Question 1: Study Source A. What can you learn from Source A about the early stages of the Battle of the Somme,
July 1916?
Skill: TWO supported inferences
Inferences
First day a failure
Support
Underestimated the Germans
Poorly planned
Question 2: Study Source B and use your own knowledge. What was the purpose of this illustration? Use details of
the illustration and your own knowledge to explain your answer.
Skill: Supported purpose
EXAMPLE ANSWER
Skill
Purpose
Example
Source
Knowledge
The big problem with this question is people get MESSAGE but not purpose! The message on this source is that the attacks
were successful – why would you want to show this? Remember not to question RELIABILITY HERE!
Question 3: Study Sources A, B and C. Do these sources support the view that the first day of the Somme was a
failure? Explain your answer, using the sources.
Skill: Cross referencing and evaluation
Both A and B suggest that the first day was a failure in some way. It is clear in the foreground of B that soldiers died in the
first morning and this is reflected b7y the ‘Hundreds of dead... strung out on barbed wire’ in A.
Agrees
A
B
Yes
C
Yes
Disagrees
Strong or weak?
Yes
One soldier who had witnessed
only one part of failed attack
Government propaganda
Yes
Written by Haig
Can I use this plan to write the remaining TWO paragraphs?
The sources also disagree that the first day was a complete failure...
All the sources have weaknesses when assessing the view of the first day of the Battle of the Somme...
Question 4: Study Sources D and E and use your own knowledge. How useful are Sources D and E as evidence of
the effects of a gas attack on the Western Front? Explain your answer, using Sources D and E and your own
knowledge.
Skill: Reliability/ usefulness of CONTENT and NATURE, ORIGIN and PURPOSE
Source E is useful because it suggests that a gas attack was a terrible experience for those affected by it, causing
terrible suffering. It was written by someone who served in the trenches and witnessed its effects. However, it is a poem
which uses dramatic language deliberately to exaggerate the effects of gas by someone who, due to personal experiences,
cannot write in an objective way.
D CONTENT
D NOP
Useful
As it shows the impact of a gas attack
Photographs reflect a moment in time
Produced after war had ended – no censorship
CONCLUSION:
WHICH BEST
AND WHY
My addition to...
Not
Limited to only mustard gas
Only one snapshot of one attack of gas
Only based on earlier photographs
Not sure when original photo was taken – limited in
assessing impact on Western Front = 4 years of war
Question 5: Study all the sources (A to F) and use your own knowledge. Spelling, punctuation and grammar will be
assessed in this question. ‘The heavy British casualties on the Western Front in the years 1915-17 were mainly the
result of poor leadership by the British commanders.’ How far do the sources in this paper support this
statement? Use details from the sources and your own knowledge to explain your answer.
Skill: BALANCED argument that has been evaluated
I agree that it was mainly due to the commanders and that ‘because they used outdated tactics. Source A shows
that they sent men to attack heavily defended German positions and the commanders could not ‘imagine’. However, this
was written by a British soldier who lost many friends and may want to blame the commanders. This lack of knowledge is
also shown by Haig in source C, where he claims that the attacks were ‘very successful’. It is here the poor leadership
shown by the commanders, although Haig may be covering up the disaster as he is writing to the British government and
would not want to report a failure. There si evidence that Haig pushed forward with the attack despite company
commanders warning him of the failure of the bombardment, costing the lives of some 20,000 men dead and 40,000
wounded in the first day alone.
Skill
Strong
Weak
OK
Agree with statement – Casualties caused by
leadership
C – COMMANDERS UNAWARE OF FIRST DAY
FAILURES - HAIG
A – COMMANDERS SENT INTO HEAVILY
DEFENDED AREAS – SOLDIER PERSPECTIVE
First day – 58,000 casualties.
Fighting continued for 3-4 months after despite 1st
day failure
Ignored on the ground information that said
defences not destroyed.
Disagree with Statement – Casualties not caused by
leadership / caused by something else.
D – NEW WEAPONS – BASED ON PHOTOGRAPHS
C – NEW WEAPONS – WRITTEN TO THE
GOVERNMENT
C – DEFENDS COMMANDERS - HAIG
F – DEFENDS COMMANDERS – BIOGRAOHY OF
HAIG
Machine guns 400-600 rounds. Trench warfare and
artillery.
Haig and others testing things as they went =- new
type of warfare – attrition still worked so
successful. Casualties inevitable
CONCLUSION
My addition of the paragraph DISAGREEING with the statement