A2 Edexcel History Unit 3 12th June 2012 (Discussion)

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Yes USA people, haha. (sorry, i've been looking for ages and all i see is cold war and Germany)
I think you are mistaken when you say prohibition has already come up?
Ive looked through the last past papers and they were on the KKK, both WW's, and McCarthy.
I think you're right about the 1920's Red Scare though i never thought about that, only the other Red scare, which i really don't think will come up, but would be great if it did

Original post by ermal900

any idea anyone what the part B question will be most likely to come up? (USA / America topic)

I have a feeling that opposition to the New Deal is possible as it hasn't come up yet and definitely a question on the New Deal itself and its impact/ to what extent it contributed to the recovery of U.S economy.

Reply 461

richiemayne

Original post by Cassius

It's 60% of our A2, so 30% of our whole A level grade :smile:

Thank you, that takes a pressure off a little bit :smile:

Reply 462

ruth_1994

Original post by ohio12

Your not the only one!! I have been stressing for this exam.. Soo scared for the controversy paper!! As I don't want to be sitting there going what on earth are these sources about?!!!! My teacher says that he reckons the golden years could come up and that the 2nd reich maybe?

Yeah, word on the street is that the 2nd Reich is very likely to come up. Mind you, Edexcel will probably throw a curve ball and ask the same questions as last year or something, just to be annoying!

Reply 463

duckpancakes

Original post by Cassius

Anyone doing the Tudors: d'you reckon the rebellions question will be on either Wyatt or the Northern rebellion, considering there's already been questions on the Pilgrimage of Grace and the 1549 rebellions?

Could well be. I really hope it isn't on Northern. I think I'll probably do Parliament anyway- I can never answer the rebellions ones well :s-smilie:

Reply 464

duckpancakes

Original post by Sentenashi

Am I the only damn person in this thread doing the tudors?

I am!

Reply 465

Forget that

Original post by life_is_art25

Haha same here, I'm surprised that so few seem to be doing the USA option. Prohibition did come up on the Specimen paper and the 2 Section A questions were:

1) Why did Prohibition last so long?
2) How far do you agree that the demands of the war economy in the years 1941-45 created the basis for affluence in the USA in the period 1945-54? [very similar to a later question]

I was thinking about the exam and it's possible that religious fundamentalism also comes up- that would be a blessing!

I have a feeling that opposition to the New Deal is possible as it hasn't come up yet and definitely a question on the New Deal itself and its impact/ to what extent it contributed to the recovery of U.S economy.

religious fundamentalism? woa i can write one paragraph about that at the most. :s-smilie:

I think opposition will definitely come up, but what sort of question could they write about that topic?? 'To what extent was Huey long a threat' or something along those lines. Or they could just screw us over and ask two questions about McCarthy two consecutive years in a row.

Reply 466

WH1892

Does anyone have any information on the signifigance/what was said during the moscow conference 1988 and Gorbachevs address at the UN ?

Reply 467

WH1892

how would you guys answer this question?!

To what extent can Carter be blamed for the failure of Détente?

I've learnt virtually nothing about carter!

Reply 468

rhianon818

Any guesses for a start of the cold war question?

Reply 469

Camilla321

Heeeelpp! So i've gone through all the sub topics of Germany and i'm just finishing off unit eight: controversy How effectively did the Nazi state operate from 1933-1939? But I want to work all day tomorrow on getting me exam technique from a high b/low a to a solid A.. BUT I haven't even begun revision on unit nine: What was life like in wartime Germany?

At first I was planning to just highlight through unit nine but focus mainly on practice papers and re-revision of all the other units but maybe I shouldn't take a big a risk and go in it in full and then spend any remaining time on exam technique?!

Advice would be appreciated!!

Reply 470

FuzzySheep

Original post by Camilla321

If you're willing to take a gamble, I would say only fully revise the war economy part in wartime Germany, as the two other sections from that area (final solution ans opposition) have already come up. Skimming through the others would be just a safety, and then you can spend a good chunk of the day on exam technique. :smile:

Reply 471

Camilla321

Original post by FuzzySheep

Thank you

I'm banking on second reich to come up tbh! Good luck!

Reply 472

blahblahblah.

Original post by rhianon818

Any guesses for a start of the cold war question?

I hope 1945-49 comes up that would be amazing. Just 6 stages really and focussing on EE.

Reply 473

Grenville

Original post by WH1892

how would you guys answer this question?!

To what extent can Carter be blamed for the failure of Détente?

I've learnt virtually nothing about carter!

In support of the view you could argue that the inconsistency of his foreign policy made negotiation with the USSR difficult and so encouraged them to resort to confrontational methods. He was influenced neo-Con Zbigniew Brzezinski and his left-leaning Secretary of State Cyrus Vance which led to these inconsistencies. However, you could also argue that Détente was destined to fail, it was only ever a temporary relaxation of tensions when it suited both superpowers. Fundamentally, you should disagree with the view because it was the Soviets that brought about the failure of Détente by invading Afghanistan. Hope this helps!

Reply 474

flying_ifan

Original post by WH1892

how would you guys answer this question?!

To what extent can Carter be blamed for the failure of Détente?

I've learnt virtually nothing about carter!

I think this is a rather unlikely question, but:
• Stress the neo-conservative view that his cosying up to the Soviets was in fact leading nowhere
• He is also criticised for focussing too much on Human Rights - when the definition of human rights on either side of the iron curtain was clearly arbitrary and gained no real advantages for the US. (Helsinki 1975 comes in here)
• He was torn between Brzezinski (neo-conservative) and Cyrus Vance, an advocate of detente. This led to inconsistencies in his policies. Namely, that while encouraging detente, he was funding anti-communist regimes/opposition in the developing world.

To argue against it there is plenty:
• Limits of the SALT treaties
• Limits of Helsinki
• Soviet invasion of afghanistan - a violation of Helsinki
• Rise of neo-conservatives
• Senate rejection of SALT II
• Reagan's election
• Brezhnev's failing health and increasing gerontocracy in the Soviet leadership
• Continuing conflict in the third world (not only advocated by Carter)
• And following on from the Vance-Brzezinski idea, you could argue that it was not so much carter, but his advisers, who led US foreign policy and led to the failure of detente. A sort of 'structuralist' view

... are all other factors which led to the eventual failure of detente