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Edexcel: From kaiser to fuhrer 1900-1945, his03/d exam friday 10th june 2016

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Original post by izzy_hill
I'm so nervous for this exam - don't feel like I know the content well enough :/ I got 47/50 in coursework which has been the A* point in previous grade boundaries, and i got an A in my AS exams last year. Can anyone estimate what I would have to get in tomorrow's exam to get an A/B for my overall a level grade? I am confident for the controversy question but honestly feel like i'll screw up the 30 marker. I personally think it'll be a Weimar related question, and a question on the Final Solution. What do you guys think?


If you aren't too confident on content, just ensure that your essay writing style meets the criteria for a level 5 and you should be okay. My teacher is pretty certain it's going to be a Final Solution question but as this is the last year this will be examined it's really anyone's guess what will come up :frown:
Original post by izzy_hill
I'm so nervous for this exam - don't feel like I know the content well enough :/ I got 47/50 in coursework which has been the A* point in previous grade boundaries, and i got an A in my AS exams last year. Can anyone estimate what I would have to get in tomorrow's exam to get an A/B for my overall a level grade? I am confident for the controversy question but honestly feel like i'll screw up the 30 marker. I personally think it'll be a Weimar related question, and a question on the Final Solution. What do you guys think?


I'm in the same boat as you, same mark for the coursework and all. If our marks are similar from AS (I was on a different exam board), then you really only need a high C to get an A overall. I'm attempting to get an A* in this exam though, and i'm sure you can too. I'm hoping for a stress related epiphany in the exam.
Reply 522
Original post by izzy_hill
I'm so nervous for this exam - don't feel like I know the content well enough :/ I got 47/50 in coursework which has been the A* point in previous grade boundaries, and i got an A in my AS exams last year. Can anyone estimate what I would have to get in tomorrow's exam to get an A/B for my overall a level grade? I am confident for the controversy question but honestly feel like i'll screw up the 30 marker. I personally think it'll be a Weimar related question, and a question on the Final Solution. What do you guys think?



I got the same as you for my coursework - what UMS did you get last year? I got 194 UMS in AS which I calculated means I would need only a mid-high E in order to get an A overall so you may be similar
Original post by kerryjames48
Sorry if i sound like a complete doughnut, but when talking about the holocaust, should I use a capital H???


Wikipedia is capitalising 'Holocaust' so I guess I would too.
Original post by sixschmidt
Wikipedia is capitalising 'Holocaust' so I guess I would too.


Yeah that's what i thought but my spellcheck doesn't correct it so I wasn't too sure, thanks :smile:
Original post by eddso
I got the same as you for my coursework - what UMS did you get last year? I got 194 UMS in AS which I calculated means I would need only a mid-high E in order to get an A overall so you may be similar


I can't remember exactly! But i think it may have been a low/mid A?? thank you for getting back to me!
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by sixschmidt
I'm in the same boat as you, same mark for the coursework and all. If our marks are similar from AS (I was on a different exam board), then you really only need a high C to get an A overall. I'm attempting to get an A* in this exam though, and i'm sure you can too. I'm hoping for a stress related epiphany in the exam.


that's reassuring, thank you! :smile: i was told that i'd only need to get a C to come out with an A, so yeah i sincerely hope that helps.. this exam must be 30% right?? if coursework was 20% and AS exams make up 50%, or am i wrong there?

i feel you there, praying that it all comes flooding back from my memory when i see the question!
I'm so screwed
Original post by izzy_hill
that's reassuring, thank you! :smile: i was told that i'd only need to get a C to come out with an A, so yeah i sincerely hope that helps.. this exam must be 30% right?? if coursework was 20% and AS exams make up 50%, or am i wrong there?

i feel you there, praying that it all comes flooding back from my memory when i see the question!


Nope, you're on the money with those weightings.
Original post by izzy_hill
thanks for the advice - i may have to cut some of the ridiculous amount of knowledge i have in my notes right now. 70 pages of content vs the 3/4 pages of summaries i have for each of my controversies, it's silly really :':wink: i agree, your content doesn't actually have to be massive, a lot of it is technique/style.

