Higher History

Question Skills Booklet

Essays

Most of Higher History is about writing essays.

In your final exam, you will write two essays, one each in the British and German sections.

Exam essays are worth 20 marks each.

You will also write a 30-mark essay for your Added Value Assignment task.

So, 70 out of your final 90 marks for Higher History will come from writing essays.

All Higher History essays should be written in the same way.

Be aware that Higher History essays will NOT be structured in the same way as

essays in other Higher subjects.

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Introductions (Historical Context)

All introductions must SEAF

S – Explain the situation in relation to the question at the start of the period you are writing about.

E – Explain the situation in relation to the question at the end of the period you are writing about. There should be a clear contrast between these two situations (e.g. Nazis tiny>Nazis biggest party in Reichstag, women unenfranchised> all women had the vote)

A – Outline your argument. Refer to the question clearly.

F– Outline the factors you are going to write about in the rest of your essay.

A particularly good introduction should also return to the argument at the end, to indicate the line of argument clearly, especially if you are disagreeing with the isolated factor as being most important. The marker must know which factor was most important/set of reforms was most successful by the end of your intro.

NB – No KU marks are awarded for facts in the intro.

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To what extent was the granting of the right to vote to women due to their role during the First World War?’

In 1850 women were unenfranchised and excluded politically; (Start) but, by 1918 most women over 30 could vote and, by 1928, all women over 21 were enfranchised, on equal terms with men. (End) There is no doubt that the role played by women during the First World War contributed greatly to the enfranchisement of women. (Argument) However, there were several other factors which led to the granting of the right to vote to women. The impact of the war went far beyond the role played by women; and the contribution of women’s suffrage movements – namely the N.U.W.S.S. and the W.S.P.U. cannot be ignored. (Factors) Clearly, it was the campaign of the Suffragettes that proved to be the pivotal factor in the enfranchisement of women in 1918. (Line of Argument)

The wording of the question should appear in your introduction and has been underlined here. If you “echo the language” of the question, you are showing the marker that you are answering the specific question asked and signposting where your essay is going.

Now you try:

How important was the leadership of Hitler in the rise of the Nazis to power in Germany by 1933?

How successful were the Liberal reforms of 1906 – 1914 in meeting the needs of the British people?

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Conclusions

Isolated Factor Essays(Essays that ask you to evaluate the importance

of factors in relation to WHY something happened)

• Write a sentence for each factor, summing up why that factor was important as well as why it was a

less/more important factor. (Support/dismiss)• Do this in reverse order i.e. from least to most

important.• Finish with an overall assessment that relates directly back to the question and makes clear why

your chosen factor is the most important when compared with the others. Your judgement must fully support the line of argument you set up in

your introduction.• Include a supporting quote if you can.

How much/how successful…? essays(Essays that ask you how much progress had

been made/how successful or effective something was)

• Sum up all the positives and negatives for EACH FACTOR/set of reforms

• Give each factor/set of reforms an individual sentence for this process.

• Finish with a well-supported judgement about which problem was most effectively dealt with/set

of reforms made the most progress.• Include a quote if you can.

NB – No KU marks are awarded for facts included in the conclusion.

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To what extent was the granting of the right to vote to women due to their role during the First World War?’

There are many reasons why women won the right to vote in 1918. The changing social and economic status of women was a necessary precursor to the political change which followed, although it alone made little practical difference. The First World War was indeed a catalyst for the extension of the franchise to women. The contribution of women in all areas of employment undoubtedly won hearts and minds for the cause of women’s suffrage; but to say that women were granted the vote solely because of their role during the First World War is simplistic, as many female contributors to the war effort remained unenfranchised until 1928. Attempts had been made to enfranchise women before the war and it seems likely that had the war not intervened, women would have been enfranchised sooner. It was the campaigns of the women’s suffrage groups which put, and kept, the issue on the political agenda and, arguably, the case for votes for women had been won before the war. What the war did do, though, was to make it easier for the government to grant women the vote. As AJP Taylor said, ‘War smoothed the way for democracy, it is one of the few things to be said in its favour’.

The wording of the question must appear in your conclusion and has been underlined here.

