edexcel a level history coursework model answers cold war

A Level History Coursework Edexcel – A Guide

• Post author By admin
• Post date November 16, 2023
• No Comments on A Level History Coursework Edexcel – A Guide

This guide shows you how to plan, research and write A Level History coursework for Edexcel using ideas, resources, examples and structure. This coursework is weighted towards Assessment Objective Three (AO3) 15% and Assessment Objective One (AO1) 5%. This makes it substantially different from coursework assessed under AQA or OCR. For Edexcel coursework, the focus is on differing interpretations of the past and analysis of them, alongside your own view of the events.

A Level History Coursework Edexcel – Ideas, Examples and Resources

Question Format – The question that you decide to answer for the Edexcel Coursework will always use the following template.

• Historians have disagreed about [ the chosen question, problem or issue ].
• What is your view about [ the chosen question, problem or issue ]?

Thus, we can see that there are two parts to this coursework:

• Part 1 – dealing with the historian’s viewpoints which is (AO3) and worth 15%
• Part 2 – your own viewpoint which is (A01) and worth 5%  

Question Ideas, Example and Selection

There are two key points to consider when selecting a question, problem or issue for your coursework.

• Is there enough debate around this question? – There needs to be a scholarly debate around the question or issue. This means differing views on the question from different historians. This makes it easier to select appropriate works to analyse and compare.
• Can you access the appropriate resources? – You must use a minimum of three different key works as well as two supplementary works. Your three key works should hold opposing views about the question or issue. Let’s look at an example question to make this clear:

Historians have disagreed about the extent to which by 1924 the Russian people had exchanged one authoritarian regime for another. What is your view about the extent to which by 1924 the Russian people had exchanged one authoritarian regime for another?

• View 1 – Tsarist Rule was more authoritarian. (C. Hill argues this)
• View 2 – Bolshevik rule was more authoritarian. (R. Service argues this)
• View 3 – The regimes were equally authoritarian. (R. Pipes argues this)

This is the ideal example of having three viewpoints that would be spread across the historiographical spectrum. This helps us to engage with the historical debate and hit the following criteria for the coursework:

• analyse ways in which interpretations of the question or issue differ.
• explain the differences you have identified.
• evaluate the arguments, indicating which you found most persuasive and why.

You would then add to this a minimum of two supplementary works, (more is better) that would assist in helping you form your view and add weight to your analysis and arguments. Critically, you must be able to access all these resources to use them effectively in completing the coursework.  

Coursework Resources

• Library – school, local, college, university – you should be able to borrow appropriate works.
• Teacher – your teacher should be able to provide you with copies of appropriate resources to use.
• JSTOR – www.jstor.org – contains a large collection of journal articles from historical publications covering numerous topics. These will often engage in the historical debate by replying to opposing views.
• Purchase Books – many second-hand books are available to purchase at very cheap prices through Amazon or similar sites.

A Level History Coursework Edexcel – How to Research and Write

Researching the Coursework – When researching our coursework we use the resource record form, which acts as a bibliography to the books, articles and online resources we are using. As we go through these resources we want to make notes that help us to identify the overall argument of the historian. Key quotes or passages should be noted down, alongside a reference. If we then use this material in our write up, we can add the appropriate footnote.

Writing the Coursework – When writing our coursework we need to be aware of the total word count as well as making sure that we hit all the assessment criteria. This means dividing up the 4000 words (maximum word count) effectively between the assessment criteria. An example structure to implement this is shown in the next section.

A Level History Coursework Edexcel – Structure and Planning

First section – introduction to the overall question and key works (c. 1000 words).

Introduction to the overall topic. You need to put the question into context by providing relevant information regarding what was happening at the time. You then need to define any key terms in the question.

Example from our question above – authoritarian regime would be defined as ‘a regime in which power is highly centralised and maintained regardless of popular support, with the use of repression and violence’.

Finally, you need to set out valid criteria by which the question can be judged.

Example from our question and definition above – we need to compare the Tsarist regime to the Bolshevik regime in terms of:

• Centralisation of power .
• Power maintained despite lacking popular support.
• Power maintained through repression and violence.

