The origins and course of the First World War, 1905–18

On Field Marshal Haig, answers drift into his character (the "butcher of the Somme" debate) instead of his role and impact as commander. Write what he did and its effects: he led the British forces from December 1915, directed the costly Somme (1916) and Passchendaele (1917) offensives, then the successful Hundred Days (1918) that helped force the armistice.

In the (b) source question, almost all candidates show how two sources agree (both note British worry at German naval strength) but stop there. Higher marks need how they DIFFER and the extent of support: the sources agree only that Germany was building up, but differ over whether it threatened Britain. Use "whereas"/"but" and weigh each source's provenance.

In the (c) interpretation on the causes of war, weak answers back one factor and never test rival causes. Examiners noted surprisingly few candidates raised Great Power rivalry or Sarajevo when weighing the interpretation. Bring in rival explanations — militarism, the naval race, Balkan tensions, the July Crisis — before judging how far it holds.

Candidates muddle the two alliance blocs. The Triple Alliance was Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy; the Triple Entente was Britain, France and Russia. Getting the membership the wrong way round undermines any answer on how the alliance system dragged the powers into war, so learn the two lists exactly and match each country to the correct camp.

Do not place Gallipoli (1915) on the Western Front. It was a separate campaign against the Ottoman Empire — an attempt to open a supply route to Russia, fought on the Gallipoli peninsula — not part of the trench line in France and Belgium. It failed against strong defences, though its one clear success was the well-organised evacuation.

Both Verdun and the Somme are 1916 attrition battles, but they are not the same: Verdun was a German offensive against the French, while the Somme (from 1 July 1916) was a British-led offensive against the Germans. Do not merge them or swap which side attacked; each cost enormous casualties for little ground.

The assassination of Franz Ferdinand at Sarajevo on 28 June 1914 was the short-term trigger, not the fundamental cause. A single killing need not have caused a European war; it did so only because long-term causes were already in place — the alliance system, militarism, the naval race and Balkan tension. Treat Sarajevo as the spark, these as the fuel.

Do not confuse the early battles of 1914 with the 1916 attrition battles. The Marne (September 1914) halted the German advance on Paris and led both sides to dig in — this began the trench stalemate. Verdun and the Somme (from 1 July 1916) came two years later as attempts to break the stalemate, not to create it. So the Somme did not cause trench warfare.