Key term
Edexcel GCSE History 1HI0
Anglo-Saxon and Norman England, c1060–88British depth
Topic overviewAnglo-Saxon government, economy and societyThe last years of Edward the Confessor and the succession crisisThe rival claimants for the throneThe Norman invasion, 1060–66Establishing control, 1066–87Anglo-Saxon resistance, 1068–71The legacy of resistance to 1087Revolt of the Earls, 1075The feudal system and the ChurchNorman government, 1066–88The Norman aristocracy, 1066–88William I and the succession
British America, 1713–83: Empire and RevolutionPeriod study
Topic overviewDevelopments in colonial societySlavery in North AmericaProblems within the coloniesThe impact of cultural developmentsWar in the coloniesThe aftermath of the French and Indian warAmerican colonist relations with Britain: growing opposition, 1765-75The War of Independence 1775-83Consequences of the war in America
Conflict in the Middle East, 1945–95Period study
Crime and Punishment in Britain, c1000–presentPaper 1 option
Topic overviewFactors driving change in crime and punishment, c1000–presentNature and changing definitions of criminal activity, c1000–c1500The nature of law enforcement and punishment, c1000–c1500Case study: the Church, sanctuary and trial by ordealNature and changing definitions of criminal activity, c1500–c1700The nature of law enforcement and punishment, c1500–c1700Case studies: the Gunpowder Plot and Matthew HopkinsNature and changing definitions of criminal activity, c1700–c1900The nature of law enforcement and punishment, c1700–c1900Case studies: Pentonville prison and Robert PeelNature and changing definitions of criminal activity, c1900–presentThe nature of law enforcement and punishment, c1900–presentCase studies: conscientious objectors and Derek Bentley
Early Elizabethan England, 1558–88British depth
Topic overviewThe situation on Elizabeth’s accessionThe ‘settlement’ of religionChallenge to the religious settlementThe problem of Mary, Queen of ScotsPlots and revolts at homeRelations with Spain, 1569–88Outbreak of war with Spain, 1585–88The Armada, 1588Education and leisure, 1558–88The ‘problem’ of the poorExploration and voyages of discoveryAttempted colonisation of Virginia
Henry VIII and His Ministers, 1509–40British depth
Topic overviewHenry VIII, Renaissance PrinceThe rise of Wolsey and his policiesWolsey’s foreign policy, 1509–29Wolsey, Catherine, the succession and annulmentCromwell’s rise to power, 1529–34The king’s marriages, 1529–40Cromwell and government, 1534–40The fall of CromwellThe break with RomeOpposition to, and impact of, Reformation, 1534–40The dissolution of the monasteriesThe Pilgrimage of Grace, 1536
London and the Second World War, 1939–45Paper 1 option
Mao’s China, 1945–76Modern depth
Topic overviewThe Civil War, 1945–49Communist rule, 1945–59Consolidating the CCP’s hold on power, 1951–52The Hundred Flowers campaign, 1956–57Early changes in agriculture, 1949–57Industry and the Five-Year Plan, 1953–57The Great Leap ForwardEconomic reform, 1962–65Reasons for the Cultural RevolutionThe Red Guards and the Red TerrorThe effects of the Cultural RevolutionThe end of the Cultural Revolution, 1968–76Communist control, 1949–76Family life and the role of womenEducation and health, 1949–76Cultural change, 1949–76
Medicine in Britain, c1250–presentPaper 1 option
Topic overviewFactors driving change in medicine, c1250–presentIdeas about the cause of disease and illness, c1250–c1500Approaches to prevention and treatment, c1250–c1500Case study: the Black Death, 1348–49Ideas about the cause of disease and illness, c1500–c1700Approaches to prevention and treatment, c1500–c1700Case studies: William Harvey and the Great Plague of 1665Ideas about the cause of disease and illness, c1700–c1900Approaches to prevention and treatment, c1700–c1900Case studies: Jenner’s vaccination and the 1854 cholera outbreakIdeas about the cause of disease and illness, c1900–presentApproaches to prevention and treatment, c1900–presentCase studies: penicillin and the fight against lung cancer
Migrants in Britain, c800–presentPaper 1 option
Topic overviewFactors driving change in migration to Britain, c800–presentThe context for migration, c800–c1500The experience and impact of migrants, c800–c1500Case study: York under the VikingsThe context for migration, c1500–c1700The experience and impact of migrants, c1500–c1700Case studies: Flemish and Walloon migrants, and the HuguenotsThe context for migration, c1700–c1900The experience and impact of migrants, c1700–c1900Case studies: Liverpool, and Jewish migrants in the East EndThe context for migration, c1900–presentThe experience and impact of migrants, c1900–presentCase studies: Bristol, and Asian migrants in Leicester
Notting Hill, c1948–c1970Paper 1 option
Russia and the Soviet Union, 1917–41Modern depth