Now you try:

How important was the leadership of Hitler in the rise of the Nazis to power in Germany by 1933?

How successful were the Liberal reforms of 1906 – 1914 in meeting the needs of the British people?

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Main Paragraphs

The main paragraphs of your essay will be about each of the factors that you have identified in your introduction.

In each of your main paragraphs (about four in a timed essay) you need to have knowledge (up to 6 marks), analysis (up to 6 marks) and evaluation (up to 4 marks). These marks are for the WHOLE ESSAY, not per paragraph, but you should try to have a spread throughout your essay.

Set each of your main paragraphs out as follows:

Topic sentenceKnowledgeAnalysisKnowledgeAnalysisEvaluation

TKUAKUA+Ev

Try to make at least one of your A points in each paragraph an A+ point, if you can, because these marks are more valuable. See over the page for how to do A+.

NB The scanned marking instructions at the front of your booklet refer to the former system where there were 4 x A and 2 x A+ marks available. There is now a balance of 3 x A and 3 x A+.

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A topic sentence is a sentence, clearly stating what the paragraph is going to be about. It should include an evaluative word, stating the importance of that factor (key, crucial, notable, fundamental, supporting, main, principal ….)

For example:

The crucial reason for the rise of the Nazis was the Great Depression.

Then, you should include points of knowledge and analysis of that knowledge. Analysis is where you explain the importance of your points of knowledge in relation to the question. You could introduce your analysis by using phrases such as, ‘this was important because….’, ‘this was significant because ….’, ‘this helped to bring the Nazis to power/get women the vote …. because ….’

For example:

After the Wall Street Crash, when American loans to Germany were recalled, Germany entered a new economic crisis. By 1932, 6 million Germans were unemployed. (KU) This was important because many of these unemployed Germans voted for the Nazis, who promised ‘work and bread’. There is a direct relationship between rising unemployment and rising votes for the Nazis. (A)

You should have at least two points of knowledge and analysis in each of your paragraphs.

To achieve 6/6 for analysis, at least three of the points of analysis in your essay have to be developed analysis, or A+. A+ is when you discuss a limitation or different interpretation/perspective of that factor. So, the easiest way to achieve this is to do a +/- style of analysis point.For example:The Suffragette campaign helped women get the vote because it gained a great deal of publicity and kept the issue at the top of the political agenda, making it something that the government could not ignore. (+) However, (use “however” or “on the other hand’, “it can also be argued” or something similar, to signal that you are introducing a different point of view) much of the publicity that the Suffragettes generated was negative. The Suffragette campaign was definitely counter-productive in this respect. As Winston Churchill said about the Suffragettes, ‘their cause has marched backwards’. (-) (A+) You need BOTH the + and the – to get A+.Be careful – your A and A+points have to be consistent with your overall line of argument – don’t contradict yourself by, for example, including lots of points which undermine the importance of the factor you are arguing is the most important!!

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At the end of the paragraph, you should then have evaluation, in the form of a sub-conclusion. This sub conclusion should weigh up the importance of that factor, in relation to the question and compared to what you think is most important (return to your line of argument).

The trick is, though, not to repeat points of analysis that you have already made. You have to do more than just sum-up in your evaluation. Try also to give a balanced judgement of the factor you have just discussed ie one which compares specific aspects of the factors. You should have a new supporting point which links your point back to the line of argument. Using different vocabulary can help with this.

For example:If you were writing an essay on the rise of the Nazis and your overall line of argument was that the Great Depression was the most important factor, at the end of your paragraph on the appeal of the Nazis, your evaluation might be something like this (the bits in bold are clarifying why you’re writing what you’re writing):

Clearly, the Nazis had a wide electoral appeal by the 1930s. Many Germans found Nazi promises and policies appealing and voted for them. (Nazi policies did help them get power, so this is an important factor) However, it took the misery of the Great Depression to make Germans receptive to the Nazi message. (so the Great Depression is MORE important than the policies, because it made their policies more attractive than they had been before) Nazi policies had been the same throughout the 1920s and did not change, it was the circumstances of the Great Depression that made them appealing enough to bring the Nazis into power (supporting argument for the greater importance of the Great Depression, connecting it to your line of argument)(EV)Remember:

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Factor 1A

A+WITHIN

FACTORS

Factor 2A

A+

EV – COMPARISON BETWEEN FACTORS

Source Handling Questions:

As with N5 History, for Higher History, there are 3 types of SH questions

These types of questions will only appear in the Scottish section of your exam in the “Scotland and the

Impact of the Great War” topic. It will be the first section in the actual exam paper.