My teacher is certain of final solution too :/ but that is a very good point. the stress is setting in now haha


Do you know how much you can write in an hour? I know for sure I can write ~1000 words legibly so I always aim to make any essay I write around that length. That way, I know that the knowledge I learn for that will fit into my structure and be able to be written in the time given.
Original post by sixschmidt
Do you know how much you can write in an hour? I know for sure I can write ~1000 words legibly so I always aim to make any essay I write around that length. That way, I know that the knowledge I learn for that will fit into my structure and be able to be written in the time given.


hey i got 152 ums last year and 44/50 for coursework this year, how much do i need to score to get an A overall?
Original post by kerryjames48
Sorry if i sound like a complete doughnut, but when talking about the holocaust, should I use a capital H???


Yes
Original post by grassntai
hey i got 152 ums last year and 44/50 for coursework this year, how much do i need to score to get an A overall?


216/400 so far, which means you need 104 UMS for an A. That's 59/70 in the exam.

2015 grade boundaries, could go up/down +-3 marks.
Reply 533
Original post by izzy_hill
I can't remember exactly! But i think it may have been a low/mid A?? A girl at school did tell me that I could get like a C in this exam and still probably get an A overall, and if that's the case for you but with an E then that's a little more encouraging :smile: thank you for getting back to me!


If you got 160 UMS points (which is the bare minimum to get an A at AS) you would need like 1 mark into a B

If you got 170 UMS points (which sounds closer to that which you got) you would need a mid C

180 UMS points you would need a D :smile:
Original post by AJC1997
How far do you agree with the view that the period 1924 - 1929 was one of both political stability and genuine recovery?

Grade A* answer:

The period of 1924 to 1929 did see a recovery in Germany to some extent, certainly when compared with the turmoil that came after. However, the extent to which this was genuine and stable is questionable. While in economic terms there was an overall recovery and no significant negative events, such as were seen before of afterwards with hyperinflation and the onset of the depression from 1929 onwards, this was both artificial and vulnerable in the sense it relied on overseas loans. Similarly, while the political system appeared more stable, with fewer elections being required and less of a threat from extremism, it is hard to consider this stable, with shifting coalitions and little sign that parties were maturing beyond interest groups to be capable of sustaining a successful democracy over the longer term.

In political terms there was a sense of stability, at least relative to the periods before and after. The lack of significant extra-parliamentary threat after the defeat of the Beer Hall Putsch and a dramatic reduction in political murders since 1922 must be seen to be a success. While combat leagues did develop on both sides of the political spectrum, these were marginal and of little threat to stability, with clashes between these only starting to grow from 1928 onwards. However, the absence of such negatives was not in itself a sign of real political stability, rather what Kolb described as 'relative stability'; it gave the Weimar Republic the chance to concentrate on establishing genuine democratic roots, but can only be seen as a qualified success in that it had recovered from the traumatic year of 1923.

When viewed from the perspective of the time, the experience of parliamentary democracy in the Reichstag appeared to offer a cautious optimism for the stability and potential long-term success of democracy. Extreme parties on both sides lost their share of the votes, with the KPD down 9% by 1928 from a combined communist peak of 20% in 1920 while, on the extreme right, the Nazis vote over halved in the two elections of 1924, from 6.5% in May and were not significant again until the 1930 election. However, while there was support for democratic parties, this did not translate to stable government. Proportional representation was never likely to produce single-party rule, but the deeper problem was the failure of the parties to mature to create stability within the system. Most parties still acted as interest groups, partly a legacy of the Second Reich, and were unable to act with a sufficient 'spirit of compromise' necessary to make coalitions work. Even in these relatively peaceful years, there were seven different governments in the period 1924-1930, the longest of which lasted 21 months. These issues significantly undermined political stability as the predominantly minority coalitions failed to command effective government, agreeing more on foreign policy than domestic issues, and were easily collapsed by changed in party leadership or when faced with difficult issues. While the problems they had to content with were by no means on the scale of later issues, they were by no means stable, and even before 1930, political legitimacy was being lost, particularly in the eyes of the crucial middle class.

The period did also see a recovery in economic terms, although the extent of this is questionable as it was vulnerable to external shocks and ultimately brought down with the depression. Alongside the stabilisation of the currency with the Rentenmark, the Dawes Plan of 1924 brought a more realistic settlement on the reparations and a loan of 800 million gold marks. The recovery as a result of this appeared remarkable; Stolper saw this as 'unparalleled in recent German history'. Output levels for heavy industries and coal, iron and steel equaled and in cases surpassed pre-WW1 levels. In one sense the recovery was genuine, productivity increased through improved technology and efficiency. However, although the higher wages and the generous social welfare benefits supported by the Weimar coalitions gave a sense of recovery and certainly benefited ordinary Germans, these were unsustainable - a burden on the fragile recovery struggled to bear even with the US loans it was dependent upon. Production actually declined in 1926, with declining exports and unemployment never falling below 1.3 million. Industrial disputes such as the huge lockout at the Ruhr ironworks in 1928 disrupted production and limited the competitiveness of German producers. Such problems were merely masked by the high level of foreign investment. Thus, while there were elements of a genuine recovery, the reliance upon US loans left the economy vulnerable. The weaknesses were evident before 1929 and, with US investment being withdrawn from 1928, in economic terms the recovery should not be overstated.

