Updated to include new content for 2013.

Contemporary design appeals to students from a range of ability levels.

Learning objectives provide a clear overview of what students will learn in each chapter.

Exam support for the revised assessments.

Edexcel GCSE

History A: The Making of the Modern World

New Student Books for 2013

International relations: The Era of the Cold War 1943-91

Germany 1918-39

War and the transformation of British society c1903-28

The transformation of British Society c1951-79

Take a look at samples from some of our new 2013 Student Books and order online.

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Edexcel GCSEHistory A: The Making of the Modern WorldUnit 1: International RelationsThe Era of the Cold War 1943–91

Authors:Robin BunceLaura GallagherNigel KellySeries Editors:Nigel KellyAngela LeonardUpdated for the 2013 specifications by:Robin Bunce

Laura Gallagher

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Edexcel GCSEHistory A: The Making of the Modern WorldUnit 2A: Germany 1918–39

Author:John ChildSeries Editors:Nigel KellyAngela LeonardUpdated for the 2013 specifications by: John Child

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Edexcel GCSEHistory A: The Making of the Modern WorldUnit 2B: Russia 1917–39

Author:Jane ShuterSeries Editors:Nigel KellyAngela LeonardUpdated for the 2013 specifications by: Jane Shuter

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Edexcel GCSEHistory A: The Making of the Modern WorldUnit 2C: The USA 1919–41

Author:Jane ShuterSeries Editors:Nigel KellyAngela LeonardUpdated for the 2013 specifications by: Jane Shuter

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Edexcel GCSEHistory A: The Making of the Modern WorldUnit 3A: War and the transformation of British society

c.1903-28

Author:Nigel KellySeries Editors:Nigel KellyAngela LeonardUpdated for the 2013 specifications by:Jane Shuter

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Edexcel GCSEHistory A: The Making of the Modern WorldUnit 3B: War and the transformation of British society

c.1931–51

Author:Jane ShuterSeries Editors:Nigel KellyAngela LeonardUpdated for the 2013 specifications by:Jane Shuter

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Edexcel GCSEHistory A: The Making of the Modern WorldUnit 3C: The transformation of British society c.1951–79

Author:Stuart Clayton

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Key Topic 1: How did the Cold War develop? 1943–56

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Activity

Sources A and B are from British newspapers published during the time of the Berlin Blockade and each shows a different message. The message in Source A is that the West is helping West Berlin with an airlift and increased supplies, whereas Stalin is sending nothing but ‘lies’, ‘scares’ and ‘rumours’ to threaten the West.

Source B likens the Berlin Blockade to a game of chess between Stalin and President Truman. Stalin’s chess pieces are labelled ‘Eastern Bloc’ and ‘Berlin Blockade’. Truman’s chess pieces are labeled ‘Berlin Airlift’ and ‘Atlantic Pact’.

1 These cartoons offer a Western point of view. Now try to produce your own cartoon about the Berlin Airlift from a Soviet point of view.

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The Formation of NATO (1949)The Berlin Blockade was the � rst military confrontation of the Cold War. It raised the possibility of a war in Europe. As a result, Western European nations tried to establish an alliance in order to ‘keep the USA in, and the USSR out’. In April 1949, NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) was established as an alliance between the USA and many of the countries in Western Europe. NATO members agreed that if any NATO country came under attack, all members of NATO would come to their defence.

The creation of NATO marked a signi� cant development in the Cold War. The Marshall Plan had created a trading alliance but NATO went further. It was a military alliance with the speci� c aim of defending the West against communism.

The Formation of the Warsaw Pact (1955)In 1955, the USSR responded to the creation of NATO by forming the Warsaw Pact, a military alliance of Eastern European countries that mirrored NATO. The eight Eastern European countries that made up the alliance included East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary. The USSR already had Cominform but, when West Germany joined NATO, it was too provocative to ignore.

