A-Level A-Level History & Politics — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What were the main causes of the First World War according to the MAIN acronym?
- Money, Agriculture, Immigration, Nationalism
- Militarism, Alliance systems, Imperialism, Nationalism (Correct answer)
- Manufacturing, Army, Industrialisation, Navy
- Monarchy, Assassination, Industry, Nationalism
Correct answer: Militarism, Alliance systems, Imperialism, Nationalism
The MAIN causes of WWI are: Militarism (arms race), Alliance systems (Triple Entente vs. Triple Alliance), Imperialism (colonial competition), and Nationalism (ethnic tensions and desire for self-determination, especially in the Balkans).
Question 2: What was the significance of the Russian Revolution of 1917?
- It ended World War One immediately
- It led to the Bolshevik seizure of power, the end of Tsarist rule, the establishment of the Soviet state, and inspired communist movements worldwide (Correct answer)
- It resulted in a liberal democracy in Russia
- It was a minor event with little impact
Correct answer: It led to the Bolshevik seizure of power, the end of Tsarist rule, the establishment of the Soviet state, and inspired communist movements worldwide
The February Revolution ended Tsarist rule; the October/Bolshevik Revolution brought Lenin and the Bolsheviks to power. The establishment of the world's first communist state had profound global consequences, inspiring revolutionary movements and shaping 20th-century geopolitics.
Question 3: What is the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty in UK politics?
- The monarch has supreme power over Parliament
- Parliament is the supreme legal authority in the UK; it can make, amend, or repeal any law, and no other body can override it (Correct answer)
- The Supreme Court can strike down Acts of Parliament
- The Prime Minister holds supreme power
Correct answer: Parliament is the supreme legal authority in the UK; it can make, amend, or repeal any law, and no other body can override it
Parliamentary sovereignty means Parliament (specifically the House of Commons + Lords + Monarch) is the supreme law-making body in the UK. It can pass any law it wishes. However, this has been modified in practice by EU membership (formerly), devolution, and the Human Rights Act.
Question 4: What is the 'presidential model' of the UK Prime Minister?
- The PM has the same powers as the US President
- The argument that modern UK Prime Ministers exercise presidential-style power — dominant, media-focused, with a large personal team — rather than being 'first among equals' (Correct answer)
- The PM is directly elected by the public
- The PM can veto legislation
Correct answer: The argument that modern UK Prime Ministers exercise presidential-style power — dominant, media-focused, with a large personal team — rather than being 'first among equals'
The 'presidentialisation' thesis (Michael Foley) argues that the PM's role has grown increasingly presidential: personal mandates, media dominance (the 'spatial leadership' phenomenon), powerful cabinet office machinery, and foreign policy dominance.
Question 5: What caused the fall of the Weimar Republic and Hitler's rise to power?
- A military coup by the German army alone
- A combination of the Great Depression, unemployment, political extremism, constitutional weaknesses, and elite miscalculation allowed Hitler to be appointed Chancellor in 1933 (Correct answer)
- Hitler won a majority in a democratic election
- The Weimar Republic never functioned as a democracy
Correct answer: A combination of the Great Depression, unemployment, political extremism, constitutional weaknesses, and elite miscalculation allowed Hitler to be appointed Chancellor in 1933
Multiple factors contributed: the Great Depression caused mass unemployment (over 6 million by 1932), discrediting mainstream parties; the NSDAP exploited resentment over Versailles and scapegoating; elite conservatives thought they could control Hitler; proportional representation enabled extremist parties.
Question 6: What is the difference between a unitary and a federal state?
- They are the same thing
- In a unitary state, sovereignty rests centrally (as in the UK); in a federal state, power is constitutionally divided between central and regional governments (as in the USA) (Correct answer)
- Federal states have stronger central governments
- Unitary states always have devolution
Correct answer: In a unitary state, sovereignty rests centrally (as in the UK); in a federal state, power is constitutionally divided between central and regional governments (as in the USA)
In a unitary state (e.g., UK), Parliament is sovereign and can devolve or take back powers. In a federal state (e.g., USA, Germany), the constitution divides sovereignty between federal and state levels — states have guaranteed, entrenched powers.
A-Level A-Level History & Politics
What were the main causes of the First World War according to the MAIN acronym?