Topic overviewThe growth of opposition to the tsar in early 1917The February RevolutionThe Provisional GovernmentThe Bolshevik RevolutionEarly consolidation of power, 1917–18The Civil War, 1918–21Moves towards totalitarianism, 1917–24Economic and social change, 1918–24The struggle for power, 1924–28The use of terror in the 1930sPropaganda and censorship, 1924–41The Cult of StalinAgriculture and collectivisation, 1924–41Changes in industry, 1924–41Life in the Soviet UnionThe position of women and ethnic minorities
Spain and the ‘New World’, c1490–c1555Period study
Superpower Relations and the Cold War, 1941–91Period study
Topic overviewEarly tension between East and WestThe development of the Cold WarThe Cold War intensifiesIncreased tension between East and WestCold War crises, 1958–70Reaction to crisis, 1958–70Attempts to reduce superpower tensions in the 1970sThe end of détente and the ‘Second Cold War’The collapse of Soviet control of Eastern Europe, 1985-91
The American West, c1835–c1895Period study
Topic overviewIndigenous peoples of the Plains: their beliefs and ways of lifeMigration and early settlementConflict and tension, c1835–c1862The development of settlement in the WestRanching and the cattle industryChanges in the ways of life of Indigenous peoples of the PlainsChanges in farming, the cattle industry and settlementConflict and tension, c1876–c1895Indigenous peoples of the Plains: the destruction of their ways of life
The British Sector of the Western Front, 1914–18: Injuries, Treatment and the TrenchesPaper 1 option
Topic overviewThe British sector of the Western Front and the trench systemConditions requiring medical treatment on the Western FrontMedical treatment on the Western FrontExperiments in surgery and medicine on the Western FrontMedicine in the early twentieth centurySources for a Western Front enquiry
The Reigns of King Richard I and King John, 1189–1216British depth
Topic overviewThe feudal system, 1189–1216Kingship and succession, 1189–1216Royal government and financesEnglish society, 1189–1216The nature of crusadingRichard and the Third CrusadeAftermath of the crusadeRichard, John and the loss of NormandyThe dispute with the PapacyWorsening relations with the baronsMagna Carta and the First Barons’ WarEngland in 1216
The USA, 1954–75: Conflict at Home and AbroadModern depth
Topic overviewThe position of Black Americans in the early 1950sDevelopments in education, 1954–60The Montgomery Bus Boycott and its impact, 1955–60Opposition to the civil rights movementDevelopments, 1960–62Peaceful protests and their impact, 1963–65Malcolm X and Black Power, 1963–70The civil rights movement, 1965–75Reasons for US involvement in the conflict in Vietnam, 1954–63Escalation of the conflict under JohnsonThe nature of the conflict in Vietnam, 1964–68Changes under Nixon, 1969–73Opposition to the warSupport for the warThe peace process and end of the warReasons for the failure of the USA in Vietnam
Warfare and British Society, c1250–presentPaper 1 option
Topic overviewFactors driving change in warfare, c1250–presentThe nature of warfare, c1250–c1500The experience of war, c1250–c1500Case studies: the battles of Falkirk and AgincourtThe nature of warfare, c1500–c1700The experience of war, c1500–c1700Case study: the Battle of Naseby, 1645The nature of warfare, c1700–c1900The experience of war, c1700–c1900Case studies: the battles of Waterloo and BalaclavaThe nature of warfare, c1900–presentThe experience of war, c1900–presentCase studies: the Somme and the Iraq War
Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918–39Modern depth
Topic overviewThe origins of the Republic, 1918–19The early challenges to the Weimar Republic, 1919–23The ‘Golden Years’: recovery of the Republic, 1924–29Changes in society, 1924–29Early development of the Nazi Party, 1920–22The Munich Putsch and the Nazi Party, 1923–28The growth in support for the Nazis, 1929–32How Hitler became Chancellor, 1932–33The creation of a dictatorship, 1933–34The police state, 1933–39Controlling and influencing attitudesOpposition, resistance and conformityNazi policies towards womenNazi policies towards the youngEmployment and living standardsThe persecution of minorities
Whitechapel, c1870–c1900: Crime, Policing and the Inner CityPaper 1 option
London and the Second World War, 1939–45
- 6 subtopics
- 18 things to know
- Paper 1
- Paper 1, one thematic study with its linked historic environment, of four pairs
What London and the Second World War, 1939–45 covers
London and the Second World War, 1939–45 is examined in Paper 1, Thematic study and historic environment. It covers London at the outbreak of the Second World War, the nature of attacks on London, the impact of the Blitz on civilian life, London’s response to the war, Britain and the Second World War: the wider context and sources for a London Blitz enquiry.
Where it is assessed
Paper 1
Thematic study and historic environment, 30% of the GCSE, one option of four.
Check the Pearson Edexcel specification ↗The 6 subtopics
Each one has its own page.