The arms race 1945–55The arms race was an important feature of the Cold War. It included both a continuing commitment to maintaining a large army, navy and air force, and the development of ever-more-deadly nuclear weapons. In 1945, the USA became the � rst country to develop and use a nuclear bomb. By 1949, the USSR had caught up – it had developed and tested its own nuclear bomb. This prompted the Americans to develop hydrogen bombs – a second generation of more powerful nuclear weapons. By 1953, both countries had hydrogen bombs. However, the USA’s warheads were still more powerful than those developed by the Soviet Union. Nonetheless, in 1955 the USSR tested a bomb known as ‘Sakharov’s Third Idea.’ This new bomb was as powerful as America’s hydrogen bombs.

These new bombs required either missiles or modi� ed aircraft in order to attack enemy territory. By 1955, America had developed the B52 Stratofortress, an aeroplane with the long-range � ight capacity to bomb the Soviet Union. At the same time the Soviet Union was developing a similar aircraft known as the TU20 Bear.

Why was the arms race signifi cant?The arms race was signi� cant because it prevented a war in Europe. The USSR had 3 million troops and could easily capture West Germany. However, the Soviet leaders would never order an invasion because they feared an American nuclear retaliation. One atomic bomb could turn an entire city into ashes and kill hundreds of thousands of people in a few seconds. Soviet leaders had paid close attention to the American bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of the Second World War and understood the awesome power of the new weapons.

America and Russia named their nuclear bombs. Two of America’s fi rst nuclear bombs were named ‘Fat Man’ and ‘Little Boy’. Russia named a bomb ‘Layercake’.

Source A

The development of the Cold War: � rst confrontation

Source B

Castle Romeo detonation, March 27 1954. Romeo was the third largest nuclear test carried out by the United States.

NATO members: USA, Britain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, (Greece 1952, West Germany 1955)

Warsaw Pact: Soviet Union, Albania (until 1968), Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania

Source A

Source B

Exam Question: How useful are Sources A and B as evidence of Russia’s actions during the Berlin crisis? Explain your answer using Sources A and B and your own knowledge. (10 marks)

A basic answer (level 1) makes simple comments on the content or provenance of the sources.

A good answer (level 2) reaches a judgement about the usefulness of the sources based on their content or origin.

An excellent answer (level 3) reaches a judgement about the usefulness of the sources based on their content or origin, and linking these to the purpose stated in the question. In addition, an excellent answer makes use of own knowledge to support its argument.

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International relations: The Era of the Cold War 1943-91

However, the next morning, Hitler heard that all three had changed their minds and now opposed him. This was a blow. The SA had only 2000 ri� es, far fewer than the local police and army forces, but Hitler pressed on. He sent 3000 supporters to occupy key buildings around the town, each group supported by the SA.

Hitler and a specialist group of storm troopers – his Shock Troop – marched on the town centre to declare him the president of Germany. But they were met by state police, who opened � re. A bodyguard, Graf, threw himself in front of Hitler and was hit by several bullets. Goering fell, shot in the thigh. Hitler was dragged to the ground by his bodyguards with such force that his left arm was dislocated. In all, 14 of Hitler’s supporters and four police were killed. Ludendorff and others were arrested. The rest � ed. Hitler also � ed the scene, in a car. He hid at the house of a friend, ten miles south of Munich, but was later found hiding in a wardrobe there and was arrested.

ResultsOne result of failure was punishment. Hitler was found guilty of treason and imprisoned for � ve years at Landsberg Castle. His party, the NSDAP, and its newspaper, the Völkischer Beobachter, were banned.

Hitler’s punishment was lenient. Partly this was because, in truth, the Munich Putsch was no real threat to the government in Berlin. Hitler had:

• failed to take control of the key police, military and communications of� ces in Munich

• failed to get the support of key politicians

• and failed to get support from the local police or military.

So, in the short term, the Munich Putsch was a failure. However, you will see later how Hitler managed to use his trial to publicise his political views. He also learned from the failure of 1923 and, from 1924, re-launched the NSDAP along new lines. (See page 26 onwards).

Unrest subsidesFrom 1918 to 1923, Germany had been in political turmoil. Widespread anger about Versailles and economic suffering fuelled left-wing and right-wing extremism. But, the unrest calmed down from 1924. In the following pages, you will learn why.

Source B: a group of Hitler’s Stosstrupp (Shock Troop), in Munich on the morning of the Putsch.

