Edexcel A-Level History sample questions and answers (9HI0)
Guide overview All 40 options Sample questions Papers and weighting Look inside Questions and answers
120 sample questions and answers
Taken from every option of Edexcel A-Level History, specification 9HI0. The full guide has 6,832.
Paper 1
The Crusades, c1095-1204
177 questions in the guide, across 16 subtopics. More from this option
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Religious motives for the crusades
Which eleventh-century movement strengthened papal authority and reshaped ideas of penance?
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The papal reform movement, often called the Gregorian reform after Gregory VII, which asserted papal supremacy over the Church and over lay rulers. -
The knights and the crusades
How did the Church try to redirect knightly violence before the crusades?
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Through the Peace of God, which protected non-combatants, and the Truce of God, which banned fighting on holy days; the crusade extended this by sending the violence abroad. -
Louis VII, Conrad III and the Second Crusade
What tensions arose between Louis VII and Conrad III?
Show the answer
Personal and political rivalry between the French and German courts meant the two armies marched separately, did not coordinate, and each suspected the other of seeking the greater share of glory.
Paper 1
England, 1509-1603: Authority, Nation and Religion
160 questions in the guide, across 16 subtopics. More from this option
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The Tudor monarchs
How did Henry VII's reputation differ from his son's?
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He was respected rather than loved, remembered for financial rigour and suspicion of the nobility, where Henry VIII cultivated display and chivalric splendour. -
The principal servants of the crown
Which formal advisory body did Cromwell help develop as the centre of Tudor government?
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The Privy Council. -
Catholicism and its survival
How Catholic was England in 1529?
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Overwhelmingly. Parish life, guilds, wills and church building all show strong traditional devotion, with heresy confined to small Lollard groups.
Paper 1
Britain, 1625-1701: Conflict, Revolution and Settlement
159 questions in the guide, across 16 subtopics. More from this option
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The failure of monarchical government, 1625–46
What event in January 1642 destroyed trust between Charles I and Parliament?
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His failed attempt to arrest the Five Members of the Commons in person, after which he left London. -
From restoration to revolution, 1660–88
What happened to James II in the Glorious Revolution?
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He fled to France in December 1688 after William's landing, and Parliament treated this as an abdication. -
The growth of religious nonconformity
What did Presbyterians want?
Show the answer
A national church governed by elders and assemblies rather than bishops, with a uniform discipline binding on everyone; they were not in favour of toleration for sects.
Paper 1
Britain, c1785-c1870: Democracy, Protest and Reform
158 questions in the guide, across 16 subtopics. More from this option
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The unreformed parliament and its critics, c1785–1820
What was a pocket borough?
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A constituency where a single patron controlled the choice of member, usually because the electorate was tiny and dependent on him for land or employment. -
Further parliamentary reform, 1852–70
Why did reform revive in the 1850s and 1860s?
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Prosperity made working men seem safer to enfranchise, the American Civil War and Italian unification raised political interest, and the death of Palmerston in 1865 removed a determined obstacle. -
Working conditions in factories, mines and foundries
Why were children employed in factories?
Show the answer
They were cheap, small enough to crawl under machinery, and thought more docile; pauper apprentices were supplied in numbers by parishes in the early years.
Paper 1
Russia, 1917-91: from Lenin to Yeltsin
160 questions in the guide, across 16 subtopics. More from this option
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Establishing Communist Party control, 1917–24
What did the 1921 Party Congress ban to strengthen central control?
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Factions within the Communist Party (the resolution 'On Party Unity'). -
Government, 1953–85
Who was Alexei Kosygin?
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Soviet Premier from 1964 to 1980, who shared power with Brezhnev in the collective leadership and sponsored the limited economic reform of 1965. -
Industry and agriculture in the Stalin era
What was Gosplan?
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The State Planning Committee, set up in 1921, which drew up the output targets of the Five-Year Plans and allocated resources across the economy.
Paper 1
In Search of the American Dream: the Usa, c1917-96
161 questions in the guide, across 16 subtopics. More from this option
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A changing presidency
Why did Republicanism collapse after 1929?