You should now have a complete introduction to the topic (1 paragraph)

Introduction to the debate by placing each of the key works in the historiographical debate. You can also place your supplementary works on the historiographical line here. (1 paragraph)

Set out the arguments in extended detail from the three key works. What are the historians’ views on this question? (1 paragraph)

Show how the arguments from each of the key works differ or are like one another. (1 paragraph)

Summary of the views of the key works. (1 paragraph)

Second Section – Explaining why the key works differ from one another (c. 1000 words)

Introduction – You need to set out three valid criteria to explain why the key works differ. Why is it that the historians’ arguments differ? There are several different potential criteria that could be used here: When was the work written? What sources and evidence did they use? Have they defined the key terms of the question differently? Have they defined the criteria to answer the question differently? Do they have different scopes of enquiry? What is the purpose of the work? What is the historians background and view?

Example from our question – The historians have defined the key term to answer the question differently – C. Hill has focused on authoritarian being defined as lacking popular support. R. Service is more focused on authoritarian being defined through repression. R. Pipes is mostly focused on authoritarian being defined as a centralisation of power.  

The historians have defined the key term ‘authoritarian’ differently. (1 paragraph)    

Paragraphs – This is where you use the criteria set out from the introduction to this section. You want one paragraph per item of criteria that we are judging the key works on.

Example from our question – one paragraph regarding how the historians have defined the key term ‘authoritarian’ differently.

Then you need to consider the three works in terms of the criteria set out for that paragraph. Show why there are differences in the key works regarding that criteria and how that leads the historian to arrive at their interpretation. Use evidence to support your points. (3 paragraphs – 1 for each criterion)

Conclusion – Brief conclusion that offers a summary of why the key works are different. (1 paragraph)

Third Section – Your own viewpoint on the question (c. 1000 words)

Brief introduction of your own viewpoint and line of argument that will be taken, remembering to re-instate the criteria by which the question can be judged . (1 paragraph)

Paragraphs that set out your own view on the question. This is where you should be using the criteria set out in your introductions. You want one paragraph per item of criteria.

Example from our question – one paragraph regarding ‘centralisation of power’.

Then you need to bring evidence and analysis to assess the criteria being judged. You can also use the key works and the supplementary works in this section to help you. (3 paragraphs – 1 for each criterion)

Conclusion that reaches a judgement on the question and follows your line of argument that has flowed throughout. (1 paragraph)

Fourth Section – Evaluation and Judgement of the key works and of the question (c. 1000 words)

Go through each of the key works and make a judgement on how convincing and valid the arguments from the historians are compared to the criteria. (3 paragraphs – 1 for each key work)

Form an overall judgement on the question and an overall judgement on which of the key works is most convincing. These should broadly align together. (1 paragraph)   

How To Improve Further at A Level History

Pass A Level History – is our sister site, which shows you step by step, how to most effectively answer any A Level History extract, source or essay question. Please click the following link to visit the site and get access to your free preview lesson. www.passalevelhistory.co.uk

Previous and Next Blog Posts

Previous – A Level History Essay Structure – A Guide passhistoryexams.co.uk/a-level-history-essay-structure/

Next – A Level History Coursework AQA – A Guide passhistoryexams.co.uk/a-level-history-coursework-aqa/

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Edexcel A Level History Past Papers

A complete collection of edexcel a level history past papers. perfect for preparation for upcoming exams. can be used at home for individual learning or within a classroom environment..

It’s time to start preparing for your exams and it’s never been easier with School History. We’ve got hundreds of past papers that are easy to use, come with mark schemes, and are specifically tailored to each specific examination board, so you can get the most from your revision time and enter your examination feeling confident and fully prepared.

Why use past exam papers?

The answer is simple: preparedness. As a A Level student, exams become an important part of your assessment criteria and preparation for A-levels. The use and importance of past papers, therefore, cannot be over-emphasised.

Fill in the blanks

Using past papers are an effective way to establish your strengths and weaknesses so you know where to focus your revision time. Don’t spend hours on a topic you’re familiar with while neglecting an area that needs more time and effort to familiarise yourself with.

