AQA AS-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
2A Royal Authority and the Angevin Kings, 1154–1216
- 6 subtopics
- 39 things to know
- Component 2
What 2A Royal Authority and the Angevin Kings, 1154–1216 covers
Option 2A is a depth study of the Angevin kings, taken as one of the Component 2 choices. It examines how royal authority was restored under Henry II, tested by Becket and rebellion, and lost under John.
Where it is assessed
Component 2
A depth study, of which a student sits one.
Check the AQA specification ↗The 6 subtopics
Each one has its own page. AQA AS History students sit this topic in the first year.
- The Anarchy and the Legacy Henry II InheritedRecall questions on the civil war that preceded 1154 and on the damage done to royal government, the coinage and royal revenue.Open →
- Henry II's Challenges and Early ReformsRecall questions on the barons, overseas lands and Church Henry II faced in 1154, the destruction of castles and recovery of royal resources, Exchequer reform, the Assize of Clarendon, justices in eyre and royal writs.Open →
- The Church and the Angevin EmpireRecall questions on the Church's social and political role and its courts, and on the Angevin Empire: Normandy, Aquitaine and Gascony, the lordship of Ireland and Strongbow, and Henry II's relations with Louis VII.Open →
- Henry II, Becket and IrelandRecall questions on the quarrel between king and archbishop, the Constitutions of Clarendon, the murder in the cathedral and the clash with the Papacy, and on Henry II's invasion of Ireland in 1171.Open →
- The Great Rebellion and the Management of the BaronsRecall questions on the Great Rebellion of 1173–1174, Eleanor of Aquitaine and William I of Scotland, the Treaty of Falaise, Henry's handling of the barons after 1174, towns and trade, and the Treaty of Windsor.Open →
- Philip II and the Last Years of Henry IIRecall questions on the trouble Henry II's sons caused him, Philip II's use of Angevin family divisions, the defeat and humiliating peace of 1189, and Henry's death after learning that John had joined the rebels.Open →
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
How had the Anarchy affected royal revenues by 1154?
To whose reign did Henry II aim to restore royal authority?
What administrative challenge did Henry II's extensive overseas territories create?
What regular process did Henry II ensure to improve financial administration?
What was the Assize of Clarendon and when was it issued?
What social functions did the Church provide in medieval society?
Why were bishops and abbots significant feudal tenants?
Who was Richard de Clare, and what was his nickname?
Who was Thomas Becket and what was the nature of his conflict with Henry II?
Why did Henry II personally lead an invasion of Ireland in 1171?
What was the Great Rebellion of 1173-1174 and who was involved?
What was Henry II's primary political task regarding the barons after the Great Rebellion of 1173-1174?
What happened to towns in England during Henry II's later reign?
Why did the Treaty of Windsor fail to provide a lasting settlement for Ireland?
How did Richard I view crusading in relation to his personal faith?
How much time did Richard I actually spend in England during his ten-year reign?
Who replaced Longchamp as the leading figure in English government, and how did this come about?
What dominated the remainder of Richard's reign after his release from captivity in 1194?
What was becoming increasingly significant to the English economy during Richard's reign?
In what year did John become king, and whose death created the vacancy?
What were John's main political and military aims during his reign?
Why did John's preference for foreign mercenaries and advisers damage his relations with English barons?
How many times was scutage levied under John compared to Richard I, and how did the rates differ?
Who was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1193 to 1205, and what other royal offices did he hold?
Who did Pope Innocent III appoint as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1207, and how did John respond?
When did the loss of Normandy occur, and what was its historical significance?
Why did John's campaigns to regain Normandy drive his exploitation of English revenues?
Why did John invade Ireland in 1210?
What was the outcome of John's final campaign to recover Normandy in 1214?
What was Magna Carta, and what areas did its provisions address?
What circumstances made the succession problematic when John died in 1216?
What was the quarrel between Henry II and Thomas Becket, and how did it end?
What roles did the Church play in medieval society and government?
How did Henry II manage the baronage after the Great Rebellion of 1173-74?
Why was Philip II's strategy of exploiting Angevin family divisions effective?
What characterised relations between Henry II and Philip II of France during the 1180s?
How did English towns develop under Henry II?
How did Richard I's absence weaken royal authority in England?
Take 2A Royal Authority and the Angevin Kings, 1154–1216 further
The same content, four other ways.
Commonly confused
Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.
Common law vs Customary law
Common law: royal justice applied consistently through central courts. Customary law: local practice varying between communities and lordships.
Questions from this topic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
What period of civil war preceded Henry II's accession in 1154, and between whom was it fought?
Model answer
The Anarchy (1135-1154), fought between Stephen and Matilda.
- 2
What was the main political consequence of the Anarchy for royal government?
Model answer
Central royal authority had been significantly weakened.
- 3
What had happened to English coinage during the Anarchy?
Model answer
The coinage had become debased.
- 4
How had the Anarchy affected royal revenues by 1154?
Model answer
Royal revenues had been reduced.
- 5
What impact did the Anarchy have on trade in England?
Model answer
Trade had been damaged and disrupted.
- 6
What were unlicensed castles built during the Anarchy called?
Model answer
Adulterine castles.
What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material.
2A Royal Authority and the Angevin Kings, 1154–1216 revision questions
- Is 2A Royal Authority and the Angevin Kings, 1154–1216 examined at AS in AQA History?
- Yes. It sits in Component 2, which you take in the first year, so it is on the AS paper as well as counting towards the full A level.
- What does 2A Royal Authority and the Angevin Kings, 1154–1216 cover in AQA AS-Level History?
- 6 subtopics: the anarchy and the legacy henry ii inherited, henry ii's challenges and early reforms, the church and the angevin empire, henry ii, becket and ireland, the great rebellion and the management of the barons and philip ii and the last years of henry ii. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
- How is 2A Royal Authority and the Angevin Kings, 1154–1216 organised?
- By the AQA 7042 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.
Every question in 2A Royal Authority and the Angevin Kings, 1154–1216, 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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