1. One ‘Evaluate the usefulness’ Question (6 marks)

Evaluate the usefulness of Source … as evidence of …

2.One Comparison Question (5 marks) Compare the views of Sources … and … about …

3.One ‘How fully’ Question (9 marks) ‘How fully does Source …. describe/explain ……

The order of the question types will vary from year to year. The three question types will be applied to three of the four issues. This means that, every year, one topic will be missed out – but you/we will never know in advance which topic will be missed out……;)

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‘Evaluate the usefulness’ Questions (6 marks)Evaluate the usefulness of Source … as evidence of …

The only difference between Higher and N5 for this type of question is that the sources will be more

complex.

This type of question will be worth 6 marks. Up to 2 marks for content (important points in the source) Up to 2 marks for omission (important points missed out) Up to 4 marks for when, purpose, author and type For every point, you must say if it makes the source more or less

useful and why .

C O W P A T !Content, Omission, When, Purpose, Author, Type

This is where it is easy to pick up 2 marks.

CONTENT USEFULQuotes X 2Pick out parts of the source that give you information that is relevant to the question.

It is ACCURATE information because……It is TYPICAL of opinions of the time and therefore….It is BALANCED and therefore…..It is DETAILED and therefore…..

The parts of the source content that you pick out will always be useful, otherwise you wouldn’t pick them!

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There will always be points that are important, which are not mentioned in the source. You should try to include two in your answer.

POINT OF OMISSION NOT SO USEFULWhat’s missed out X 2 However, the source does not mention ……’

The source misses out vital/useful/relevant information.The missed out bits (omissions) obviously make the source less useful! YOU should say what the information that is missing is! Use KNOWLEDGE! Don’t list, make sure you include specific Scottish references and keep points in separate sentences to maximise marks.

TYPE OF SOURCE USEFUL NOT SO USEFULContemporary/Primary It was written at the time

time of ….. YOU MUST SAY WHAT! Do NOT say that it is “from the time of the event…..” or “From the time of WW1”. Be SPECIFIC!

N/A

Secondary It has the benefit of HINDSIGHT (looking back with a balanced perspective) and will be able to provide a balanced account of …

N/A

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All sources have a purpose. Think about why that person said/wrote/recorded the source.Use phrases such as ‘The source was intended to” or “The purpose of the source is….” Most sources will fall into three categories for purpose:

IT WAS INTENDED TO: USEFUL NOT SO USEFUL

Describe ….. (e.g. a diary)Record ….. (e.g. a book or a newspaper)Persuade …… (e.g. a recruitment poster)

Say WHAT for the ….. bits!

… which makes the source more useful because it is more likely to

provide a balanced

account of…….…..accurately

reflects…..

... which makes the source less useful because it is more likely to provide a biased account of…...

For example:The source is the diary of a soldier who fought on the Western Front during the First World War. The purpose of the source is to record the soldier’s personal experiences of war, which makes the source more useful as it is likely to provide a balanced account of ….

Don’t assume that just because a source is biased, it is automatically less useful. For example:The source is an editorial from a Scottish newspaper from August 1914 expressing outrage at the massacres of Belgian civilians by German troops in the early weeks of the war. Its purpose is to persuade readers to enlist, which makes the source more useful because a desire to protect Belgium from German brutality was one of the reasons why so many Scots volunteered.

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TYPE OF SOURCE USEFUL NOT SO USEFULEyewitness Eyewitness to WHAT – you

must say. Be specific. Shows us how an individual or group felt about an event that was experienced or witnessed.

May be one-sided, biased, exaggerated or have gaps. Only one person’s view.

