History A Level Taster Session History at A

History A Level – Taster Session • History at A Level? • History at L 6 FC? • What am I going to have to do in the taster?

The Study of History • An Investigation into the past - Sources • Turning points – Causes & Consequences

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History at L 6 FC • Year 1 – AS Level • Unit 1 – Britain 1930 -97 including a case study of Churchill • Unit 2 – The Cold War in Europe 1941 -95 • Year 2 – A Level • Unit 3 – Germany 1789 – 1919 • Unit 4 – Coursework – Choose your own question

Churchill’s Reputation – WW 2

Churchill in WW 2 • Churchill became PM in May 1940 • 1 st speech to Parliament – ‘You ask what is our aim? I can answer in one word: victory – victory at all costs’ • Evacuation of GB troops from Dunkirk = decision to fight on • Other ministers favoured negotiating for peace…

Churchill’s reputation • Secondary sources… • Film = ‘Darkest hour’ clip 2. 10 – 4. 55 - Showing the famous ‘Fight them on the beaches’ speech in June 1940 • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=skrdyoab mg. A • What can you learn about Churchill from the film?

Churchill’s Reputation Today

Primary Sources • Primary Sources – Sources that come from the time e. g. letters, diaries, official statistics, speeches • Use the content of written sources as the evidence – quote from the source • Provenance = the origins of the source • - the ‘W’ questions: - Who? When? Why? What kind of source? To Whom? • Activity: Why did Churchill become PM in 1940?

Source A: An Officer in the Admiralty • ‘I dread any more influence from that archidiot Winston. I’m quite certain that he has played the whole war of the last eight months to become Prime Minister. Often at the expense of helping to win the war. Witness his refusal to back the demands of the navy against the air force. ’ • - Acting Director of Naval Operations, diary, May 1940

Interpretation of Source A • The source shows that Churchill used the war selfishly to promote his goal of becoming PM as it says: ‘I’m quite certain that he has played the whole war of the last eight months to become PM. Often at the expense of helping to win the war. ’

Interpretation of Source A Strengths of the Source Date = May 1940 Diary entry Weaknesses of the Source Possible bias – the officer clearly dislikes Churchill – calling him an ‘arch-idiot’ • Lack of political focus and knowledge? – the only example used is a military one • • •

Source B – A Former Conservative Cabinet Minister who resigned in 1938 over the Munich Agreement • On 10 th May 1940 the Germans invaded Holland Belgium, Chamberlain was persuaded that the events only meant he should depart urgently. The choice lay between Churchill and Lord Halifax. Churchill’s reputation had risen sharply since 1939. He had shown himself a highly competent First Lord of the Admiralty. His speeches in the Commons had been better than any of his colleagues. Everything he had prophesised in the past had become disastrously true. Halifax had merely remained the foreign minister of Munich. The choice was obvious. • - Duff Cooper ‘Old Men Forget’ 1953

Interpretation of Source B • Source B claims that Churchill was the best man to become PM • - Chamberlain had to resign as PM due to the German invasions of Holland Belgium • & Churchill was a better choice than Halifax • Reasons = highly competent 1 st Lord of the Admiralty / made the best speeches in the Commons / proven right about his predictions about the threat of Germany • - whereas Halifax was linked to the policy of appeasement, ‘the foreign minister of Munich’.

Value of the source • Strengths • Former cabinet minister • Reasons given to support his views • Weaknesses • Resigned over Munich so he would have supported Churchill – bias? ‘The choice was obvious. ’ • Date = 1953 – Hindsight • Political memoir

Historical skills • 3 rd Factor = Historical context • Essay Writing • How far do you agree that Thatcher’s impact on Britain was more positive than negative?

What next? • Moodle – Preparing for History A Level • Any questions?