Learn effective time management

Proper time management can quite literally mean the difference between passing and failing an exam, even if you know everything that’s required to pass. Your revision time and using past papers is an excellent way to start practicing how to properly manage the time in the exam setting. You’ll be given different styles of questions with different mark allocations, so it’s important to know what’s expected of you and how much time to dedicate to each question, whether its a multiple-choice question, short answer or an essay.

Walk into your exam with confidence

With proper preparation, it’s possible to walk into and out of your exam feeling confident. Confidence is key to performing well as doubt and anxiety can cloud your judgment and affect your ability to think clearly and make the proper decisions. Past papers are the most effective way to familiarise yourself with important terminology, vocabulary, and styles of questions so that you have a solid understanding of what is expected of you to excel in each and every style of question.

Get to know your questions

Remember, some questions will be assessing your knowledge and understanding of key features and characteristics of a period studied, others will require you to explain and analyse historic events, others will require you to compare and contrast source material and contextualise it in the historic environment, while thematic studies will require you to demonstrate knowledge clearly over centuries while following a particular theme. All of these questions require you to substantiate your answers using facts.

All these questions will be awarded marks in levels, i.e. basic, simple, developed and complex, and short answers and essay questions will also have marks awarded for spelling and grammar. By practicing with past papers you’ll have access to mark schemes, which examiners use to evaluate your responses and you’ll quickly learn how to achieve the most marks while striking the right balance with time management.

Where do I find past papers? Right here, of course! School History has hundreds of examination-style questions to help you practice for your history exams. By signing up, you’ll not only have access to past papers but thousands of resources related to what you’re studying, including notes, activities, quiz questions and more. Let’s dive in! Take a look below at the major examination boards we cover. Give yourself every advantage to excel in your exams and sign up today!

a level history - edexcel cold war coursework

Quick reply, related discussions.

• History a level course help !!
• How can I get a 9 in GCSE history?
• Edexcel GCSE HISTORY PAPER 2 (1HI0 2A-2W) - 4th JUNE [Exam Chat]
• A-level History Study Group 2023-2024
• Past papers
• History Coursework
• Quizlet flashcards
• Considering History GCSE or A Level? Read our FAQ here!
• What is Edexcel GCSE History like? And what was it like having it after Gcses?🙂
• I hate a-level history
• gcse predictions
• Edexcel HISTORY Cold war AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE P1 Year 10
• A-level History Study Group 2022-2023
• How to revise for history?
• Igcse edexcel history regional paper predictions
• 2024 gcse predictions
• WJEC GCSE History 2018-19
• mauufey v a-levels gyg 2024 🌺🍵
• GCSE History Study Group 2023-2024

Last reply 6 minutes ago

Last reply 22 minutes ago

Last reply 2 days ago

Last reply 4 days ago

Last reply 1 week ago

Last reply 2 weeks ago

Last reply 3 weeks ago

Posted 1 month ago

Last reply 1 month ago

Last reply 3 months ago

Articles for you

Students react after GCSE History Paper 2 on 7 June 2023

Will artificial intelligence put legal graduates out of work?

Why industry placements are so important for business students

You don’t need to take a law conversion course for the SQE… but here’s why you should

GCSE History Cold War Revision Tips

about 1 month ago

• 1 . Overview of the Cold War
• 2 . Key Events, Dates and People in the Cold War
• 3 . Causes of the Cold War
• 4 . Cold War Alliances
• 5 . Conflicts, Tensions and Proxy Wars
• 6 . End of the Cold War
• 7 . Summary of the Cold War’s Key Moments
• 8 . How to Approach GCSE Cold War Revision

Around 100 000 students in the UK study the Cold War period at GCSE history. From my experience as the Head of GCSE History, the Cold War is one of the most popular, yet one of the most challenging periods of history for students. This guide will give you an overview of the Cold War and how to revise this topic to achieve GCSE exam success.

Overview of the Cold War

The Cold War was a period of tension from 1945 to 1991 between the USA and the USSR (or the Soviet Union). Armed conflict is often called a “hot war”. The name “Cold War” comes from the fact that the USA and the USSR never directly fought each other . Instead, the USA and USSR attacked each other through propaganda and threats of violence.

