? Intro

Peace and War c Exam Technique 3 What should I revise? Question AQuestion A is a key features question. It carries 2 marks. Question BQuestion B is a key features question. It carries 6 marks. Possible key features topics: the Tehran, Yalta and Potsdam Conferences, Soviet control of eastern Europe after 1945, Cominform and Comecon, The Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, Bizonia, The Berlin Blockade and Airlift, NATO, the Warsaw Pact, the Hungarian Rising, the Berlin Crisis of 1961, the Cuban Missiles Crisis, the Prague Spring, SALT I, SALT II, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, SDI, INF, the collapse of Soviet control of eastern Europe, the end of the Cold War, the collapse of the Soviet Union Tip: Questions A and B are testing that you have studied the whole syllabus, so they could be on almost anything from the syllabus that you have studied. Be prepared to be able to explain about three aspects, or key features of any of these topics. Question CQuestion C is a causation and change question. It carries 12 marks. Possible causation and change topics: how relations were changed by the Tehran, Yalta and Potsdam Conferences, the Soviet Control of eastern Europe, the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall, Bizonia, the Berlin Blockade, Khrushchev and de-Stalinisation and the Hungarian Rising, the problem of Berlin and the building of the Berlin Wall, the arms race , Cuba , Dubcek and the Prague Spring, détente in the 1970s, SALT I and SALT II, Afghanistan and the collapse of détente, the elections of Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, SDI and the INF treaty, the end of the Cold War. Tip: w hen you are revising for this question remember that the examiners will be looking for you to explain causes and changes, explain how causes led to change and prioritise factors, making a case for one cause of change being more important than the others. Intro

Peace and War c Exam Technique 4 Question A The photograph below shows President Kennedy visiting the Berlin Wall on the 26 th June This question is about flashpoints in the Cold War. Describe one cause of the building of the Berlin Wall. 2 marks Target: Key features / recall of knowledge. Level One (1 mark) Simple statement(s) Example Answer The wall was built to divide the city of Berlin. In your answer to this question you have to show that you can use an historical source as a starting point for writing about key features, to show that you can remember the relevant facts. Top Tip See how this level 1 answer gives a correct fact, but because it does not explain the idea, it will be marked as level 1. No matter how many of these “simple statements” you make, you will still only earn 1 mark. Menu

Peace and War c Exam Technique 5 Question A The photograph below shows President Kennedy visiting the Berlin Wall on the 26 th June This question is about flashpoints in the Cold War. Describe one cause of the building of the Berlin Wall. 2 marks Target: Key features / recall of knowledge. Level Two (2 marks) Developed statements. (A developed statement is a simple statement with additional supporting material or explanation) Example Answer The wall was built on the orders of Khruschchev, to isolate the western sectors of Berlin. or The wall was built on the orders of Khruschchev. He built the wall to stop East Germans from escaping from the communist East to a better life in the West. or The wall was built on the orders of Khruschchev to protect the East German economy because so many skilled workers were escaping to a better life in the West by entering the Western sectors of Berlin. In your answer to this question you have to show that you can use an historical source as a starting point for writing about key features, to show that you can remember the relevant facts. Top Tip See each of the level 2 answers gives an increasingly better explanation. An explanation will earn you 2 marks. Menu

Peace and War c Exam Technique 6 Question B Briefly explain the key features of the Berlin Blockade. 6 marks Targets: Recall of knowledge and Key Features Level One (1-3 marks) Simple statements. Example Answer The Berlin Blockade was when the western sectors were cut off. One simple statement, 1 mark. The British and Americans airlifted in all that Berlin needed. Two simple statements, 2 marks. It was the first real conflict of the Cold War. Three simple statements, 3 marks. In this question the examiner will be assessing: Recall of knowledge (can you the remember relevant facts?) Key features (can you describe the main events in the order in which they happened?) Top Tip See how this level 1 answer gives a three correct facts, but because it does not explain them, it will be marked as level 1. No matter how many of these “simple statements” you make, you will still only earn 1 mark for each one, up to a total of three marks. Menu