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Hoover's reluctance to use federal power against the Depression made the party appear indifferent to suffering, and the Democrats held the presidency for the next twenty years. -
The impact of war on domestic politics
Why did the USA reject the League of Nations?
Show the answer
The Senate refused to ratify the Treaty of Versailles, fearing Article X would commit America to foreign wars without congressional consent, and Wilson would not compromise. -
Black American civil rights, c1955–80
What was the significance of the Montgomery Bus Boycott?
Show the answer
It lasted a year, ended segregation on the city's buses, showed the power of mass non-violent action, and made Martin Luther King a national figure.
Paper 1
Germany and West Germany, 1918-89
159 questions in the guide, across 16 subtopics. More from this option
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Creation and collapse of the Weimar Republic, 1918–33
What was the German Revolution of 1918-19?
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The naval mutiny at Kiel spread into workers' and soldiers' councils across Germany, forcing the Kaiser's abdication and the proclamation of a republic in November 1918. -
Return to democratic government, 1945–89
What was the Red Army Faction (Baader-Meinhof group)?
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A far-left terrorist group that carried out kidnappings and killings in West Germany in the 1970s. -
Controlling the people, 1918–89
What was the role of the Gestapo?
Show the answer
The secret state police investigated political opposition and could impose protective custody without trial, relying heavily on denunciations from ordinary citizens.
Paper 1
Britain Transformed, 1918-97
158 questions in the guide, across 16 subtopics. More from this option
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A changing political landscape
Why did the Liberal Party decline after 1918?
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The Asquith-Lloyd George split, the extension of the franchise to working men and women, the rise of a class-based Labour vote, and the loss of its Nonconformist and Irish bases. -
Change and challenge in the workplace
What new industries grew in the 1930s?
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Motor vehicles, electrical goods, chemicals and light engineering, mostly in the Midlands and the south east, serving a domestic consumer market. -
Public health and the National Health Service
What were the founding principles of the NHS?
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Comprehensive, universal and free at the point of use, funded from general taxation rather than insurance contributions.
Paper 2
Anglo-Saxon England and the Anglo-Norman Kingdom, c1053-1106
163 questions in the guide, across 16 subtopics. More from this option
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Monarchy and government
What were the great earldoms of late Anglo-Saxon England?
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Wessex, Mercia, Northumbria and East Anglia, held by a handful of families whose power could rival the king's, above all the house of Godwin. -
The house of Godwin
Which of Harold's brothers held the earldom of Northumbria until 1065?
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Tostig Godwinson. -
William of Normandy’s invasion
What was William's military experience before 1066?
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Twenty years of warfare in Normandy and its borders, surviving rebellion as a minor and winning at Val-es-Dunes and Varaville, and conquering Maine in 1063.
Paper 2
England and the Angevin Empire in the Reign of Henry Ii, 1154-89
160 questions in the guide, across 16 subtopics. More from this option
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England and the Angevin Empire in 1154
Which royal dynasty did Henry II found in England?
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The Plantagenet (Angevin) dynasty. -
Wales, Scotland and Ireland
What was Henry II's policy in Wales?
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After costly failures in 1157 and 1165 he abandoned conquest for diplomacy, recognising Welsh princes such as Rhys ap Gruffydd as clients in return for homage. -
Central institutions
Who was Ranulf de Glanville?
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Justiciar from 1180 and the reputed author of the legal treatise bearing his name, which recorded the writs and procedures of the new common law.
Paper 2
Luther and the German Reformation, c1515-55
160 questions in the guide, across 16 subtopics. More from this option
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The Holy Roman Empire
What assembly of princes and cities advised and negotiated with the Emperor?
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The Imperial Diet (Reichstag). -
The German Catholic Church
What was the condition of the parish clergy?
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Often poorly educated and poorly paid, many non-resident or holding several benefices, and widely criticised for concubinage and for charging fees. -
The influences on Luther’s views
How did Luther's monastic experience shape his theology?
Show the answer
His scrupulous confession and inability to feel forgiven convinced him that human effort could never satisfy God's righteousness, driving him towards justification by faith.
Paper 2
The Dutch Revolt, c1563-1609
160 questions in the guide, across 16 subtopics. More from this option
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The Habsburg Netherlands
What were the privileges of the provinces?