Key Events, Dates and People in the Cold War

Memorising key events, dates and people is important in your history GCSE Cold War revision. You could use the table below to create flashcards or a timeline of the key moments of the Cold War.

Causes of the Cold War

The main issue between the USA and the USSR was their different approaches to how to run a country:

The USSR believed in an idea called Communism . Communism is an ideology based on the idea that all property is owned by the state to ensure that everyone has a fair share

The USA believed in capitalism . Capitalism is an ideology based on the idea that  everyone is free to own property and businesses to make money 

The Cold War saw the USA and USSR fight for decades about which ideology was the best. 

At the Yalta Peace Conference , Britain, the USA and the USSR decided to divide Germany into four separate zones. At the Potsdam Conference, the USA wanted Berlin to also be divided into four zones. Arguments began as Stalin felt that the USSR deserved to govern the whole of Berlin as it fell within his zone of Germany. By this stage, the USSR had soldiers across Eastern Europe. The USA believed, in response to Stalin’s actions, the Long Telegram and the Iron Curtain Speech , that the USSR wanted the whole of Europe to be communist. The USA felt that it was its responsibility to “contain” the spread of communism and stand up against the USSR.

Stalin had reasons to distrust the USA. In August 1945, the USA and the USSR were allies. However, without consulting the USSR, Truman authorised the use of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. Truman wanted to end the USA’s conflict with Japan and show the USSR how strong the USA was. Stalin saw the use of atomic bombs by the USA as a threat to the safety of the East and the USSR. This began an arms race and the Cold War.

Cold War Alliances

In your GCSE history Cold War revision, remember that the conflict divided the world into two different sides:

Capitalist countries that supported the USA

Communist countries (or communist-controlled countries) that supported the USSR

The USA created NATO , or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, in April 1949. This was in response to the growing tension between East and West following the end of the Second World War. NATO was a military alliance based on collective security. If one member was attacked, all members would defend it. NATO further increased tensions between the USA and the USSR:

In August 1949, the USSR successfully tested their first atomic bomb

In 1955, the Soviet Union created its own military alliance, known as the Warsaw Pact

The Warsaw Pact

The Warsaw Pact created an equivalent military alliance to NATO for communist countries. The Warsaw Pact was under the command of the USSR. Its members included the Eastern Bloc countries and built upon the work of Comecon . The Warsaw Pact confirmed the separation of Europe into two groups. The presence of two military alliances in Europe increased the likelihood of war. Both the USA and the USSR increased their military power and were ready to fight.

Conflicts, Tensions and Proxy Wars

The Cold War saw periods of significant tension between the USA and the USSR. At some points, both countries directly threatened each other. The stockpiling of nuclear weapons meant that war between the USA and the USSR could destroy the world. Some students studying the Cold War assume that there were no armed conflicts in the Cold War. The USA and the USSR sponsored groups or sometimes countries to fight a war on their behalf. This is called a proxy war. 

End of the Cold War

By 1985 , the Cold War began to de-escalate. This is because:

The USSR was close to economic collapse

Mikhail Gorbachev became the leader of the USSR and introduced two reforms :

Glasnost (Openness) which accepted that the USSR had committed atrocities such as the Hungarian Uprising

Perestroika (Restructuring) which aimed to bring some capitalism into the Soviet economy

The USA saw the Soviet Union as less of a world threat

President Reagan saw this period as an opportunity to end the Cold War through negotiations and diplomacy

The USA was economically more powerful than the USSR

Reagan knew that the US government could out-spend the USSR

The Strategic Defence Initiative (1983) was a tactic to force the USSR to either:

Collapse in an attempt to match the $30 billion defence programme

Accept defeat in the Cold War

The end of the Cold War happened in the following order:

1989–1990 – The Eastern Bloc collapsed . This included the fall of the Berlin Wall

1990 – Germany was reunified

1991 – Gorbachev resigned and Yeltsin was elected. This ended the USSR

Summary of the Cold War’s Key Moments

The Cold War was a political conflict between the USA and the USSR about whether capitalism or communism was the best way to run a country

There were two key alliances in the Cold War. The USA created NATO. The USSR formed the Warsaw Pact

There were armed conflicts in the Cold War. This was when the USA and the USSR either threatened violence or backed other countries to fight on their behalf in proxy wars

