Edexcel GCSE History 1HI0
Anglo-Saxon and Norman England, c1060–88British depth
British America, 1713–83: Empire and RevolutionPeriod study
Conflict in the Middle East, 1945–95Period study
Crime and Punishment in Britain, c1000–presentPaper 1 option
Early Elizabethan England, 1558–88British depth
Henry VIII and His Ministers, 1509–40British depth
London and the Second World War, 1939–45Paper 1 option
Mao’s China, 1945–76Modern depth
Medicine in Britain, c1250–presentPaper 1 option
Migrants in Britain, c800–presentPaper 1 option
Notting Hill, c1948–c1970Paper 1 option
Russia and the Soviet Union, 1917–41Modern depth
Spain and the ‘New World’, c1490–c1555Period study
Superpower Relations and the Cold War, 1941–91Period study
The American West, c1835–c1895Period study
The British Sector of the Western Front, 1914–18: Injuries, Treatment and the TrenchesPaper 1 option
The Reigns of King Richard I and King John, 1189–1216British depth
The USA, 1954–75: Conflict at Home and AbroadModern depth
Warfare and British Society, c1250–presentPaper 1 option
Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918–39Modern depth
Whitechapel, c1870–c1900: Crime, Policing and the Inner CityPaper 1 option
London and the Second World War, 1939–45
London at the outbreak of the Second World War
- 3 things to know
- Paper 1
Overview
Why 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.
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
Why did the Port of London matter so much to Britain's ability to keep fighting?
Name two kinds of war work carried on in the East End and its riverside.
Questions from this subtopic
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.
Other ways to work this
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