Increased political stability, due to the impact of Germany's rehabilitation in foreign relations, was also evident. However, as with the increased foreign investment that brought economic recovery, the permanence of this is questionable. Along with the Dawes Plan, the signing of the Locarno Treaty in 1925 saw Germany's relations with other nations rehabilitated to a considerable degree, leading to Germany joining the League of Nations in 1926. While this measures provoked anger among nationalists, Stresemann's efforts were welcomed by most, seeing the DNVP move to supporting coalition government, and produced real gains for Germany, such as financial support of the Dawes Plan and a reduction in the Rhineland occupation forces in 1927, with full withdrawal in 1929. The recovery this investment brought was undoubted, with over 25 billion marks stimulating economic output and higher wages. In cultural terms, Weimar Germany increasingly gained a reputation as a place of toleration and creativity, from Bauhaus architecture to the modernity of Neue Sachlichkeit in literature and theatre. The extent to which either of these developments constitutes a genuine recovery is a different matter. The latter was somewhat a departure of the more conservative culture of the Second Reich, but these cultural developments really highlight the division in Germany. There was a reaction against the cultural freedom among more conservative elements of German society and, while this didn't stop this being a recovery of sort, it emphasises the more fundamental divisions that were not healing during this period. Perhaps more significantly, while the domestic benefits resulting from foreign policy, both in terms of real economic gains, as well as the improved public optimism towards Germany's prospects under democratic government shown by the reduced attraction of extreme parties, was one of the greatest successes of this period, Stresemann's methods of revision through fulfilment were a work in progress. He himself felt that by 1929 this was beginning to disappoint, and certainly was not successfully embedded enough to survive more testing circumstances that came after, and thus the implications of this for Germany cannot be seen as a recovery with long-term prospects.

Thus the period of 1924-29 cannot be seen as one of political stability and genuine recovery. While a recovery of sorts did take place, with significant economic growth, this was reliant upon external support, and while this hadn't failed by 1929, the gains made were already being eroded. As far as political stability was concerned, in relative terms the period was a success. However, this was in part dependent upon a recovery in areas such as the economy and foreign policy, which were themselves fragile. Thus, while the Weimar Republic was under less threat and the functioning of government was broadly smooth, this had failed to mature in a way that would have prepared it to deal with the problems that came later, and was increasingly losing legitimacy even before 1929 and so cannot be see as a genuine recovery.


This is super helpful !!!!
Reply 535
Hi guys,

I am revising the topic of how the Weimar Republic survived it's early problems atm.

One of the factors I have in my notes is due to the support of the elite, and I have wrote that the elite didn't like change and there was still higher ranking people in the constitution. By this, would the higher ranks mean that for example, the president was ranked higher then the Chancellor?

Thanks!!!

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Original post by sixschmidt
216/400 so far, which means you need 104 UMS for an A. That's 59/70 in the exam.

2015 grade boundaries, could go up/down +-3 marks.


Hi, I got 135UMS last year which was a C.
I got 38/50 in my coursework this year which was a B.
Could you tell me what mark I would need to get in this exam to a C or a B please? thank you
You guys is anyone memorising stuff and finding that after a while you're forgetting it already. This is really stressful. Do you guys reckon it will all come back in the exam because I don't have time to go over things again and again
Original post by Annie.humair
You guys is anyone memorising stuff and finding that after a while you're forgetting it already. This is really stressful. Do you guys reckon it will all come back in the exam because I don't have time to go over things again and again


i get that too don't worry! i revise stuff, then try to recall it like half an hour later and find i can't recall properly :/ tbh i do believe you can retrieve lots of info that you think you don't know in the exam. it's getting muddled/hard to remember because we don't know what we're going to get so we're trying to remember everything, once we look at our questions and know what sections we need to recall, it'll probably come back. if you know key factors, your memory can probably retrieve the rest!!
Hey guys, does anyone have an essay or a plan for morale in WW2? Thank you!!

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