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A2 - Edexcel - Britain and Decolonisation

Is anyone else one of the 'lucky' few doing this topic?? I know only 20 other schools do it, not surprising as its soo difficult!

Really dreading the exam on 23rd June, only started revising a couple of days ago and haven't learnt anything all year, due to lack of interest as it is so complicated. On top of this have hardly any essay practice.

Our teacher even admitted 'giving us too much extra information' so now I do not know what bits are essential in my reivsion, and what I can leave out, because, to be honest I won't get an A, all I need is a C.

If anyone else on here has done this topic, do you find it difficult?

Reply 1

oneeyedandgreen

I prefered this paper to the Nazi Germany one, but I am resitting both this year.
I did ok in this paper last year. Basically I learnt the 5 'turning points' for the first question, and then just concentrated on practicing section B.
Concentrate on reading through your notes and making notes on expansion in India, expansion in Africa, Contraction in India and contraction in Africa.
That should be all you need to know.
I am dreading this, but Im dreading the Unit 6 paper on the 19th. (at least i think thats when it is :s)

Reply 2

xHayley18x

For the turning point question did you find 20 minutes was enough to write it in? It seems there is so much to put down but so little time? I have never attempted a B question of yet *oops*

Can I ask what grade you got for this unit and overall? I got a (mid) B for AS overall and do not know my individual assignment grade for A2, but hoping is at least a C, (need a C to get to my firm uni) and am worried this unit is really going to bring my grade down (not brilliant on cold war either).

Thanks!

Reply 3

oneeyedandgreen

i can generally do a part a in 25minutes but i've had 2 years of practice!
I got a C(58) this for unit and a low E for Germany. I also had a mid-B last year and my A in unit 4 plus these 2 marks gave me a C over all. I was only 5marks off a B which i needed for uni.
Ive lost my exam sheet and i dont know anyone esle doing these exams! could you just confirm for me that unit 6 is 19th June am and unit 5 is 23rd june am!?!

Just to add- last year the paper was on the Suez Crisis and economic considerations to explain the expansion and contraction of the whole empire. Long second question!
The second world War is the only turning point that hasnt come up. I guess that doesnt mean it definately will but I would have tought that Suez Crisis(2005) and Indian Independence(2004). I think First World War came up in 2002 and Boer War in 2003,so it could be either of them again.

Reply 4

xHayley18x

Yeh, I have Cold War at 9am on 19th June and this paper at 9am on the 23rd June.

My teacher thinks it will probably be WWII for the turning point (as its only ever been used as the specimen(?) paper or something along those lines! She also said Boer War would be likely, and most probably not Suez, as you said, because that was the topic last year! I don't mind WWII, so hope it is that one!

Revising Boer War now and there is so much to condense! With the Boer War, how far would you back to for 'before' and how much for 'after'? My text book has I guess, some more immediate consequences, like the decline in imperialism and foreign policies made (the latest mentioned being 1907 (5 years after the end of war) so thats not too long after. How much further will I need to go?

Reply 5

oneeyedandgreen

I dont know! For Boer War I would basically say it wasnt a turning point! I would include the decline in imperialism and I suppose it had a knock on effect to South Africa in 1910. However, although attitudes changed Britain never considered decolonising until after 1st/2nd world war.
If the Boer War comes up though, im screwed because I find it mind-numbingly boring!

Reply 6

Jasundie

I covered this topic for my coursework, but it was only with regard to Africa and focused on the effects in the development of black African nationalism. A few turning points we considered, although I do not know if they may be relevant to your study (but I hope it helps) is the breaking up of the Portugese empire in 1974.

Reply 7

oliviasmith05

Hey, im swamped with other revision - wont be cram revising till 19th (after nazi exam). Basically, our teachers have told us its gonna be on EITHER WW1 OR WW2....MAYBE boer war, but not as likely - and for part b - COLONIAL OPINION OF THE EMPIRE - possibly home opinion too! Hope that helps, wish me luck :P

Reply 8

xHayley18x

So....by home opinion you mean public opinion back in Britain on acquiring, consolidating and dismantling empire?...been dreading this one!

