HOW TO PASS
HIGHER
HISTORY PAPER 2
Scotland and the Impact of the
Great War
Course topics – Paper 2
The Impact of the Great War on Scotland 1914-28
There are four broad areas which make up this unit. These are then divided into
sub-topics:
1. Scottish involvement on the Western Front
a. Reasons for volunteering
b. Experiences of trench warfare for the kilted regiments
c. Scottish contribution to the war effort in terms of commitment,
casualties and leadership
2. Domestic impact
a. Debate over conscription – Pacifism & Conchies
b. Impact of the war on Scottish women – their changing role &
politicisation
c. Impact of military losses on society – commemoration &
remembrance
3. Industrial and Economic
a. Effects on industry, agriculture & fishing
b. Difficulties faced by industries after the war
c. Scottish emigration after the war
4. Political Impact
a. The Growth of Scottish Radicalism
b. The continuing support for Unionism
c. Crisis of Scottish identity
Involvement on
the Western Front
Domestic impact
on society
The Impact of the
Great War on
Scotland
Impact on industry
and economy
during & after
WWI
Impact on Scottish
Politics
How long should I spend on each
question?
15 mins for 5 markers
25 mins for 10 markers
5 mins to check over your answers
How long is it?
Timing: 1 hour 25 mins
What questions will I be asked?
Paper 2 is based entirely on sources. You will be given 5 sources and 4 questions to
complete.
How far
How Fully
How useful
Comparison
TOP TIPS!
 EXPLAIN every source and recall point you make
 STRUCTURE your answer in separate paragraphs – this allows
you to count you points as you go. It also helps the examiner
when they mark your answer.
 REVISE thoroughly so that you will be able to give DETAILED
RECALL in your answers.
 Make sure you ANSWER the question!
In this question you are being asked to judge the usefulness of a source as a
piece of historical evidence.
You will have seen this question in Standard Grade but remember that this is
Higher - a more detailed answer with greater analysis is required.
To get full marks, you need to discuss:
ORIGIN – Who is the author and why are they important? It is not enough to
say their name – explain who they are and how this affects the usefulness of
the source. Is it biased or exaggerated? Is it a primary
(contemporary)/secondary source? How will this affect its usefulness?
PURPOSE – Why was this source produced? Explain the possible aims of the
source.
CONTENT – Identify the key points in the source. Is this information useful
to help us answer the question? Is it accurate?
RECALL - Does the source omit any points that are important in answering the
question? Explain any key points that are not mentioned in the source.
How is it marked?
Total of 5 marks
 Up to 2 marks for origin and purpose
 Up to 2 marks for explanation of source content
 Up to 2 marks for recall with explanation
TEACHER ADVICE:
Do not copy from the source or list points without explaining them – if you do this
you will score 0 or 1 at most if you have a generous marker.
A source is rarely completely useful – a good word to use is partly – to show that
the source does not give the whole picture.
Clearly structure your answer by putting the origin, purpose, source and content in
separate paragraphs.
How do I write my answer?
You need to write in a clear and structured way by signposting your answer. Put
each point in a separate paragraph.
Source A is useful because of its origin. It is useful because it is a primary
(contemporary)/secondary......... It was written by ........................ who is important
because.................. However, this means it may be biased because........
The possible purpose of the source is .......
The content of the source is useful because..... {Mention a point from the source
and EXPLAIN how this is useful as evidence, in relation to the question}
However, the source is limited/omits a few important factors such as..........
{Mention 2 points from RECALL that are not included in the source and again
you must EXPLAIN how this affects the usefulness of the source}
Example question:
Source E: from Willie Gallacher, Revolt on the Clyde (1936).
The ‘tuppence an hour’ strike was over. We were back once more in the factories. But the
strike had made a deep political change. Any hope the war-makers might have had of
spreading the war fever throughout the Clyde was now gone forever. The workers knew their
enemies, and that they were not across the North Sea. Revolutionary agitators, under
McLean’s tuition, were increasing in number day by day, and were warmly cheered at mass
meetings wherever they went. It became increasingly difficult for the ‘patriots’ to get a
hearing. From the very beginning the Socialists of Glasgow took a firm stand against the war.