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Charters guaranteeing that taxes required consent, that natives held office, and that subjects could be tried only under local law, which Philip's policies appeared to breach. -
Opposition of the Dutch grandees
By what nickname were the petitioning nobles and rebels known?
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The 'Beggars' (Gueux / Geuzen). -
Alva’s rule
Which hardline Spanish commander did Philip II send to the Netherlands in 1567?
Show the answer
The Duke of Alva (Alba).
Paper 2
France in Revolution, 1774-99
157 questions in the guide, across 16 subtopics. More from this option
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The ancien régime and its challenges in 1774
What were the parlements?
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Thirteen sovereign law courts, above all that of Paris, which registered royal edicts and could remonstrate against them, giving them a veto in practice. -
The failings of Louis XVI and his ministers
What were Louis XVI's personal failings as a ruler?
Show the answer
Indecision, a tendency to appoint and then abandon reforming ministers, and a preference for hunting and locksmithing over the business of government. -
Attempts to create a constitution, 1789–91
What was the Civil Constitution of the Clergy (1790)?
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A law reorganising the Church, making clergy elected, salaried state officials and requiring an oath of loyalty, which split the clergy.
Paper 2
Russia in Revolution, 1894-1924
158 questions in the guide, across 16 subtopics. More from this option
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The nature of autocratic rule
What did autocracy mean in law?
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The Fundamental Laws described the Tsar as an autocratic and unlimited monarch whom God commanded all to obey, so there was no constitutional check on his will. -
The 1905 Revolution
Why did Russia go to war with Japan in 1904?
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Rivalry over Manchuria and Korea, and a belief, associated with Plehve, that a short victorious war would rally the country behind the regime. -
Change and continuity in government
What role did the State Council play after 1906?
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It became the upper chamber, half appointed by the Tsar and half elected by bodies such as the nobility, and could veto legislation passed by the Duma.
Paper 2
The Unification of Italy, c1830-70
160 questions in the guide, across 16 subtopics. More from this option
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Challenges to the restored order, 1830–1847
How was Italy organised after the Congress of Vienna in 1815?
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It was divided into separate states, with Austria dominant in the north (Lombardy and Venetia) and influential elsewhere; critics called Italy 'a geographical expression'. -
Revolutions of 1848–49
How did the revolutions begin in Italy?
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With the Sicilian rising in January 1848 and the grant of constitutions in Naples, Tuscany, Piedmont and the Papal States, followed by risings in Milan and Venice in March. -
Legacy of the 1848–49 revolutions
Why did Victor Emmanuel II keep the constitution?
Show the answer
Partly from a sense of honour to his father's grant, and partly because Radetzky's moderate peace terms did not require its abolition.
Paper 2
The Unification of Germany, c1840-71
158 questions in the guide, across 16 subtopics. More from this option
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The political situation in the 1840s
How did Austria dominate the Confederation?
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It held the permanent presidency, controlled the Diet's agenda, and used Metternich's system of censorship and the Carlsbad Decrees to suppress nationalism. -
Short-term causes of revolution, 1846–48
What did the middle-class nationalists want in 1847-48?
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A national parliament, a written constitution, freedom of press and assembly, trial by jury, and a united German state with a single market. -
The Frankfurt Parliament, 1848–49
Why did Frederick William IV refuse the imperial crown in 1849?
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He would not accept a crown offered by an elected assembly (a 'crown from the gutter') rather than by fellow princes, and feared Austria.
Paper 2
Mao’s China, 1949-76
158 questions in the guide, across 16 subtopics. More from this option
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China in 1949
What was the state of Chinese agriculture in 1949?
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Overwhelmingly small-scale and dominated by landlords and rich peasants; roughly 80 per cent of the population farmed, many as tenants paying high rents. -
Defeating the CCP’s opponents
What was the Hundred Flowers campaign of 1957?
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An invitation to criticise the party, followed by a crackdown on the critics. -
Early changes in agriculture, 1949–57
How was land redistributed?
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Roughly 43 per cent of China's cultivated land was transferred to some 300 million peasants, which fulfilled the promise on which the CCP's rural support rested.