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Key Topic 1: The Weimar Republic 1918–33Unit 2 (A): Germany 1918–39

Learning objectivesIn this chapter you will learn about:

• the causes, events and results of the Munich Putsch.

Background to the putschAdolf Hitler was the leader of a small, but rapidly growing, right-wing party, called the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP), known as the Nazi party (see page 26 onwards). By 1923, the Nazis had the support of:

• about 55,000 party members, mostly from around Munich, the capital of Bavaria, in the south of Germany

• impressive � gureheads, like Hermann Goering, a wealthy hero of the German Air Force, and the famous German general, Erich von Ludendorff

• its own private army – the Sturmabteilung (SA) or storm troopers.

Causes of the putschIn 1923, Hitler decided to use this support to take control of Munich and then march on Berlin. He believed he would get public support from all over Germany, for two key reasons:

• 1923 was the year that France occupied the Ruhr. This angered many German people who wanted a strong government who would stand up for Germany.

• It was also the year of hyperin� ation. This caused widespread economic suffering. People resented that the Weimar Republic seemed powerless to solve it.

Events of the putschOn the evening of 8 November 1923, there was a meeting of 3000 of� cials of the Bavarian government in a beer hall, called the Burgerbrau Keller, in Munich. The three main speakers were all right-wing sympathisers:

• von Kahr, the leader of the Bavarian government

• von Seisser, the head of the Bavarian police

• von Lossow, the head of the army in Bavaria.

Hitler burst into the meeting, with 600 SA storm troopers, brandishing a gun. He � red a shot into the ceiling and announced that he was taking over Bavaria. Kahr, Seisser and Lossow were taken off into a side room. Threatened with pistols, they agreed to support the uprising.

The Munich Putsch, 1923

Source A: the front of this magazine from 1924 shows Kahr carrying Hitler into attack, but also summoning soldiers to arrest him.

Describe the key features of the Munich Putsch. (6 marks)

Exam-style question

‘The Munich Putsch did not succeed, but it was not a failure.’

• As you go through this chapter, draw up a balance sheet, noting down Hitler’s successes and failures during the Munich Putsch.

• At the end, decide whether you agree or disagree with the statement above.

Activity

• As a class or a group, draw up a balance sheet of successes and failures for the Weimar Republic by 1923.

• Overall, how had it done?

Activity

The above question is about key features.Students who do well in these questions organise their information. You need to make sure you identify a key feature and then provide information about it. For example, what information would you give about:• the failure of the Putsch on the day• the longer-term results?There is a key features question on page 23. Use the advice there to help you here.

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Key Topic 1: The Weimar Republic 1918–29

Germany 1918-39

Key Topic 3: The Home Front and social change 1914-1918

46

Personal restrictionsDORA gave the government the right to introduce food rationing (see pages 52–53) and also to control alcohol consumption. Public house opening times were restricted. They were allowed to open only from midday to 2.30 pm and 6.30 pm to 9.30 pm daily. Beer was also watered down. These measures were to control drunkenness and improve productivity. British Summer Time was also introduced to give more daylight hours to work in.

Controlling industryThe government was also given the power to force people to stay in jobs which were vital to the war effort. Workers were not allowed to transfer to other jobs for better pay if their existing jobs were in key industries, such as munitions. This became even more important when there was a munitions crisis in 1915 as soldiers ran out of artillery shells. Private companies were unable to produce enough munitions. They were struggling to get enough metal, coal, rubber and other materials. So the government took control of co-ordinating the supply of materials. It also set up its own munitions factories and took over the coalmines.

It is a tragedy of the war that the country which went out to defend liberty is losing its own liberties one by one and that the government which began by relying on public opinion as a great help has now come to fear and control it.

Source DThis comment was written in a magazine called The Nation in May 1916. It was complaining about the censorship imposed by DORA. The government used those powers to close the magazine.

Source CA notice banning a meeting in Glasgow in 1917. The Provisional Committee of the Workers’ and Soldiers’ Council was a communist organisation.

1 ‘Putting people in prison for speaking their mind is never acceptable.’ Looking at the evidence on these pages, explain whether you agree with this statement.

2 Explain why the government might have forbidden those things listed in the ‘Personal restrictions’ section.

Activity

The Defence of the Realm Act

47

PropagandaThe government didn’t just use the powers of DORA to force people to do what they wanted. They also used propaganda to persuade people to do this. Propaganda is giving out information, true, false or partially true to make people think and behave in a particular way. Government propaganda showed German soldiers as monsters, to make people want to � ght them. It encouraged women to do war work, such as nursing, or join the land army. Propaganda came in several different forms, such as posters, � lms and pamphlets. Censorship was a form of propaganda, because edited newspapers were giving a government version of events.

Source EA propaganda poster from 1915, persuading women to encourage their men go to war.

Exam question: What can you learn from Source D about the Home Front in the First World War? (6 marks)

A basic answer (level 1) just repeats information in the source (for example, the country is losing its liberties).

A good answer (level 2) makes an inference but does not support it from the source (for example, there were people who were fed up with the restrictions on personal freedom).

An excellent answer (level 3) makes two inferences and supports them from the source (for example, … because this magazine is complaining that the government is taking away liberty because it fears public opinion, and…).

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When asked what they can learn from a source, many students just repeat the information in the source or describe what they can see. Students who do well will make an inference – i.e. a judgement that the source does not make directly. So if you were asked what you could learn about Britain in the First World War from Source A, inferences might be that it was too tough, controlling, anti-pacifi st etc. To get the highest marks you would then need to support these points with detail from the source.

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War and the transformation of British society c1903-28

Popular activitiesSome things in British life have changed little: then, as now, sports such as football and hobbies such as gardening and � shing were highly popular with men of different ages. According to their age, women enjoyed domestic craft hobbies, bingo, dance, swimming (at lidos) and tennis but had fewer opportunities to participate in team sports which were still generally thought to be ‘unfeminine’.

About two-thirds of peoples’ leisure time is currently spent in the home. This would have been slightly less in the 1950s in the main due to the lack of modern entertainment technology: almost every home had a radio but very few had a television in the early 1950s. Television ownership took off after Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953. Just 15,000 TV licenses were issued in 1947; this had risen to 10.5 million by 1960! Far more people enjoyed regular public viewing of sport or � lms than today.

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OpportunitiesMen and women, especially among the working classes, had fewer opportunities for leisure activities in the 1950s than later generations enjoyed. This was due to two things:

• Time: men worked on average 40 minutes longer per day and had 2 weeks less holiday per year in the 1950s than by 1979 (and this was after a 1948 Act of Parliament had doubled annual paid holiday to two weeks!). By 1979 women spent at least 30 minutes less on housework per day. This was largely due to the rise in ownership of labour-saving devices like vacuum cleaners but men also began to do a lot more housework.

• Disposable income: in 1953, a man’s average wage would cover a weekly food bill after 15 hours work; by 1981 this had fallen to 9 hours. The rise in the numbers of women in work further increased a family’s disposable income.

Popular leisure activitiesLearning Objectives

In this chapter you will learn

about:

• opportunities for leisure in the 1950s

• popular leisure activities In the 1950s

Source B Author Valerie Tedder remembers growing up in post-war Leicester in her 1999 book Post-War Blues.

We made use of the baby listening service a couple of times. All you had to do to let sta� know there was a baby sleeping inside the chalet, was to tie a large white handkerchief on the door knob. Any child heard crying was reported by the sta� on patrol and the message was given out over the tannoy system in the ballroom, ‘Baby crying in chalet number…’ It was noticeable that many fathers did the honours, leaving the mothers to enjoy the evening undisturbed. At the end of the evening the entertainment ended with the singing of the National Anthem. Loud noise and shouting was banned.

1 How useful is Source C as evidence of popular leisure activities in the 1950s?

2 In what ways might the rapid growth of television ownership in the 1950s have affected other popular leisure activities?

Activities

Exam question: Study Source A and use your own knowledge. What was the purpose of the poster shown as Source A? Use details from the source and your own knowledge to explain your answer. (8 marks)

A basic answer (level 1) gives a reason why the poster was made but does not use details of the source or knowledge to back up the answer.

A good answer (level 2) gives a reason why the poster was made (to encourage families to take their holiday at the holiday camp) and uses details of the source or own knowledge to explain the purpose of the source.

An excellent answer (level 3) gives a reason why the poster was made and uses details from the source and own knowledge to explain the purpose of the source (to appeal to different gender’s typical interests, to take advantage of recent increases in annual paid holiday and take business away from seaside hotels).

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Source C

Source C

A photo of a British family watching television in the mid-1950s

An advert for a Butlins holiday camp from the 1950s.

• There were just under 40 million admissions to football matches in England in 1950; despite a large population increase this has fallen to around 25 million admissions today

• There were 1.4 billion cinema admissions per year in 1950, a � gure that had already fallen to 515 million by 1959. Children especially loved Saturday morning cinema where cartoons, comedies and adventure � lms were screened.

Then, as now, summer was the time to take holidays. In the 1950s less than 2 per cent took overseas holidays; the majority went to the seaside by coach or train. Many factories would close for what was known as ‘Wakes Week’ in many towns; the whole town could feel deserted as workers went to the seaside. This was not very different from the way in which holidays had been taken by the majority of people from the late 19th century onwards. The latest craze, particularly among working class families, was to take a holiday at one of the new holiday camps. With the rise in disposable income these were much more affordable and many poorer families were able to go away on holiday for the � rst time.

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Key Topic 1: British society and economy in the 1950s Popular leisure activities

The transformation of British Society c1951-79

UNIT 1

UNIT 2a

UNIT 2b

UNIT 2c

UNIT 3a

UNIT 3b

UNIT 3c

NEW titles for GCSE History A: The Making of the Modern World 2013

International Relations: The Era of the Cold War 1943-91

978 1 446906 78 1 £11.99

Germany 1918-39 978 1 446906 74 3 £11.99

Russia 1914-39 978 1 446906 75 0 £11.99

The USA 1919-41 978 1 446924 08 2 £11.99

War and the transformation of British society c1903-28

978 1 446924 09 9 £11.99

War and the transformation of British society c1931-51

978 1 446906 76 7 £11.99

The transformation of British society c1951-79

978 1 446906 77 4 £11.99

Edexcel GCSEHistory A: The Making of the Modern WorldUnit 1: International RelationsThe Era of the Cold War 1943–91

Authors:Robin BunceLaura GallagherNigel KellySeries Editors:Nigel KellyAngela LeonardUpdated for the 2013 specifications by:Robin Bunce

Laura Gallagher

A LWAY S L E A R N I NG

Edexcel GCSEHistory A: The Making of the Modern WorldUnit 2A: Germany 1918–39

Author:John ChildSeries Editors:Nigel KellyAngela LeonardUpdated for the 2013 specifications by: John Child

A LWAY S L E A R N I NG Edexcel GCSEHistory A: The Making of the Modern WorldUnit 2B: Russia 1917–39

Author:Jane ShuterSeries Editors:Nigel KellyAngela LeonardUpdated for the 2013 specifications by: Jane Shuter

A LWAY S L E A R N I NG

Edexcel GCSEHistory A: The Making of the Modern WorldUnit 2C: The USA 1919–41

Author:Jane ShuterSeries Editors:Nigel KellyAngela LeonardUpdated for the 2013 specifications by: Jane Shuter

A LWAY S L E A R N I NG Edexcel GCSEHistory A: The Making of the Modern WorldUnit 3A: War and the transformation of British society

c.1903-28

Author:Nigel KellySeries Editors:Nigel KellyAngela LeonardUpdated for the 2013 specifications by:Jane Shuter

A LWAY S L E A R N I NG

Edexcel GCSEHistory A: The Making of the Modern WorldUnit 3B: War and the transformation of British society

c.1931–51

Author:Jane ShuterSeries Editors:Nigel KellyAngela LeonardUpdated for the 2013 specifications by:Jane Shuter

A LWAY S L E A R N I NG Edexcel GCSEHistory A: The Making of the Modern WorldUnit 3C: The transformation of British society c.1951–79

Author:Stuart Clayton

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