By 1985, the USSR was too weak economically to continue the Cold War. Gorbachev’s reforms showed that the USSR needed to move away from communism. The Eastern Bloc became independent countries again and Germany was reunified. The Cold War finally ended with the collapse of the USSR

How to Approach GCSE Cold War Revision

Make sure you know which events of the Cold War your exam covers:

In Superpower Relations for Edexcel GCSE History, you do not cover the Vietnam War or the Korean War

In Conflict and Tension between East and West, 1945–1972 for AQA GCSE History, you cover both the Vietnam and the Korean wars

Understand what skills your exam is testing:

In Superpower Relations for Edexcel GCSE History, the exam is testing your knowledge of consequences, narratives and the importance of events in the Cold War

In Conflict and Tension between East and West, 1945–1972 for AQA GCSE History, the exam requires you to use sources, write narratives and say how far you agree with a statement

Prepare yourself with the right skills for your exam

In Edexcel GCSE History Cold War revision, you could:

Use timelines to learn the dates of key events

Make flashcards that test you on how each event impacted Cold War tensions between the USSR and the USA

In AQA GCSE History Cold War revision, you could:

Use practice exam questions to improve your source-analysis skills

Create a flow diagram of how each event in the Cold War connects

Give yourself five minutes to plan a response to a 16-mark, “how far do you agree” question

For general advice on how to revise, have a look at my top tips on How to revise for History GCSE .

Sign up for articles sent directly to your inbox

Receive news, articles and guides directly from our team of experts.

Written by Zoe Wade

Zoe has worked in education for 10 years as a teaching assistant and a teacher. This has given her an in-depth perspective on how to support all learners to achieve to the best of their ability. She has been the Lead of Key Stage 4 History, showing her expertise in the Edexcel GCSE syllabus and how best to revise. Ever since she was a child, Zoe has been passionate about history. She believes now, more than ever, the study of history is vital to explaining the ever-changing world around us. Zoe’s focus is to create accessible content that breaks down key historical concepts and themes to achieve GCSE success.

Share this article

The examiner written revision resources that improve your grades 2x.

Superpower relations and the Cold War, 1941–91

Verified content.

Use expert-verified flashcards to revise for your Edexcel GCSE History Cold War exam.

1: The origins of the Cold War, 1941–58

2: cold war crises, 1958-70, 3: the end of the cold war, 1970–91, verified content.

Accurate resources save you time

SPECIFICALLY FOR THE EDEXCEL SPEC

Exactly what you need for your exam board

INDIVIDUALISED LEARNING

A study mode that works for every student

Featuring resources created by our partners and our team of Verified Educators

We worked with world-class publishers, partners and our team of Verified Educators to ensure these resources are of the highest quality.

• International
• Education Jobs
• Schools directory
• Resources Education Jobs Schools directory News Search

Edexcel History Elizabeth and Cold War Revision Session

Subject: History

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Assessment and revision

Last updated

28 May 2024

• Share through email
• Share through twitter
• Share through linkedin
• Share through facebook
• Share through pinterest

A fully resourced 3hr revision session covering Elizabeth I and Cold War. Edexcel GCSE exam board.

• Elizabeth I who’s who activity.
• Elizabeth I home and abroad timeline.
• Elizabeth I explain why sentence finishers.
• Elizabeth I spot the mistakes on a describe two features question.
• Elizabeth I poverty model 12 mark question analysis task.
• Cold War KT1, KT2 and KT3 quizzes.
• Cold War consequences scaffolded response.
• Cold War narrative scaffolded response.
• Cold War importance model answer analysis task.
• Revision checklist summary - what else needs to be revised?

Taught this May half term to a group of 40 year 11s - worked well for all abilities and they all gained something from this.

Includes powerpoint and work booklet.

Tes paid licence How can I reuse this?

Your rating is required to reflect your happiness.

It's good to leave some feedback.

Something went wrong, please try again later.

This resource hasn't been reviewed yet

To ensure quality for our reviews, only customers who have purchased this resource can review it

Report this resource to let us know if it violates our terms and conditions. Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch.

Not quite what you were looking for? Search by keyword to find the right resource: