Paper 2 Section B Question Types » Paper 2 Section B Question (c): The 16-Mark Breadth Essay

Fact file: air warfare, 1919-45

• By 1918 aircraft, mostly fabric-covered biplanes, were used for scouting, fighting and small bombing raids. German airships and bombers had raided British towns from 1915.
• On 26 April 1937 German aircraft bombed the Spanish town of Guernica.
• The Spitfire first flew in 1936. In 1940 radar warned of raids, and in the Battle of Britain RAF fighters stopped the German air force (the Luftwaffe) winning control of the skies.
• The Blitz, the German night bombing of British cities, ran from September 1940 to May 1941. Britain did not give in.
• From 1940 Bomber Command, and later US air forces, bombed German cities, including Dresden on 13-15 February 1945.
• Jet fighters, such as the German Me 262, were in service by 1944.
• On 6 August 1945 a US aircraft dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Aircraft were still used for scouting.

Question

How far did air warfare change in the years 1919-45? You may use the following in your answer: bombing; fighter aircraft. You must also use information of your own. [16 marks]

Strong answer

Air warfare changed a great deal, but some roles stayed the same, so I think the change was large rather than complete.

Bombing changed most. In 1919 it meant small raids like the airship and bomber raids on Britain of 1915-18. By 26 April 1937 German aircraft were bombing a town, Guernica. From September 1940 the Blitz struck British cities at night, and in February 1945 British and US aircraft bombed Dresden. On 6 August 1945 one aircraft dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The scale grew from raids to whole cities.

Fighters and defence changed too. The 1918 biplane gave way to the Spitfire, first flown in 1936. In 1940 radar warned of raids, so RAF fighters could meet the Luftwaffe and win the Battle of Britain. By 1944 jet fighters such as the Me 262 were in service. This shows a change in speed and in how defence was warned and directed.

However, there was continuity. Aircraft still scouted, as they had in 1918, and attacks on civilians had already begun in 1915. Bombing also did not win wars alone: the Blitz did not make Britain give in.

Using the yardstick of how different air war was in 1945 from 1919 in what aircraft could do and who suffered, I judge the change large, mainly after 1936. But scouting and the aim of hitting civilians were not new, so I do not call it complete.

Weaker answer

Air warfare changed a lot. Planes bombed cities in the Blitz and the atomic bomb was dropped. Fighters got better too. So it changed a lot.

Common mistakes

• Missing years. Writing only about the start or the end of the span.
• Change only. Not testing the counter-case, such as continuity or other factors.
• Sticking to the bullets. You need a third aspect of your own.
• A story, not an argument. Each paragraph must answer "how far".
• No yardstick. "Overall it changed a lot" is just a claim.

Fact file: communication in Britain, 1837-1901

• In 1837 Cooke and Wheatstone patented an electric telegraph in Britain. Lines were built beside the railways.
• Before 1840 a letter's cost depended on distance and the person receiving it paid. In 1840 the Penny Post began: one penny, paid by the sender with a stamp.
• Telegrams were charged by the word, so they cost more than letters.
• In 1866 a lasting telegraph cable linked Britain and North America.
• Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone in 1876. The first telephone exchanges in Britain opened in 1879.
• In December 1901 Marconi received a radio signal sent across the Atlantic.

Question

How significant was the electric telegraph in changing communication in the years 1837-1901? You may use the following in your answer: the electric telegraph; the Penny Post. You must also use information of your own. [16 marks]

Model answer

The electric telegraph was very significant because it changed how fast messages travelled, but it was not the only change.

The telegraph, patented by Cooke and Wheatstone in 1837, sent messages along wires, with lines built beside the railways. In 1866 a lasting cable linked Britain and North America, so news could cross the Atlantic far faster than a ship. This changed business and news.

The Penny Post mattered in a different way. From 1840 a letter cost one penny, paid by the sender, wherever in Britain it went. Telegrams were charged by the word and cost more, so ordinary people gained more from cheap post. The telegraph was faster, but the Penny Post reached more people.

A third aspect is the later inventions. Bell patented the telephone in 1876 and exchanges opened in Britain in 1879, and in December 1901 Marconi received a radio signal across the Atlantic. These began to change communication again, so the telegraph was not the end of the story.

Using the yardstick of how much each change altered the speed and reach of messages, I judge the telegraph the most significant in the period, because it was the first to make messages instant over long distances. However, the Penny Post was more significant for ordinary people, and the telephone and radio were starting to take over by 1901.

Exam tip

Before you write, tick off early, middle and late dates from the span, and three aspects: the first bullet, the second bullet and one of your own. Then name your yardstick in the conclusion.