Paper 2
The German Democratic Republic, 1949-90
159 questions in the guide, across 16 subtopics. More from this option
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The post-war division of Germany
How was the SED created?
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By the forced merger of the Communist Party with the Social Democrats in the Soviet zone in 1946, which many Social Democrats resisted and some were imprisoned for opposing. -
Economic developments, 1949–61
How did the GDR economy differ from the Federal Republic's?
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Central planning, state ownership of industry, no Marshall aid, heavy reparations, and the loss of the industrial west, so it started from a far weaker base. -
Economic situation after 1961
How successful was the New Economic System?
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Growth improved markedly in the mid-1960s, but the reforms threatened the party's control of the economy and were curtailed after 1968.
Paper 2
India, c1914-48: the Road to Independence
160 questions in the guide, across 16 subtopics. More from this option
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India in 1914
How was such a small administration able to rule India?
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By working through Indian subordinates, the princes and the landholding elites, by dividing communities, and by the ultimate sanction of the Indian Army. -
Effects of war on British rule
What did the 1917 Montagu Declaration promise?
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Gradual development towards responsible self-government within the Empire. -
Gandhi and civil disobedience, 1920–22
What was Gandhi's method of protest?
Show the answer
Non-violent civil disobedience (satyagraha).
Paper 2
South Africa, 1948-94: from Apartheid State to ‘Rainbow Nation’
160 questions in the guide, across 16 subtopics. More from this option
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Life in South Africa c1948
How did the Second World War change South African society?
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Wartime industry drew hundreds of thousands of Africans into the cities, where they took skilled jobs and organised in unions, alarming white workers. -
Codifying and implementing apartheid, 1948–59
What laws controlled the movement of Black South Africans?
Show the answer
The pass laws. -
Resistance and government reaction, 1960-61
What was the 1956 women's march?
Show the answer
Some 20,000 women of all races marched on the Union Buildings against extending passes to women, a landmark of non-violent protest.
Paper 2
The Rise and Fall of Fascism in Italy, c1911-46
156 questions in the guide, across 16 subtopics. More from this option
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Italy in the early twentieth century
What economic problems faced Italy?
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Late industrialisation confined to the north west, chronic rural poverty, illiteracy, a weak internal market and dependence on imported coal. -
Growing instability, 1912–14
What was the outcome of the Libyan war?
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Italy won Libya and the Dodecanese, but the campaign proved longer and costlier than expected and resistance continued for years. -
Challenges to the Liberal State
What was the 'mutilated victory'?
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The nationalist grievance that Italy had gained little from the war despite its heavy sacrifices.
Paper 2
Spain, 1930-78: Republicanism, Francoism and the Re-Establishment of Democracy
156 questions in the guide, across 16 subtopics. More from this option
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Spain, 1930–31
What was the Primo de Rivera dictatorship?
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The military regime of 1923-30, initially popular for restoring order and building infrastructure, which collapsed under debt and lost army support. -
Years of reaction, 1933–36
Why did the right win the 1933 elections?
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The left was divided and the anarchists abstained, while Catholics and conservatives organised effectively in CEDA under a system that rewarded coalitions. -
Spain at the outbreak of war July–August 1936
Who led the Nationalists at the start?
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A junta of generals, complicated by Sanjurjo's death in a plane crash and Jose Antonio's imprisonment and execution, which cleared Franco's path.
Paper 2
The Usa, c1920-55: Boom, Bust and Recovery
155 questions in the guide, across 16 subtopics. More from this option
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The economic boom of the 1920s
What was mass production and who pioneered it?
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The moving assembly line, developed by Ford, which cut the time to build a Model T from twelve hours to about ninety minutes and made cars affordable. -
Changes in American society in the 1920s
How did immigration policy change in the 1920s?
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Quota laws in 1921 and 1924 sharply restricted immigration, favouring northern and western Europeans. -
The spread of the depression, 1929–32
What happened to the banks?
Show the answer
Around 9,000 banks failed between 1930 and 1933, wiping out the savings of millions of depositors and destroying credit.
Paper 2
The Usa, 1955-92: Conformity and Challenge
159 questions in the guide, across 16 subtopics. More from this option
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Urbanisation and affluence
What was the Interstate Highway Act?