This was evidenced when Ben Tillett came to fulfil an engagement with the Clarion Scouts.
The meeting was in the Pavilion Theatre. Ben shrieked his undying hatred of the
Germans, but the audience of Socialists hooted him off the platform.
How useful is Source E as evidence of the growth of radicalism in politics in
Scotland? [5]
In reaching a conclusion you should refer to:
• the origin and possible purpose of the source;
• the content of the source;
• recalled knowledge.
Model answer: This candidate got an A
Source E is fairly useful as evidence of the growth of radicalism in
Scotland during World War One; however it is one man’s perspective, using one
incident, in one city as evidence of a growth of radicalism in politics. It misses
out many other relevant points which could be used as evidence.
Source E was written by Willie Gallacher, the Chairman of the Clyde
Workers’ Committee and a fierce trade unionist who witnessed the events of
this strike first hand. A primary source, makes this source useful, but not
necessarily reliable, as his bias towards socialism may be cause for exaggeration
of the events. {origin}
The possible purpose of the source is to act as a memoir of the events of
the Red Clydeside movement. {Purpose}
The content of source E does indeed show a radical uprising on the Clyde
as the workers demanded more pay. It also mentions famous revolutionary John
MacLean, depicted as a leader and mentor to the so-called ‘agitators’, when in
fact, though inspirational to those who did support him, Socialists were the
minority and due to his multiple arrests became a less prominent figure . Lastly
Gallacher says that the Glasgow Socialists prevented those that they dubbed
‘patriots’ from speaking– meaning they thought that the war was worth working
through from speaking and promoting the pro-war support. This pro-war spirit
stayed strong due to a sense of duty. {Content }
However, Gallacher’s claim that it caused deep political change and ended
the pro-war attitude on the Clyde is exaggerated, as most workers did see it as
their duty to help those on the front line by helping the war effort and so
worked well. {Recall}
Overall source E is evidence of the growth of radicalism, but more so in
Glasgow than as Scotland as a whole, as it really talks about the socialist feeling
that sprung up in the factories there.
Origin – 1 mark
Content – 2 marks
Purpose – 1 mark
Recall – 1 mark
5/5
In this question you are being asked to compare the content of two sources on a
topic by giving an overall comparison (general statement and explanation on what
they agree/disagree on) and then a developed comparison (comparing specific
sentences in the two sources).
It might not use the word compare in the question, it is usually worded like this:
‘To what extent does Source B agree with Source C about...?’
To get full marks, you need to identify:
OVERALL COMPARISON – Start your answer with an assessment of how
much the two sources agree overall, they may partly, mostly or fully
agree/disagree. Then add what the main overall point of
disagreement/agreement is.
DEVELOPED COMPARISON – Directly compare four points in the sources
that agree/disagree. You can quote from the sources but you must explain
how they agree/disagree in relation to the question.
How is it marked?
Total of 5 marks
 Up to 2 marks for overall comparison
DEVELOPED COMPARISON
 Up to 4 marks for developing and explaining each comparison in detail
How do I write my answer?
Your answer must be clearly structured. Put the overall comparison and each
individual comparison in a separate paragraph. If you have time add a concluding
sentence.
The overall comparison is..... The sources agree/disagree about...
The author of Source A argues/mentions/believes.....
These opinions are matched/opposed by the author of Source B who also
argues/mentions/believes.....
(Do this 4 times to get 4 marks)
In conclusion....
TEACHER ADVICE:
The comparison question is the one that pupils across Scotland find the most
difficult – tackle this question last. If you do it first and get stuck you might
use up valuable time for answering other questions that are worth more
marks.
If you get stuck and cannot identify all of the comparisons in the sources,
score out the ones you have found to help the remaining answers stand out.
If
Example question:
Source B: by William H Marwick, from Edinburgh, quoted in Ian MacDougall, Voices from
War: Personal recollections of war in our century by Scottish men and women (1995).
I felt much in sympathy with the Union of Democratic Control and joined the Edinburgh
branch. Opposition to the war at first seemed negligible. But there were those who expressed
their doubts about it from the start and they and others like-minded had formed the Union of
Democratic Control. It was not specifically anti-war. It included not only pacifists but some
who actually served in the war. Then there were those who were definitely opposed to the war
on what would be called ideological grounds. They held it was a capitalist war in which the
working class had no share and no business to take part.