- London at the outbreak of the Second World WarWhy London was a target as the seat of government, the Thames as a guide, the port and East End war work, the fall of France, deaths beside the wharves, Operation Pied Piper and evacuation, Anderson shelters, gas masks for adults, toddlers and babies, the blackout and barrage balloons.Open →
- The nature of attacks on LondonBlack Saturday, the burning Surrey Docks, fifty-seven nights of raids, the Second Great Fire, incendiaries and high explosives, unexploded bombs, the raid of 10 May 1941, the V1 and V2, and the toll by 1945.Open →
- The impact of the Blitz on civilian lifeAir-raid wardens, Morrison shelters, the ban on sheltering in the Tube and how Londoners broke it, facilities on the platforms, the deaths at Balham and Bank, Mickey Davies's shelter, the South Hallsville School and Bethnal Green disasters, leisure in wartime, the Café de Paris bombing, rest centres, disruption to working life and ministers' fears for morale.Open →
- London’s response to the warThe King and Queen at Buckingham Palace and its bombing, the Cabinet War Rooms and the Map Room, Churchill's bunker, and Dig for Victory in Victoria Park, the Tower moat and across the capital.Open →
- Britain and the Second World War: the wider contextWhat the Blitz was, why the Luftwaffe turned on cities, German aims, the relief for Fighter Command, other bombed cities, why raids ended in May 1941, the Ministry of Information, censorship and the 'Blitz spirit'.Open →
- Sources for a London Blitz enquiryPersonal accounts, diaries and photographs, censored pictures, borough newspapers, council records and bomb damage maps, the Ministry of Home Security's returns and other official papers, Mass Observation, newsreels, national dailies and later memoirs, the strengths and limits of each, and how to plan a follow-up enquiry from a detail in a source.Open →
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
Your recallNot started
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What does a national daily paper offer an enquiry into the bombing?
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Why do historians of the bombing use official national records alongside neighbourhood ones?
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Which natural feature helped German aircrew find their way to the capital at night?
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Which dock burned most fiercely on the afternoon of 7 September 1940?
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What was the Map Room in the Cabinet War Rooms used for?
Numbers
What is meant by the Blitz?
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Why did the Port of London matter so much to Britain's ability to keep fighting?
Numbers
Roughly how many people were killed and seriously hurt in the first night of heavy bombing on 7 September 1940?
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What were the duties of an air-raid warden during a raid?
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Besides meeting rooms, what else did the Cabinet War Rooms bunker in Whitehall contain?
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Why did the Luftwaffe turn from airfields to cities in September 1940?
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Name two kinds of war work carried on in the East End and its riverside.
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Which raid of 29 December 1940 became known as the Second Great Fire?
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Why did the government at first refuse to let people shelter in Underground stations?
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How was Victoria Park in the East End used during the campaign?
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What did the German high command hope the bombing of the capital would achieve?
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Which kind of local source records what one individual actually saw and felt during a raid?
Take London and the Second World War, 1939–45 further
The same content, four other ways.
Commonly confused
Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.
Anderson shelter vs Morrison shelter
Anderson shelter: a curved corrugated steel arch sunk into the back garden and covered with soil. Morrison shelter: a steel cage the size of a large table for use indoors from 1941.
V1 vs V2
V1: the flying bomb whose buzzing pulse-jet cut out before it dived. V2: the rocket that fell faster than sound with no warning at all.
Black Saturday vs Second Great Fire
Black Saturday: the daylight and night raids on the docks and East End of 7 September 1940. Second Great Fire: the incendiary raid on the City around St Paul's on 29 December 1940.
Questions from this topic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
Why did being the seat of national government make the capital a prize target for the Luftwaffe?
Model answer
Parliament, the Whitehall ministries and the war cabinet were all based there, so wrecking the city threatened the running of the whole country.
- 2
Which natural feature helped German aircrew find their way to the capital at night?
Model answer
The Thames, a wide winding river that shone in moonlight and led bombers straight to the docks.
- 3
Why did the Port of London matter so much to Britain's ability to keep fighting?
Model answer
It was the country's largest port, taking in much of the food, fuel and raw materials brought across the Atlantic by convoy.
- 4
Name two kinds of war work carried on in the East End and its riverside.
Model answer
Weapons and shell filling at Woolwich Arsenal, and the engineering, chemical and food-processing factories packed around the wharves.
- 5
Why could German bombers reach the capital so easily after June 1940?
Model answer
The defeat of France gave the Luftwaffe airfields just across the Channel, only a short flight from the Thames.
- 6
Why did raids aimed at the wharves kill so many ordinary families?
Model answer
Terraced streets of dockworkers' housing stood right against the quays, so bombs meant for cargo sheds fell on homes.
What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material.
London and the Second World War, 1939–45 revision questions
- What does London and the Second World War, 1939–45 cover in Edexcel GCSE History?
- 6 subtopics: london at the outbreak of the second world war, the nature of attacks on london, the impact of the blitz on civilian life, london’s response to the war, britain and the second world war: the wider context and sources for a london blitz enquiry. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
- How is London and the Second World War, 1939–45 organised?
- By the Edexcel 1HI0 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.
Every question in London and the Second World War, 1939–45, 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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