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Eisenhower's 1956 programme to build 41,000 miles of highway, the largest public works project in American history, which enabled suburban commuting. -
The civil rights movement
What were White Citizens' Councils?
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Southern groups that resisted desegregation through economic and political pressure. -
Civil rights: Malcolm X and Black Power
What were King's later campaigns?
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Selma in 1965 for voting rights, and northern campaigns such as Chicago on housing and poverty.
Paper 3
Lancastrians, Yorkists and Henry Vii, 1399-1509
191 questions in the guide, across 19 subtopics. More from this option
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Major landowners and the governing of the kingdom
What is patronage?
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The distribution of offices, land and favours to secure loyalty. -
Royal income, 1399–1509
What court was used to try nobles who defied royal justice?
Show the answer
The Court of Star Chamber. -
The crisis of 1399
How did Bolingbroke take the throne?
Show the answer
He landed at Ravenspur in 1399 claiming only his inheritance, gathered support as Richard campaigned in Ireland, and took the crown when Richard surrendered.
Paper 3
Rebellion and Disorder Under the Tudors, 1485-1603
190 questions in the guide, across 19 subtopics. More from this option
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Government and administration, 1485–1603
Which minister reformed central government in the 1530s?
Show the answer
Thomas Cromwell. -
Involving the localities in governance, 1485–1603
Who were the crown's chief local governors in the shires?
Show the answer
Justices of the Peace. -
Henry Tudor’s hold on the throne, 1485–87
Why was the Earl of Warwick a threat?
Show the answer
As Clarence's son he was the leading male Yorkist claimant, so Henry kept him in the Tower from 1485 and executed him in 1499.
Paper 3
The Golden Age of Spain, 1474-1598
190 questions in the guide, across 19 subtopics. More from this option
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Spanish power in Italy and the Mediterranean
What was the outcome of the Italian Wars for Spain?
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Spain won Naples by 1504 and Milan by 1535, and the Peace of Cateau-Cambresis in 1559 confirmed Spanish dominance in Italy for a century and a half. -
The Spanish army and navy, 1474-1598
Who was Gonzalo de Cordoba?
Show the answer
The Great Captain, who reorganised Spanish infantry and defeated the French in Italy at Cerignola and Garigliano, laying the foundation of Spanish military supremacy. -
Jews and conversos in fifteenth-century Spain
What happened in the pogroms of 1391?
Show the answer
Widespread massacres and forced conversions across Castile and Aragon destroyed many communities and created the large converso population.
Paper 3
The Witch Craze in Britain, Europe and North America, c1580-c1750
190 questions in the guide, across 19 subtopics. More from this option
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The existence and growth of scepticism, c1580–c1750
What was the Bury St Edmunds trial of 1662?
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A trial at which Sir Thomas Browne testified for the prosecution and two women were hanged; it was later cited both as precedent and as a warning. -
Making sense of the universe and its impact, c1580–c1750
Why is Kepler's defence of his mother significant?
Show the answer
It shows old and new ideas coexisting in the same mind, and how a leading astronomer's family could still be caught by village accusation. -
The origins of the persecution
Why did the king's stormy crossing from Denmark matter?
Show the answer
Storms delayed his bride Anne and then his own return in 1590, and since Denmark was already prosecuting witches for the storms, the idea was carried to Scotland.
Paper 3
Industrialisation and Social Change in Britain, 1759-1928: Forging a New Society
189 questions in the guide, across 19 subtopics. More from this option
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Reasons for changes to working patterns and conditions
Who was Titus Salt and what did he build?
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A Bradford textile manufacturer who built the model village of Saltaire, moving his alpaca and worsted workers out of the polluted town into better housing. -
Changes to children’s lives, 1759–1928
What was the purpose of the Agricultural Gangs Act of 1867?
Show the answer
It regulated the use of agricultural gang labour, banning the employment of children under eight in gangs and licensing gangmasters. -
The development of Wedgwood china
What role did Sarah Wedgwood play?
Show the answer
As Josiah's wife she supported the business and household; her dowry also helped fund his enterprises.
Paper 3
Poverty, Public Health and the State in Britain, c1780-1939
187 questions in the guide, across 19 subtopics. More from this option
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The impetus for change, c1780–1939
How did advances in technology aid public health?