Then there were those who objected on religious grounds. The Quakers opposed all war as
being against Christianity and members of other churches took the same position.
Then there were those who objected on various other grounds. So it was a very mixed lot.
Source C: by J P M Millar, from Edinburgh, quoted in Ian MacDougall, Voices from War:
Personal recollections of war in our century by Scottish men and women (1995).
When the war broke out in 1914 I became convinced that socialists had no business getting
involved in this struggle. I therefore became one of the miscellaneous band called
conscientious objectors, of which the Quakers were the best known. When I made up my
mind that I shouldn’t take part in the war I wrote to Thomas Johnston, editor of Forward and
suggested that those of us who weren’t prepared to take part in the war should make
preparations for the fact that the government would no doubt in time introduce conscription.
He replied that he didn’t think conscription would ever be introduced in
Britain. But conscription did come and one result of that was the formation of the NoConscription Fellowship. I founded the Edinburgh branch of the Fellowship and became its
secretary. Its membership consisted not only of men of military age, but of women and of
men too old for military service.
To what extent do Sources B and C agree about conscientious objection to the war in
Scotland? [5]
Compare the content overall and in detail.
Model answer:
Overall, sources B and C partly agree on conscientious objection to the
war in Scotland as they agree on the objectors being a mixed group of people
with various reasons for being against the war. However they disagree over the
nature and organisation of these groups [2].
Both sources agree that some objected to the war on ideological terms.
Source B says it did not have anything to do with the working class as it was a
capitalist war while source C says it had nothing to do with socialism and they
should not get involved [1].
Both Miller and Marwick agree that a number of people objected to the
war on religious grounds with the Quakers being one of the most prominent and
well-known of the conscientious objectors. Marwick emphasises that many
religious men were pacifists because they felt that war was not in line with
Christianity. Millar in source B refers to the Quakers as being the most well
known of the ‘conchies’ [1].
Both sources disagree about the differing motivation of groups who
objected to the war. As Marwick highlights the UDC which represented mixed
opinion and was not specifically anti-war because some members also fought in
the war. Whereas Miller uses the example of the NCF as a group that were
very anti- war because of conscription. The NCF promoted opposition to
conscription and later became pacifist in their approach [1].
Finally, both sources agree that the members of organisations that
promoted objection to the war were mixed and very different. Marwick
mentions that the ‘conchies’ were a “mixed lot”. Miller mentions that the NCF
which was established to oppose conscription had members that were not only
men of conscription age but also women and men too old to be conscripted who
showed their support for pacifism, possibly because members of their family
had been called up [1].
To conclude, sources B and C agree that opposition was mixed and the
debate was largely ideological and religious, however they differ in what
motivated these groups and the opinions that they had.
Overall - 2 Developed- 4
5/5
The ‘How far’ and ‘How fully’ questions are both worth 10 marks each. How fully
is always about one of the 4 main areas we have studied – How far is always
about one of the sub-issues.
You are expected to use your knowledge of history to identify and explain the
main points in the source. You are then expected to ‘fill-in-the-blanks’ with
recall that is not included in the source.
To get full marks you need to:
SOURCE - Identify and explain four points from the source that answer
the question.
RECALL – Explain six points of recall that also answer the question but are
not included in the source.
How is it marked?
Total of 10 marks
 Up to 4 marks for source explanation
 Up to 7 marks for recalled knowledge with explanation
How do I write my answer?
Clearly structure your answer in paragraphs – in the first paragraph, start with
a judgement in answer to the question before explaining the points from the
source which answer the question. Put each point in a separate paragraph.
Now address recall. Again put each point in a separate paragraph. This will help
you to count each point you make as you go and also when you go back to check
your answer at the end.
Source A partly explains....
The source accurately tells us about.... {Don’t simply quote - You must explain
each source points to get the marks!} This is useful as evidence because...
(Do this 4 times)
However, the source does not give the whole picture. There are other
reasons/points/factors that are not mentioned..... {Again, make sure you explain
each point of recall that you make)
(Do this 6 times)
In conclusion....