Expert Why was the author an expert? The author will be involved, knowledgeable or well-informed.If it is an historian, he or she will be well-informed and will have researched a variety of contemporary and secondary sources.

It may only be one person’s view/focus on one element of the issue. It may be exaggerated.May be one-sided or biased.

TYPE OF SOURCE USEFUL NOT SO USEFULOfficial/Government Report/Law

Official documents are usually well researched so you would expect them to be accurate.Can reflect the government’s concerns at the time.

May only give a narrow view of one place or time.Usually show no feelings.May be biased because it will give the government’s point of view.

Newspaper Shows what was happening at the time. May reflect typical views.Written to inform the public, but editorials/letters tried to persuade people to support a point of view.Gives a variety of evidence e.g. opinions, letters, and photos.

Can often be biased or exaggerated.

Letters / Diaries Not meant to be published so can give an honest/less guarded account. Shows attitudes, opinions and reflects experiences at the time.

Only one person’s views/experience.

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Speeches Given by important people who should know their facts/may be typical of ….

Can sometimes be biased, especially if the person is a politician.

Photographs Shows us what is happening at the time. Usually accurate.

Could be staged. Photographer may have been selective so they can have limited use.

Memoir/Written Recollections

A personal recollection of an experience.First-hand.

Might be from well after events.Details could have been forgotten, facts could be selective.

History book Well researched using many different primary and secondary sources, so would be accurate.Usually gives a balanced account with the benefit of hindsight

May only deal with one aspect of a topic.

Tale passed down May show traditions and feelings. May contain some valid, reliable evidence.

Stories can change as they are passed down through generations. Usually inaccurate with gaps, bias and exaggeration.

Poster They show the concerns of the time.It is a typical reflection of feelings of the time.

Posters are usually biased and often used for propaganda.

Cartoon They show the concerns of the time.It is a typical reflection of feelings of the time.

Cartoons are often exaggerated (caricatures).Cartoons are often used as propaganda.

Pamphlet/leaflet They show the concerns of the time.

They are usually biased and often used as propaganda.

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Introductory sentence which answers the questionThe source is quite useful/very useful as evidence of ……….

ContentThe source says ………………………… . This is accurate/typical information/true because I know that ……………………… which makes the source more useful.The source also says ………………………… . This is accurate/typical information /true because I know that ……………………… which makes the source more useful.

OmissionHowever the source does not mention that ………………………………………………, which makes it less useful because it omits important detail.However the source also does not mention that ………………………………………………, which makes it less useful because it omits important detail.NB Don’t just write a list of what’s missed out!

WhenThe source was written in ……………………….. making it a contemporary source. It was produced at the time when …………………………………, which makes the source more useful.ORmaking it secondary. This means that it was written some time afterwards, with the benefit of hindsight, which makes the source more useful.

Purpose18

The source was written to inform/record/persuade (all sources will fit into one of these three categories) about ……….. (SAY WHAT). This makes it more useful because it provides a balanced/detailed account/less useful because it provides a biased/limited account.

AuthorThe source was written by ……………………… this is useful/not so useful because ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. (See the table above for author)

TypeThe source is a ………………………………………. This makes it more/less useful because ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… (See the table above for type)

NB Remember to assess each source individually and word your answer accordingly.

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Evaluate the usefulness of Source A as evidence of the reasons for why so many Scots volunteered in 1914 and 1915.

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Source A published by the Parliamentary Recruiting Committee as Poster No. 19, World War One, November 1914.

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The source is quite useful as evidence of the reasons why so many Scots volunteered in 1914 and 1915. The caption of the poster reads ‘Remember Belgium’. This is a reference to the main reason for the British declaration of war and one of the main reasons why so many Scots enlisted in the first few days of the war, the German invasion of Belgium in 1914. This makes the information in the poster accurate and therefore more useful. √ (C)In the background of the poster a burning house and a fleeing family can be seen. This is a reference to the so-called ‘Belgian Atrocities’, which were an important reason for Scots enlisting. This makes the source accurate and more useful. √ (C)However, the source does not mention several important pieces of information about why so many Scots enlisted in 1914 and 1915, limiting its usefulness. The source does not mention that many Scots were encouraged to enlist because they had pride in their local regiments, such as the King’s Own Scottish Borderers or the Royal Scots. Many of these were kilted regiments, which also built on the Scots’ sense of pride. √ (O)The source also does not mention that many Scots enlisted because there was a genuine belief that the war would be ‘over by Christmas’ and that those who did not enlist quickly would miss out on the adventure. Many young Scots had never travelled beyond their village or town and enlistment provided an exciting opportunity to travel. √ (O)This poster was produced by the British Government in November 1914, just three months after the German invasion of Belgium in August 1914 and the British declaration of war on the 4th of August. It is therefore contemporary with the British declaration of war and feverish recruitment, which makes it more useful. √ (W)

