AQA A-Level History 7042
1A The Age of the Crusades, c1071–1204
1B Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598
1C The Tudors: England, 1485–1603
1D Stuart Britain and the Crisis of Monarchy, 1603–1702
1E Russia in the Age of Absolutism and Enlightenment, 1682–1796
1F Industrialisation and the People: Britain, c1783–1885
1G Challenge and Transformation: Britain, c1851–1964
1H Tsarist and Communist Russia, 1855–1964
1J The British Empire, c1857–1967
1K The Making of a Superpower: USA, 1865–1975
1L The Quest for Political Stability: Germany, 1871–1991
2A Royal Authority and the Angevin Kings, 1154–1216
2B The Wars of the Roses, 1450–1499
2C The Reformation in Europe, c1500–1564
2D Religious Conflict and the Church in England, c1529–c1570
2E The English Revolution, 1625–1660
2F The Sun King: Louis XIV, France and Europe, 1643–1715
2G The Birth of the USA, 1760–1801
2H France in Revolution, 1774–1815
2J America: A Nation Divided, c1845–1877
2K International Relations and Global Conflict, c1890–1941
2L Italy and Fascism, c1900–1945
2M Wars and Welfare: Britain in Transition, 1906–1957
2N Revolution and Dictatorship: Russia, 1917–1953
2O Democracy and Nazism: Germany, 1918–1945
2P The Transformation of China, 1936–1997
2Q The American Dream: Reality and Illusion, 1945–1980
2R The Cold War, c1945–1991
2S The Making of Modern Britain, 1951–2007
2T The Crisis of Communism: The USSR and the Soviet Empire, 1953–2000
2S The Making of Modern Britain, 1951–2007
The Poll Tax and the Fall of Thatcher
- 2 things to know
- Component 2
Overview
Recall questions on Howe's resignation speech, the divisions over Europe, the unpopularity of the poll tax and Heseltine's challenge.
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
What brought about Thatcher's fall in 1990?
Questions from this subtopic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
What criticism did Geoffrey Howe make in his resignation speech that helped trigger Thatcher's downfall?
Model answer
Howe criticised Thatcher's European policy, particularly her hostile approach to European integration, in a devastating Commons speech that undermined her leadership.
- 2
How did divisions over European integration contribute to Thatcher's fall from power in 1990?
Model answer
Cabinet ministers and backbenchers were deeply split over Britain's relationship with Europe, with Thatcher's increasingly hostile stance alienating pro-European Conservatives and creating irreconcilable divisions within the party.
- 3
Why did the poll tax contribute to Thatcher's removal as Prime Minister?
Model answer
The poll tax was deeply unpopular, provoking riots and widespread non-payment, making Thatcher an electoral liability and convincing many Conservative MPs she had become unelectable.
- 4
What role did Michael Heseltine play in Thatcher's fall from power?
Model answer
Heseltine launched a leadership challenge against Thatcher, forcing a ballot that demonstrated significant opposition to her continued leadership within the parliamentary party.
- 5
Why did Thatcher withdraw from the leadership contest in November 1990?
Model answer
She failed to win outright on the first ballot, and after consulting Cabinet colleagues who advised she would lose the second ballot, she withdrew rather than face defeat.
- 6
How did privatisation of nationalised industries form part of Thatcher's economic legacy?
Model answer
Thatcher transferred major state-owned industries to private ownership, fundamentally changing the relationship between government and the economy in a way subsequent governments largely maintained.
Other ways to work this
The same content, four other ways.
What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material.
Every question in 2S The Making of Modern Britain, 1951–2007, on a schedule.
Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.
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