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Improvements in engineering, glazed pipes, pumps and filtration made large-scale clean water supply and proper drainage and sewerage possible. -
Central government and local initiatives in public health
What was the role of medical officers of health?
Show the answer
Local officials responsible for monitoring disease, sanitation and living conditions and advising on public health measures. -
The organisation of the parish-based relief system
How did the Elizabethan Poor Law operate?
Show the answer
Each parish levied a rate administered by overseers, relieving the impotent poor, setting the able-bodied to work and apprenticing pauper children.
Paper 3
Britain: Losing and Gaining an Empire, 1763-1914
188 questions in the guide, across 19 subtopics. More from this option
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Changing patterns of trade, 1763-1914
What was the effect of the 1807 abolition of the slave trade on trade patterns?
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It ended British participation in the slave trade and pushed merchants and the navy towards other commerce, including 'legitimate' trade with Africa. -
The changing Royal Navy, 1763-1914
What was the significance of the attack on Algiers in 1816?
Show the answer
A British-led bombardment forced the Barbary rulers to release Christian captives and curb piracy in the Mediterranean. -
Tensions between colonists and the British, 1770–75
Why did Britain tax the American colonies after 1763?
Show the answer
The Seven Years War had doubled the national debt, and the colonies were thought to owe a share of the cost of their own defence.
Paper 3
The British Experience of Warfare, c1790-1918
187 questions in the guide, across 19 subtopics. More from this option
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The military and reasons for changes 1790-1918
How did the navy change in size after 1815?
Show the answer
With peace, many ships were decommissioned and the navy was greatly reduced from its wartime strength. -
Changing weaponry 1790-1918
What role did the Vickers machine gun play in 1914–18?
Show the answer
It was a reliable, rapid-firing weapon that gave defenders devastating firepower on the Western Front. -
Facing the French threat on land
What tactics did Wellington use against the French column?
Show the answer
The two-deep line on a reverse slope, which brought every musket to bear and broke the attacking column with volleys before a bayonet charge.
Paper 3
Protest, Agitation and Parliamentary Reform in Britain, c1780-1928
184 questions in the guide, across 19 subtopics. More from this option
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Changes in the franchise, c1780–1928
What did the 1918 Representation of the People Act do?
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It gave the vote to all men over 21 and to women over 30 who met a property qualification, tripling the electorate to about 21 million; women voted for the first time. -
The influence of the crown and aristocracy
What triggered the Parliament Act 1911?
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The Lords' rejection of Lloyd George's 1909 'People's Budget'. -
Aims, tactics and impact of extra-parliamentary protest
What were the Six Acts of 1819?
Show the answer
Repressive laws passed after Peterloo that restricted public meetings, taxed the cheap radical press, banned drilling, and speeded up trials.
Paper 3
Ireland and the Union, c1774-1923
185 questions in the guide, across 19 subtopics. More from this option
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Agitation and rebellion, c1774–c1870
What was the Tithe War?
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Widespread resistance in the 1830s to paying tithes to the Protestant Church of Ireland, eased by the Tithe Commutation Act 1838. -
Evolving government policies c1774–1922
What happened to Home Rule bills before 1914?
Show the answer
Gladstone's 1886 bill was defeated in the Commons and his 1893 bill rejected by the Lords; Asquith's 1912–14 bill passed but was suspended for the war. -
The Penal Laws and the Catholic Relief Acts
How did the Penal Laws affect Catholic landholding?
Show the answer
Catholic ownership fell from around 14 per cent in 1703 to about 5 per cent by 1778, since estates had to be divided among all sons unless one conformed.
Paper 3
The Changing Nature of Warfare, 1859-1991: Perception and Reality
186 questions in the guide, across 19 subtopics. More from this option
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Changes in the reporting of war, 1859-1991
What was distinctive about reporting the First Gulf War in 1991?
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Satellite television (notably CNN) gave near-instantaneous live coverage, but the military tightly controlled access through press pools. -
Official attempts to shape public perception
What was the impact of Roosevelt's broadcast after Pearl Harbor in 1941?