This poster, as a piece of propaganda, is clearly designed to create moral outrage over German actions in Belgium and persuade men to enlist. Outrage about the invasion of Belgium and the breaking of the Treaty of

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London was an important reason for men enlisting, which makes the source more useful. √ (P)The committee responsible for the poster was the Parliamentary Recruiting Committee. It is therefore official government propaganda and therefore is more useful. √ (A)The source is a recruitment poster, typical of recruitment propaganda used on a large scale during the First World War, because until 1916, enlistment was voluntary, and so posters were published targeting men and using the concerns of the time to encourage them to join up, making it more useful. √ (T)

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Now you try:

Source A from the diary of Private Thomas McCall, Cameron Highlanders describing the attack at Loos, September, 1915.

The soldier lying next to me gave a shout, saying, “My God! I’m done for”. His mate next to him asked where he was shot. He drew himself back and lifted his wounded pal’s kilt, then gave a laugh, saying, “Jock, ye’ll no die. Yer only shot through the fleshy part of the leg!” We moved on towards the village of Loos,where machine guns were raking the streets and bayonet-fighting was going on with Jerry (slang for Germans). Prisoners were being marshalled in batches to be sent under guard down the line. I came to a little restaurant. By the noise going on inside I thought they were killing pigs. I went inside and opened adoor where blood was running out from underneath. I saw some Highlanders busy, having it out with Jerry with the bayonet.

Evaluate the usefulness of Source A as evidence of the experience of the Scots on the Western Front. (2011)

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Source A from The Glasgow Herald, 29th October 1915.

The first attempt to put into force the eviction notices which have been issued against Glasgow tenants who are participating in the “Rent Strikes” was made yesterday afternoon in Merryland Street, Govan. The householder is a woman who has not been making her rent payments. As has been the custom since the beginning of the movement against increased rents, a demonstration of the “strikers” was held at the time when the eviction notice became operative. While Mrs Barbour of the Glasgow Women’s Housing Association was addressing those who had assembled, two sheriff officers arrived and endeavoured to gain admission to the house. As soon as it was known that it was proposed to evict the tenant the demonstrators determined to resist. Most of them were women, and they attacked the officers and their assistants with pease-meal, flour and whiting. A woman was arrested on a charge of assaulting one of the officers.

Evaluate the usefulness of Source A as evidence of the impact of the war on Scottish women. (2012)

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Comparison Questions (5 marks) Compare the views of Sources … and … about …

The only difference between Higher and N5 for this type of question is that you must make developed comparisons and they are each worth one mark,

rather than two.

This type of question will be worth 5 marks One mark per developed comparison Up to two marks for an overall comparison Look for points of agreement and disagreement in each source

Overall comparison. You can do this at the start of your answer, but it makes more sense to do it at the end as a kind of mini conclusion. Source A and B agree/disagree/partly agree about……………………………………….(You need to be specific here, not just give the topic of the sources.)

Comparing points (Use this type of statement)Source A and B agree / disagree about ………………(specific element of topic)………………………………………. Source A says …………(exact quote)………………………………………. and Source B says………………………………………………….ORHowever, Source A and B agree/disagree about ………………(specific element of topic)………………….. Source A says …………………(exact quote)…………………………….. whereas Source B says……………………(exact quote)………………………………….

These are developed comparisons and worth 1 mark each.

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Compare the views of Sources A and B about conscientious objection to the war in Scotland.

