AQA-style exam questions
Answer the questions by typing your answers into the red boxes.
Assessment: Peacemaking, 1919-20
1 In January 1919, delegates from 32 countries met in Paris, to write the treaties which would end the First World War. Describe what happened at the Conference in the months leading up to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on 28 June 1919. [4]
2
Those who sign this treaty, will sign the death sentence of many millions of German men, women and children.
Count Brockdorff-Rantzau, leader of the German delegation to Versailles (15 May 1919).
In this speech, Count Brockdorff-Rantzau claimed that the Treaty of Versailles would destroy Germany and its people.
Do you agree that the Treaty was unfair to Germany?
Explain your answer by referring to the purpose of the source, as well as using its content and your knowledge. [6]
3 Historians have disagreed about the Treaty of Versailles:
· some say that it was a useless failure;
· some say that it was remarkably successful.
What is your judgement of the Treaty of Versailles?
You must refer to both sides of the argument when explaining your answer. [10]
Markscheme
1 In January 1919, delegates from 32 countries met in Paris, to write the treaties which would end the First World War. Describe what happened at the Conference in the months leading up to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on 28 June 1919. [4]
L1 / Basic generalisation, random fact or gives an example / 1L2 / Detailed* description of ONE aspect of the conference OR general statements about a number of aspects / 2-3
L3 / Detailed* description of TWO OR MORE aspects / 4
* ‘detail’ includes anything which ‘puts flesh on the bones’ – so, for example, the pupil might mention that Lloyd George healed the rift between Clemenceau and Wilson (= ‘an aspect’ of the Conference); detail here might include mention of the Fontainbleau Memorandum, or details of how he healed the rift. Again, the presence of lobby groups would be an ‘aspect’; mention of different groups and what they wanted/how they went about lobbying would constitute ‘detail’.
2
Those who sign this treaty, will sign the death sentence of many millions of German men, women and children.
Count Brockdorff-Rantzau, leader of the German delegation to Versailles (15 May 1919).
In this speech, Count Brockdorff-Rantzau claimed that the Treaty of Versailles would destroy Germany and its people.
Do you agree that the Treaty was unfair to Germany?
Explain your answer by referring to the purpose of the source, as well as using its content and your knowledge. [6]
L1 / Offers shallow/general statement only OR a learned response showing limited relation to the specific source / 1L2 / Simple explanations of why the interpretation was made OR simple comments about whether the Treaty was fair or unfair. / 2-3
L3 / EIHER explained evaluation of the provenance of the source OR developed argument about whether the Treaty was fair showing substantial contextual knowledge / 4-5
L4 / Answer uses both parts of L3 / 6
3 Historians have disagreed about the Treaty of Versailles:
· some say that it was a useless failure;
· some say that it was remarkably successful.
What is your judgement of the Treaty of Versailles?
You must refer to both sides of the argument when explaining your answer. [10]
L1 / Offers shallow/general/descriptive statement(s) only; one mark only for one side only, two marks if mentions both sides. / 1-2L2 / EITHER detailed exploration of one idea, substantially supported by facts and explanation OR shallower explorations of a number of ideas (though still including some explanation and facts). / 3-5
L3 / Structured answer addressing both sides of the argument, including one idea substantially supported by facts and explanation / 6-8
L4 / Balanced, structured answer addressing both sides of the argument, including TWO OR MORE ideas substantially supported by facts and explanation.
Answer must finish with a justified/explained judgement to earn full marks. / 9-10