The Comparing Interpretations Questions: Russia (Q1 & Q2) (AQA GCSE History)

Summary of Question One

• Question One on Paper One, Section A, outlines an issue

• The question asks you to explain how the content of two interpretations differ from each other concerning the issue

• The interpretations used in Question One will be the same interpretations used in Questions Two and Three

• An example of the type of question you may encounter can be seen below:

• In previous years this question has focused on the following topics in Russian history:

What is an Interpretation Question?

• An interpretation is an account based on a point of view of a historical event, person or group

• Interpretations are used to explain the past by looking at history from different points of view

• This type of question uses different types of interpretations

• These interpretations could be accounts written:

  • After the event 

  • During the event

  • By people who were there at the time 

  • By historians 

• For the example question above, you will be given two interpretations in an insert

  • An insert is an additional booklet to your answer paper. It provides key sources or interpretations needed to answer specific questions in the exam

Question One - How are the Interpretations Different?

• The interpretations used in question one will always be different, because of the interpretation's

  • Author 

  • Point of view 

  • Date of publication 

• Interpretations can be different based on their content

  • As the content will have a different point of view 

• In the AQA Russia 1894 - 1945 option, interpretations are likely to be different based on the following themes across all the topic areas: 

  • Political developments e.g. the development of Communism 

  • Social and cultural developments e.g. Changes to a Communist society

  • Economic developments e.g. Modernisation of the USSR

  • Conflict e.g. Russia’s involvement in World War One

“How are the Interpretations Different” Question Structure

• You need to identify and explain one difference between the two interpretations’ content in your response

• Your answer needs to: 

  • Identify one way the interpretation content differs

  • Include a short quote or summary from each interpretation, highlighting their differences 

  • Explain how they are different using your own knowledge 

• To achieve full marks you need to have an extended reasoning within your answer 

Worked Example of the Question One Interpretation Question

Summary of Question Two

• Question Two on Paper One, Section A asks you to explain why the authors of the interpretations might have different views concerning the issue

• The interpretations used in Question Two will be the same as those used in Questions One and Three

• An example of the type of question you may encounter can be seen below:

• In previous years this question has focused on the following topics in Russian history:

Question Two - Why are Interpretations Different?

• The interpretations used in Question Two will always be: 

  • Different 

  • From an opposing point of view 

    • In the AQA Russia 1894 - 1945 option, you could have interpretations from Royalists and Communists, Mensheviks and Bolsheviks or industrial workers and city dwellers during the 1930s as they have opposing interpretations in Russian History

• Authors will have different interpretations due to their: 

  • Background 

    • For the example question, Interpretation A was written by Count Witte. Witte was Stolypin's rival

  • Experiences 

    • For the example question, Interpretation B was written by Gurko. He had first-hand experience of Stolypin's reforms

  • Purpose of writing the interpretation

    • For the example question, both interpretations are books. The purpose of books is to inform and educate

  • Audience 

  • Access to information 

  • Origin of information

    • First-hand account 

    • Primary sources 

  • Place and time of writing

    • For the example question, both interpretations were written after Stolypin's premiership

"Why are the Interpretations Different" Question Structure

• You need to identify and explain one reason why the authors have different interpretations 

• In this question, you will need to refer only to the interpretation's provenance

Provenance

• Provenance is the background information of sources

• The provenance can be found at the top of each source. Essentially it is:

  • Who - The person who created the source

  • What - The type of source it is, for example, a newspaper article

  • When - The date when the source was made

  • Where - The place that the source is based on

• For the example question, here is a breakdown of the provenance of Interpretation A:

• In this question, you should use the provenance of the source to:

  • Help you to identify who the author of the interpretation is 

  • Gain information about the background of the author

  • Understand who is the author's audience 

  • Understand what purpose the author had in writing the interpretation 

  • Understand the context of the interpretation 

    • This will help you explain why the interpretations differ

• Your answer needs to: 

  • Identify one reason why author A has a different interpretation using the provenance 

  • Include specific knowledge to support your reason

  • Explain why this makes the interpretation different

  • Identify one reason why author B has a different interpretation

  • Include specific knowledge to support your reason  

  • Explain why this makes the interpretation different 

• To achieve full marks consider choosing a difference which is visible and the same in both provenances

  • For example, the previous experience of the authors or the audience which they are writing for

Worked Example of the Question Two Interpretation Question