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Source B is by William H Marwick, from Edinburgh, quoted in Ian MacDougall, Voices from War: Personal recollections of war in our century by Scottish men and women (1995).

I felt much in sympathy with the Union of Democratic Control and joined the Edinburgh branch. Opposition to the war at first seemed negligible. But there were those who expressed their doubts about it from the start and they and others like-minded had formed the Union of Democratic Control. It was not specifically anti-war. It included not only pacifists but some who actually served in the war. Then there were those who were definitely opposed to the war on what would be called ideological grounds. They held it was a capitalist war in which the working class had no share and no business to take part. Then there were those who objected on religious grounds. The Quakers opposed all war as being against Christianity and members of other churches took the same position. Then there were those who objected on various other grounds. So it was a very mixed lot.

Source C is by J P M Millar, from Edinburgh, quoted in Ian MacDougall, Voices from War: Personal recollections of war in our century by Scottish men and women (1995).

When the war broke out in 1914 I became convinced that socialists had no business getting involved in this struggle. I therefore became one of the miscellaneous band called conscientious objectors, of which the Quakers were the best known. When I made up my mind that I shouldn’t take part in the war I wrote to Thomas Johnston, editor of Forward and suggested that those of us who weren’t prepared to take part in the war should make preparations for the fact that the government would no doubt in time introduce conscription. He replied that he didn’t think conscription would ever be introduced in Britain. But conscription did come and one result of that was the formation of the No-Conscription Fellowship. I founded the Edinburgh branch of the Fellowship and became its secretary. Its membership consisted not only of men of military age, but of women and of men too old for military service.

Both sources agree that there were various types of people opposed to the war and conscription. Source B says that the UDC were a ‘very mixed lot’ and Source C says that the NCF consisted ‘not only of men of military age, but women and men too old for military service.’ √

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Source B describes how the UDC was ‘not specifically anti-war’ and how it even represented some who fought in the war. Source C, however, explains that the NCF was specifically opposed to conscription. Therefore, the sources disagree about the nature of opposition. √

Sources B and C also agree that the Quakers were a noted group of conscientious objectors. Source B notes that the ‘Quakers oppose war as being against Christianity’ and Source C says that the Quakers were the ‘best known of the conchies.’ √

The sources also agree that socialism was an important reason for conscientious objection in Scotland. Source B notes that ‘many believed that the war was a capitalist war in which the working class had no share’ and Source C says that ‘when war broke out in 1914 I became convinced that the socialists had no business getting involved in this struggle’. √

Overall, Sources B and C greatly agree that various groups were opposed to the war in Scotland, that the Quakers were well-known conchies and that socialists were opposed to the war. (OC1) However, they differ in that each source is about a different organisation opposed to the war and conscription, with Source B focussed on the UDC and Source C on the NCF. (OC2) √

You could use the phrase “stem, quote, quote” to help you structure your developed comparisons points.

The “stem” is the summary of the specific aspect that the sources agree/disagree about in your own words.The “quote, quote” part is where you add an exact quote from each source to support your summary. It’s important to make sure that your quotes aren’t too short – they should make sense in themselves.

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Now you try:

Source A from William Kenefick, War Resisters and Anti-Conscription in Scotland: an Independent Labour Party Perspective (1999).

Scots responded in great numbers to the call to arms at the outbreak of war in 1914 and by December 1914, 25% of the male labour force of western Scotland had signed up. However it was being reported throughout the press from as early as October that the numbers enlisting were falling slightly. It seemed, according to the editors of Forward that “the cannon fodder was rather backward in coming forward”. There was a serious side to this issue as even a slight fall in recruitment meant that the topic of conscription was raised. If matters had been left to the Scottish press the decision to introduce compulsory military service would have been a foregone conclusion. The Glasgow Herald reported in December 1914 that if voluntarism did not work then conscription was the only alternative. The Daily Record ran similar articles promoting support for conscription. Despite the National Registration Act, recruitment levels fell to around 80,000 per month by January 1916 and conscription became a reality.

Source B from Trevor Royle, The Flowers of the Forest (2007).

