History

A-Level History

Examination Board: Edexcel

The Edexcel A-level History course is designed to develop students’ understanding of how societies, governments and political systems change over time. Across the three examined units, students study very different historical periods and settings, but repeatedly encounter themes such as political instability, dictatorship, democracy, economic change, empire, war, popular support and opposition.

Students are expected not simply to know what happened, but to explain why events happened, why they mattered, how far things changed and how historians have interpreted the past differently.

Paper 1 – Germany and West Germany, 1918–1989

This unit follows Germany through one of the most dramatic periods of change experienced by any European country in the twentieth century.

Students begin with the creation of the Weimar Republic following Germany's defeat in the First World War. They investigate the political, economic and social problems faced by the new democracy, including revolution, hyperinflation and the impact of the Great Depression.

The course then examines the rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party, the establishment of dictatorship and the ways in which Nazi rule affected German society.

The final part of the course considers Germany after the Second World War, particularly the development of West Germany and the Federal Republic.

The topic therefore allows students to explore questions such as:

  • Why do democracies succeed or fail?
  • Why did support for extremist political movements increase?
  • How did the Nazis establish and maintain control?
  • How far did ordinary people's lives change under different governments?
  • How successfully did Germany recover after 1945?
  • How did German society change between 1918 and 1989?

A major feature of Paper 1 is the study of historical interpretations. Students encounter different historians' explanations of major developments and learn how to evaluate why historians may reach different conclusions.

Paper 2 – The Rise and Fall of Fascism in Italy, c1911–1946

This unit examines how Italy moved from a troubled parliamentary democracy to a fascist dictatorship under Benito Mussolini, before the eventual collapse of fascism during the Second World War.

Students begin by investigating Italy before Mussolini, including the weaknesses of the Italian political system, the growth of socialism and nationalism, and the impact of Italy's participation in the First World War.

They then study the emergence of Mussolini and the Fascist movement and consider why Fascism was able to gain support.

The establishment of dictatorship provides an opportunity to examine how Mussolini attempted to transform Italy politically, economically and socially.

Students also consider areas such as:

  • Mussolini's consolidation of power
  • propaganda and control
  • the relationship between Fascism and the Catholic Church
  • economic policies
  • Fascist attempts to influence young people and women
  • opposition to Fascism
  • Italian foreign policy and imperial ambitions
  • Italy's relationship with Nazi Germany
  • Italy's experience during the Second World War
  • the collapse of Mussolini and the Fascist regime

At its heart, the topic asks students to consider how and why dictatorships emerge and how successfully they control the societies they govern.

The unit also develops students' ability to analyse primary historical sources, judging their usefulness in relation to their content, provenance and historical context.

Paper 3 – Britain: Losing and Gaining an Empire, 1763–1914

Paper 3 moves away from twentieth-century European dictatorship and examines the dramatic transformation of the British Empire during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

The course begins in 1763, when Britain emerged victorious from the Seven Years' War with a greatly expanded empire.

Students then examine the crisis that led to the loss of Britain's American colonies and consider why Britain nevertheless went on to construct an even larger global empire.

The course explores Britain's relationships with different parts of its empire and the motivations behind imperial expansion.

Major themes include:

  • the loss of the American colonies
  • Britain's changing imperial ambitions
  • the growth of British influence in India
  • the role of trade and economic interests
  • the Royal Navy
  • migration and settlement
  • imperial expansion in Africa
  • relations between Britain and indigenous populations
  • attitudes towards empire
  • the changing nature of British imperial policy

Students are encouraged to recognise that the British Empire was not a single uniform experience. Different colonies were acquired for different reasons and governed in different ways.

The unit therefore raises broader historical questions about power, economics, race, migration, warfare and Britain's relationship with the wider world.

Paper 3 requires students to combine breadth and depth knowledge with source analysis, making it arguably the most synoptic of the examined papers.

How the Edexcel A-level History course is assessed

The examined A-level is divided into three examination papers, alongside the separately completed coursework component.

Component

Topic

Time

Marks

A-level weighting

Paper 1

Germany and West Germany, 1918–89

2 hours 15 minutes

60

30%

Paper 2

The rise and fall of fascism in Italy, c1911–46

1 hour 30 minutes

40

20%

Paper 3

Britain: losing and gaining an empire, 1763–1914

2 hours 15 minutes

60

30%

Coursework

Historical enquiry

—

40

20%

Total examination time: 6 hours

Examined assessment: 80%

Coursework: 20%

Key Contact: Curriculum Leader - Mr M Young (myo@slougheton.com)