Peace and War c Exam Technique 7 Question B Briefly explain the key features of the Berlin Blockade. 6 marks Level Two (4-6 marks) Developed statements. 1 mark per developed statement. (A developed statement is where a simple statement is supported by factual detail). Example Answer The Berlin Airlift was the first real act of the Cold War, as it showed that the USA and the USSR had become rivals. One developed statement, 4 marks. Stalin wanted to starve the British, French and Americans out of their sectors of Berlin. He did this because they were inside the Soviet sector of Germany and because the western sectors were being merged into one country on the American economic model. Two developed statements, 5 marks. During the winter of 1948 to 1949 the British and Americans flew in all of the supplies for their sectors. It was called Operation Planefare. It successfully demonstrated the resolve of the Truman Doctrine. Three developed statements, 6 marks. In this question the examiner will be assessing: Recall of knowledge (can you the remember relevant facts?) Key features (can you describe the main events in the order in which they happened?) Top Tip See how this answer gives a three correct facts. Each one that is explained will be marked as level 2. You need to explain at least three key features for the maximum six marks. Menu

Peace and War c Exam Technique 8 Question C Explain why relations between the USA and the Soviet Union were changed by the elections of Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. 12 marks Level One (1-3 marks) Simple or generalised statements of causation. (The student makes statements which lack any supporting contextual knowledge or makes unsupported generalisations.) Example Answer Things got worse when Ronald Reagan was elected President. One simple statement, 1 mark. Mikhail Gorbachev wanted to end the Cold War. Two simple statements, 2 marks. Reagan and Gorbachev managed to end the Cold War. Three simple statements, 3 marks. In this question the examiner will be assessing: Recall of knowledge (can you the remember relevant facts?) Causation (can you explain how the facts are linked together?) Menu Top Tip See how this level 1 answer gives a three correct changes, but because it does not explain them, it will be marked as level 1. No matter how many of these “simple or generalised statements” you make, you will still only earn 1 mark for each one, up to a total of three marks.

Peace and War c Exam Technique 9 Question C Explain why relations between the USA and the Soviet Union were changed by the elections of Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. 12 marks Level Two (4-9 marks) Explains why causes led to changes. ( The student supports statements with relevant contextual knowledge to show how the event led to the stated outcome.) Example Answer When he was first elected, Ronald Reagan was very anti-communist. He increased defence spending and set out to confront communism because the USA was experiencing a lack of confidence and to negotiate from a position of strength. 4-5 marks for one developed statement. Mikhail Gorbachev wanted to end the Cold War because its huge cost was causing the Soviet economy to collapse. He wanted access to American technology and offered to end the Cold War. 6-7 marks for two developed statements. When Reagan and Gorbachev met at the Geneva Summit in November 1985, they got on very well and agreed that they wanted to reduce the number of weapons, so that by 1987 many missiles, like Cruise, had been removed. 8-9 marks for three developed statements. In this question the examiner will be assessing: Recall of knowledge (can you the remember relevant facts?) Causation (can you explain how the facts are linked together?) Top Tip This level 2 answer gives a three changes and explains them in a way that shows how the events caused changes. You need to do this three times to get the maximum 9 marks. Menu

Peace and War c Exam Technique 10 Question C Explain why relations between the USA and the Soviet Union were changed by the elections of Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. 12 marks Level Three (10-12 marks) Explains how factors are interlinked or prioritises factors. ( The student supports statements with relevant contextual knowledge to show how the event led to the stated outcome.) Example Answer When Ronald Reagan was elected relations between the USA and the Soviet Union were already at a low ebb because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Ronald Reagan was very anti-communist. He increased defence spending and set out to confront communism because the USA was experiencing a lack of confidence and to negotiate from a position of strength. This made relations worse, especially as he developed the Stealth Bomber, Trident submarine missiles and deployed Cruise Missiles in Europe to counter the Soviet SS20 missiles. The announcement of the SDI, or “Star Wars” programme was a development that the Soviet economy could not match. Mikhail Gorbachev inherited severe economic problems and a falling standard of living inside the Soviet Union. The cost of funding the Cold war was more than the Soviet economy could support. He wanted to end the Cold War because its huge cost was causing the Soviet economy to collapse. He wanted access to American technology and offered to end the Cold War. By offering to end the Cold War, Gorbachev put the pressure on the USA to respond. Ronald Reagan also had good reasons to want to negotiate. The American economy was also suffering from the huge amounts of money that were being spent on the Cold War. Money could be freed up for social reform and tax cuts. When Reagan and Gorbachev met at the Geneva Summit in November 1985, they got on very well and this resulted in huge changes in relations between the Soviet Union and the United States. Both of them agreed that they wanted to reduce the number of weapons, so that by 1987 many missiles, like Cruise, had been removed marks for linking OR prioritising factors marks for linking AND prioritising factors. Top Tip The paragraphs in this answer are in the same order as the previous level 2 example. See how they now explain how relations were changed by the developments. By linking the changes together and prioritising them, the full 12 marks will be earned. Planning is essential to do well. Menu