Within a day of the declaration of war, the recruiting office in Edinburgh’s Cockburn Street was doing brisk business and, by the end of August 20,000 recruits had been processed. In Glasgow six thousand men enlisted over the very first weekend of war and from across Scotland came news of equally high figures. However, the number of volunteers began to fall off in 1915. There were increasing concerns that compulsory military service would be introduced and anti-conscription rallies had been held in Glasgow since the end of 1915, one meeting being addressed by committed anti-war protestors Sylvia Pankhurst and John MacLean. The National Registration Act of July 1915 required all persons to register for possible service which helped to maintain the Liberals’ belief in the voluntary principle as most Scottish Liberal MPs were opposed to conscription. The national registration scheme, however, proved to be cumbersome and unworkable and recruitment continued to fall and, though long resisted, compulsory service became inevitable resulting in the Military Service Act of 1916.

Compare the views of Sources A and B about recruitment and conscription in Scotland. (2013)

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Source A by John Jackson, Private 12768: Memoir of a Tommy (2004) writing about the Battle of Loos.

The situation at Hill 70 was serious. A third time the order was given to attack that awful hillside, but the enemy with his reserves at hand, were

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too many for us and again we fell back, truly we were holding to the motto of the regiment “A Cameron never can yield”. We numbered at this stage less than 100 and for allwe knew might be all that was left of 6th Cameron Highlanders. As the evening drew on we made a fourth and final attempt to win and hold the ridge. This time we meant to do or die. To the sound of the pipes and led by our brave old colonel, bareheaded and with no other weapon than his walking stick, we made for the top of Hill 70 through murderous rifle and machine gun fire, while shells crashed all around us. We made the top but now we were desperate for the promised reinforcements but no help could we see.

Source B by Philip Gibbs, official British wartime correspondent on the Western Front for the Daily Chronicle, writing about the Battle of Loos.

By seven-forty the two assaulting brigades of the 15th Division had left the trenches and were in the open. Shriller than the scream of shells above them was the skirl of pipes, going with them. The orders of the Scottish troops, which I saw, were to go “all out,” and to press onto Hill 70, with the absolute assurancethat all the ground they gained would be held behind them by supporting troops. With the promise of reinforcements to follow, they trudged on to Hill 70. For a time there was a kind of Bank Holiday crowd on Hill 70. The German machine gunners, knowing that the redoubt on the crest was still held by their men, initially dared not fire. Then the quiet of Hill 70 was broken by the beginning of a new bombardment from German guns. “Dig in,” said the officers. “We must hold on at all costs until the reinforcements come up.” None came and they were forced to withdraw.

Compare the views of Sources A and B about the experience of the Scots on the Western Front. (2012) 5

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‘How fully’ Questions (9 marks)‘How fully does Source …. describe/explain ……

The only difference between Higher and N5 for this type of question is that it is worth more marks.

This type of question will be worth 9 marks. You must make a judgement about whether the source fully

explains the issue or not. Up to 3 marks for what the source DOES say. Up to 7 marks for what the source DOES NOT say. Each point must be separately explained in terms of the question–

DO NOT LIST.

Introductory sentence which answers the question – in other words, makes a judgement about whether the source fully explains the issue or not. Without this, you will get a maximum of two marks.This source does not fully explain ………. (This will always be the answer. A source of a few lines will not fully explain anything!)

Select the relevant points that are in the source. Explain them in terms of the question, without adding any extra knowledge.The source mentions that ……….. (Again, don’t write a list! Separate sentences are more likely to earn more marks.)DO THIS 3 TIMES

Then explain the points that are NOT in the source, but are relevant to the question. Every point you make should have a specific point of Scottish reference. Take a new paragraph to do this section.

The source does not mention ………… DO NOT LIST. Use separate sentences.DO THIS up to 7 TIMES

You are aiming for 9 marks – a mixture of source and recall points.

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Source A is from ‘Scotland and the Great War’ by John Kerr.

War hysteria played a part in recruitment. Many Scots believed the stories of atrocities in Belgium and joined up to save civilisation or just to punish the Germans. In the Highlands, old clan loyalties and fighting traditions were used as recruiting levers. In the lowlands, football loyalties became a target for recruitment. The recruitment campaign in Edinburgh was given a huge boost when thirteen Hearts players signed up. For some recruits, joining the army might not have been entirely voluntary. Fear of unemployment may have played as big a part as patriotism. Recruitment from the East Lothian coalfields, which had been hit by a collapse of trade, was as high as 36 per cent.