Show the answer
His 'date which will live in infamy' speech rallied the American public firmly behind war with Japan. -
Railways and steam boats in moving armies
How did railways change strategy?
Show the answer
They allowed larger armies to be concentrated faster, made mobilisation timetables the core of war planning, and tied strategy to fixed lines.
Paper 3
Germany, 1871-1990: United, Divided and Reunited
187 questions in the guide, across 19 subtopics. More from this option
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Changes in class structure and prosperity, 1871–1990
How fast did the urban working class grow after 1871?
Show the answer
Germany's population rose from 41 to 68 million by 1914 while the share in agriculture fell below a third, so industrial towns absorbed the increase. -
Strength in manufacturing and agriculture's slow decline, 1871–1990
What natural advantages did German industry have?
Show the answer
Ruhr and Silesian coal, iron ore, a large domestic market after the Zollverein and unification, and navigable rivers linked by canals. -
Impact of the new Germany's constitution
Why was the constitution described as an unfinished building?
Show the answer
Because it combined universal male suffrage with a government not responsible to parliament, so its democratic and authoritarian elements were never reconciled.
Paper 3
The Making of Modern Russia, 1855-1991
188 questions in the guide, across 19 subtopics. More from this option
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Changes in government policy, 1855-1991
What was the New Economic Policy (NEP), introduced in 1921?
Show the answer
It let peasants sell surplus grain on the open market after paying a fixed tax in kind, replacing forced grain requisitioning. -
Reform, innovation and productivity, 1861–1991
What was 'maize mania'?
Show the answer
Khrushchev's campaign to grow maize (corn) widely across the USSR, often in unsuitable climates, which largely failed. -
The Crimean War and army reform
Why was defeat in the Crimea such a shock?
Show the answer
Russia had seen itself as the gendarme of Europe since 1815, so losing on its own soil to an expeditionary force forced a reappraisal of the whole system.
Paper 3
The Making of Modern China, 1860-1997
190 questions in the guide, across 19 subtopics. More from this option
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Improved communications and the application of western technologies, 1860–1997
How extensive was China's railway network by 1911?
Show the answer
About 9,000 kilometres, much of it foreign-built and foreign-controlled, concentrated in the north east and along foreign spheres of influence. -
Ideas and ideologies promoting change, 1860-1997
What economic model inspired China's early 1950s industrialisation?
Show the answer
Soviet Marxism and its cult of heavy industry, adopted in the First Five-Year Plan. -
The Treaty of Tianjin, 1860
Why was the treaty not ratified until 1860?
Show the answer
Qing forces resisted the exchange of ratifications at the Dagu forts, so an Anglo-French expedition marched on Beijing and imposed the Convention of Peking.
Paper 3
Civil Rights and Race Relations in the Usa, 1850-2009
189 questions in the guide, across 19 subtopics. More from this option
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The changing geographical distribution of black Americans, 1850–2009
Where did black Americans live in 1850?
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Overwhelmingly in the South, where around 3.2 million were enslaved and about 250,000 were free, with small free communities in northern cities. -
Literature and perceptions of race relations
Why was Uncle Tom's Cabin so influential?
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It sold 300,000 copies in a year, put the human cost of slavery before a mass northern readership, and Lincoln reputedly called Stowe the little woman who started the war. -
The Thirteenth Amendment and its importance
What was the Emancipation Proclamation?
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Lincoln's 1863 order freeing slaves in the rebelling states, which turned the war into a war against slavery and allowed black enlistment in the Union army.
Paper 3
Mass Media and Social Change in Britain, 1882-2004
180 questions in the guide, across 19 subtopics. More from this option
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Changes to women’s personal lives, 1882–2004
What became available from 1961 that gave women more control over fertility?
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The contraceptive pill. -
Change and continuity in leisure, 1882–2004
What was home entertainment like in 1882?
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The piano, parlour games, reading aloud and music hall outings; commercial mass entertainment in the home did not yet exist. -
Beaverbrook and Northcliffe
What was Northcliffe's stance during the First World War?
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He pressed for compulsory service and attacked the running of the war, notably over the shortage of shells.
Edexcel A-Level History Active Recall Guide
The other 6,712 questions, with the answers printed after each section.