TEACHER ADVICE:
It is important that you don’t just copy the points in the source – if you do this
you will get a maximum of 1 mark. You must explain the points in relation to the
question. Recall points that you make must also be explained thoroughly and
linked to the question.
Example question:
Source A: from Jack Alexander, McCrae’s Battalion: The Story of the 16th Royal Scots,
(2003).
On the evening of 16 June 1916 McCrae’s went into the front line near Dernacourt, three
miles south of Albert. The trenches here were even poorer than the last. The dug-outs
were overcrowded and the atmosphere stifling. They were greeted with heavy shelling
which lasted until dawn and continued through the following day. Donald McLean was
killed by a rifle grenade as he settled down to lunch. John Miller, a 25-year-old from
Portobello, also died in the bombardment. He was with his brother, Tommy, at the time.
They had volunteered together at Tynecastle during the victory over Hibs and both
claimed a place in the Hearts Company. The following morning Willie Brydie, an
apprentice engineer from Merchiston was sniped during ‘stand to’.
Model answer: This candidate got an A
Source A does illustrate to an extent, the experience of Scots on the Western
Front; however its main focus is on events in the trenches and the conditions there.
There is no mention of the heavy losses or the impact they had back at home.
Alexander writes that the new trenches that the men arrived at were poorly
built and in poor condition [1 source].
Also that they were stuffy and close due to the mass of people living in
cramped and confined spaces [1 source].
A common form of death mentioned in Source A is the bombardment which
Alexander says was constantly in the background. He gives more specific examples
such as a soldier being hit by a grenade as he was about to eat his lunch and a 25 year
old dying with his brother [1 source].
According to Alexander, death by sniping was also a common occurrence at
stand-to in the morning and evening. This was when attacks were most likely to take
place so both sides were quick to fire [1 source].
On the other hand, the source fails to mention that cramped living
conditions was an issue common in most trenches and often led to bad sanitation. For
example, lice bred in the lining of uniforms (especially kilts) and millions of rats
infested the trenches feeding off waste food and forgotten corpses [1 recall].
In addition, the water which often flooded the dugouts was polluted; a
major cause of cholera. Trench foot, frost bite and cholera were also common among
soldiers [1 recall].
The heavy losses suffered by Scottish troops during offensives – most notably
the Battle of the Somme, where 51 Scottish infantry Battalions were involved and
subsequently suffered a great number of casualties [1 recall].
Similarly at Loos, over a third of those who died were Scots. Also there is
hardly any reference to how these losses affected those back home – hardly any part
of Scotland saw all their men come home; nearly every street had lost someone [1
recall].
There is no mention of the positive, determined attitude that lingered among
the soldiers despite the losses and seemingly never-ending fighting [1 recall].
Soldiers still felt there was hope and cause. They took strength from those
victories they did manage, for instance at Beaumont Hamel [1 recall]. The situation
was such that the men kept their heads down, driven by what was going on around
them; new men would always arrive and the fight would continue.
Overall, Source A does illustrate the experience of Scots in the trenches. It
fails to mention several other aspects of life on the Western Front.
Source – 4 Recall – 6
10/10
Even though this is a source paper, you have to include recall in almost every
answer. To get an A you need to demonstrate that you have a confident grasp of
recalled knowledge.
All four topics will be assessed therefore you must revise all of the topics. The
revision guide gives you a good idea of the level of detail required.
Start by organising your revision into chunks. On an A4 page, select one of the
main topics and create a mind map using your revision guide to help you. Then for
each impact add 3 recalled examples which demonstrate that impact. Do this for
all four broad areas.
Popularity
of the ILP
Decline of
Irish Home
Rule
RADICAL
MOVEMENT
Impact of the War
on Scottish Politics
Decline of
Liberal Party
Radical
figures e.g.
Gallacher
Stronger
Conservative
Party
Rise of the
Labour Party
Labour won
29 seats in
Scotland in
1922 election
Labour became
2nd largest party
supported by
disaffected
workers
1924 election
result: minority
Labour govt
led by Scot
Ramsay
McDonald