How fully does Source A describe the reasons why so many Scots volunteered to fight in the Great War?

9

Source A does not fully explain the reasons why so many Scots volunteered to fight in the Great War.(Judgement)The source does mention several reasons for Scots enlisting. It explains that many Scots believed the stories of the Belgian atrocities, that many Scots had a desire to punish the Germans for these atrocities and that they joined up to ‘save civilisation’. √ (S) Kerr also refers to one of the most famous reasons for Scots enlisting the example of sporting heroes, such as McCrae’s Battalion, and the boost that was given to recruitment in Edinburgh when thirteen Hearts players signed up. √ (S) Finally, the source explains that volunteering was often an alternative to unemployment, for example, for men who had lost jobs in the East Lothian coal fields. √ (S)

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However, the source omits many important details. For example, although the source mentions that the recruitment campaign in Edinburgh was boosted by the enlistment of the Hearts players, it does not mention that 600 supporters followed the team to the Haymarket recruiting station and enlisted on the same day. √ (R) The source also does not mention that there was some rivalry between Glasgow and Edinburgh when it came to recruitment and that this increased the number of volunteers. Glasgow in the end raised more new battalions, for example the 16th Highland Light Infantry, which was also known as the Glasgow Boys’ Brigade Battalion. √ (R) The source mentions that volunteering was an alternative to unemployment, but it does not mention that volunteering was even an alternative to a prison sentence for a minor offence and that the prison population of Scotland’s four main cities dropped from 1914 – 1915. √ (R) The source also does not mention that enlisting and taking the ‘King’s Shilling’ meant a basic wage of at least 7s per week, which, for example, was double the wage of a Scottish apprentice joiner at the time. √ (R) The source mentions the Belgian Atrocities, but it does not mention the 1839 Treaty of London, in which Britain promised to protect Belgium’s neutrality. Many Scots enlisted to do just that – defend Belgium after the Germans had invaded in 1914. √ (R) Lastly, the source fails to mention any of the wartime propaganda used by the British government to encourage men to enlist. Many of the recruitment propaganda posters targeted Scots, for example, the one calling on young Scots to ‘Line up, boys’. This poster’s portrayal of young, smiling, kilted Scottish soldiers would have encouraged many Scots to volunteer. √ (R)

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Now you try:

Source C A diary entry from Private Moir of the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders: Loos, September 29, 1915.

We were relieved on Sunday morning, after holding our own against the Germans’ repeated counterattacks, but we were not out an hour when the lot that came in, lost one of the trenches that we had taken. On Monday, we had another charge and got the trench back before coming out of the trenches yesterday with about 70 or 80 of us surviving, out of the 1100 originals, “the pride of Scotland”.Sir John French came along just as we were leaving our old billets and he gave us a few words of praise. He told us he was proud to meet us, and congratulated us on our fine work. He told us we had done what Camerons liked to do, and what they always did; he never knew the Camerons to fail in anything they had ever put their hands to, and we, it seemed, were no exception to the rule. That was why he chose Camerons for his bodyguard.

How fully does Source C explain the contribution to the military effort of Scots on the Western Front? (2013) 9

Source A is from a history book.

During the four years of the war, recruitment to the armed forces from Scotland came to nearly a quarter of the adult male population, a higher percentage than any other country in the UK. Scottish forces suffered disproportionately higher losses than their English counterparts. Wartime, in particular, revolutionised the position of women in the economy, but women’s war-work, whether unskilled tasks such as shell-filling or the more skilled jobs, was intended to be temporary. In 1918, women demonstrated in Glasgow, protesting against their enforced removal from the workplace. The slaughter remained to haunt a nation. Grey granite war memorials sprang up in cities, towns and especially villages throughout the country, where lists of names often paid testimony to rural communities that were never to recapture the strength of their pre-war years.

How fully does Source A explain the impact of the war on Scottish society? (2011)

9

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