I'm confused as to what colonial opinion entails...all I can think of is nationalism

The factors I have been given that could be asked about in QB are:
economic
nationalism
public opinion/moral/British reactions
International
Strategic/military
Individuals
concession and cohersion
metropole (public opinion, economic, great power status

Reply 9

oliviasmith05

Yea public opinion to the empire is what i meant by home opinion. From ur list, it sounds like theyv rly complicated it - im not rly sure what else were meant 2 put for colonial either - but hopefully it wont be too hard :smile:

Ill ask on monday and will post on here what i find out :smile:

Reply 10

redshoes4

i have found the best way to revise is to write out as least a plan for each essay you could be asked. this really is not as hard as it seems and means that you have done all the anaylsis before hand so you dont have to think too much in the exam.

For question b i thought that the main questions you are likely to get are attitudes, economic, stratetic/colonial rivalries and maybe one more but i cant remember. if you think about it the question they ask you is essentially the same no matter what they ask you to focus on as you still have to consider all the other point anyway just in a different order.

hope my thoughts help someone though they might not make sense to anyone apart from me!

Also for all those stressing about only 20 schools doing this, try having only 4 schools doing you unit for paper!

Reply 11

azs*

redshoes4

Hey

I'm doing this too!

:ditto:

i think doing essay plans is a great method!!

I had a change of teachers halfway through, which was annoying, but i'm ok with this paper!!

Good Luck all for next Friday!

Reply 12

Sssauce pot

i got britan and ecolonisation. i would b better at it if i wasn't sooooo boring!! they could have found something more interesting to do!!!

Reply 13

Dann

Sssauce pot

i got britan and ecolonisation. i would b better at it if i wasn't sooooo boring!! they could have found something more interesting to do!!!

The course runs over 110 years and you can't find enough to make it interesting?! :rolleyes:

Reply 14

FarEastGerman

I wouldn't say its a boring unit either. COmpared with, say, poverty, or medicine in 110 years?....It's just really wide in content, and especially the textbook we were set (The Lion's Share) is massively detailed. It's not really a school textbook at all so that makes it more daunting...But apart from the difficulty i'm quite happy to be doing this unit. It's worth doing, and worth knowing!

Reply 15

Laura_1987

I'm doing this unit as well, it is so confusing. The turning points question isn't too bad. We've been told for B that it will economic, political or strategic/militaristic...could it be on public opinion as well?? If so what points could be included...things like apathy towards empire, voting for Labour and reform at home (such as Welafare State) and growing opposition movements?? I'm so confused!

Also could someone plz explain what slave trade has to do with the economic rise of the empire...it was on a sheet our teacher gave us. So many things i'm confused on like how to specify it to a particular area??

Laura x x

Reply 16

FarEastGerman

Yeah I've been trying to list some points about each factor influencing imperialism in each chapter. So for, as you said, public opinion, you could mention:

-the importance of them voting off governments if their imperial policy isn't agreeable to the public, especially after the wars: You've got Disraeli's government being replaced by the Liberal Gladstone after the Afghan War in 1880; Gladstone himself after the Gordon incident in the Sudan;or after the second Anglo-Boer War in 1905 the Conservatives lose the elections;

-APATHY (and ignorance) TOWARDS THE EMPIRE!I'd definitely mention that, it's a trend right through the period, especially in the lower classes. So, for example, socialism/Labour was more popular in the early 20th century than imperialism/Conservative...

-policy arising out of the general mood amongst the population at the time; so in the 1890's when everyone was scared/pro-expansionist there's a massive increase in empire

-pro-imperialism being confused with jingoism

-Racist/racialist attitudes affecting the attitudes with which the empire was governed (this might go under 'politics', i dont know...) SO the notion of the 'savage' or the 'oriental', unfit for self-government....

I'm sure there's more these just came off the top of my head...

As for the slave trade, we didnt study that at all. Or the origins of the 'old' empire (Canada, West Indies etc...)The book we're using explicitly marks those off as being from a different period of imperialism/it's not relevant to the unit specifically...

I hope i could help you Laura! good luck to us all on friday!