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GCSEHistoryEdexcelModern Depth Study (Paper 3)Revision NotesThe USA, 1954–75: Conflict at Home & AbroadExam Skills: The USA, 1954–75: Conflict at Home & AbroadComparing Interpretations Questions

Comparing Interpretations Questions (Edexcel GCSE History): Revision Note

Exam code: 1HI0

Zoe Wade

Written by: Zoe Wade

Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett

Updated on

Summary of Question 3 (b)

  • Question 3 (b) asks you to explain the difference between Interpretation 1 and Interpretation 2

  • The interpretations used in Question 3 (b) will be the same interpretations used in Questions 3 (c) and (d)

Amount of marks 

4

The time that you should spend on the question 

No more than 5 minutes 

  • An example of the type of question you may encounter can be seen below:

Question 3 (b) asks you to study Interpretations 1 and 2 and explains that they give different views about the impact of the media on opposition to the Vietnam War. It asks the question "What is the main difference between these views?" and instructs you to explain your answer, using details from both interpretations. It is worth 4 marks.
An example of Question 3 (b) in Paper 3

What is an interpretation question?

  • An interpretation is someone's point of view about a historical event, person or time period

    • Interpretations focus on different ideas or evidence, so they may not always agree

  • These interpretations could be written:

    • After the event 

    • By people who were there at the time 

    • By historians

  • You will be given two interpretations from the Sources/ Interpretations Booklet

    • This is a separate booklet from your answer paper

    • It includes the key interpretations you'll need for Section B

Interpretation 1 is from Vietnam, J.D. Clare, published in 1997: "Americans increasingly believed that the Vietnam War was wrong. Many said that the USA had no right to force its views on a poor nation like Vietnam. However, it was extensive media coverage in the USA that was mostly responsible for encouraging opposition to the war. The war was the first to be covered every night on television. It made people viewing at home realise what was being done by American soldiers under orders from the American government. Photographs and magazines had a similar impact. US Army commanders blamed the media for weakening the war effort." Interpretation 2 is from On Strategy: A Critical Analysis of the Vietnam War, H. Summers, published in 1982. Summers had served as a colonel in the Vietnam War: "Public opinion at home [in the United States] turned when the average citizen perceived that we didn't know what the hell we were doing; that we had no plan to end the war. And we didn't know what constituted victory. By 1968, the public had given us four years, their money and their sons. So I don't blame the American people. I do blame the national leadership, including the military leadership, for not setting clear and definable goals and objectives."
The two interpretations for the example Question 3 (b) in The USA, 1954–75, as they would look in the Sources/Interpretations Booklet

Question 3 (b) — "What is the main difference?"

  • The two interpretations used in Question 3 (b) will always be different from one another

  • In Edexcel The USA, 1954–75: Conflict at Home and Abroad, interpretations are different based on the following themes:

    • Political developments (e.g. Civil Rights Act or presidential actions in Vietnam)

    • Social and cultural developments (e.g. opposition to civil rights and the Vietnam War)

    • Economic developments (e.g. the economic effects of the Vietnam War)

"What is the main difference?" question structure

  • Your answer needs to:

    • Identify and explain the main difference in content between Interpretation 1 and Interpretation 2 (In)

    • Support your explanation with a short quote or clear summary from each interpretation (In)

  • To achieve full marks, you need to include both Interpretation 1 and Interpretation 2 in your answer

Worked example of a "What is the main difference?" question

Worked Example

3 (b) Study Interpretations 1 and 2. They give different views about the impact of the media on opposition to the Vietnam War.

What is the main difference between these views?

Explain your answer, using details from both interpretations.

(4)

Interpretation 1 – From Vietnam, J.D. Clare, published in 1997​. "Americans increasingly believed that the Vietnam War was wrong. Many said that the USA had no right to force its views on a poor nation like Vietnam. However, it was extensive media coverage in the USA that was mostly responsible for encouraging opposition to the war. The war was the first to be covered every night on television. It made people viewing at home realise what was being done by American soldiers under orders from the American government. Photographs and magazines had a similar impact. US Army commanders blamed the media for weakening the war effort." Interpretation 2 – From On Strategy: A Critical Analysis of the Vietnam War, H. Summers, published in 1982.​ Summers had served as a colonel in the Vietnam War. "Public opinion at home [in the United States] turned when the average citizen perceived that we didn’t know what the hell we were doing; that we had no plan to end the war. And we didn’t know what constituted victory. By 1968, the public had given us four years, their money and their sons. So I don’t blame the American people. I do blame the national leadership, including the military leadership, for not setting clear and definable goals and objectives."

Answer:

Interpretations 1 and 2 give different views about why public opinion in the USA turned against the Vietnam War (In). Interpretation 1 argues that media coverage was the main reason for growing opposition. It says that the war being shown "every night on television" made people realise "what was being done by American soldiers under orders from the American government" (In). In comparison, Interpretation 2 focuses on failures in US leadership and strategy as the cause of opposition (In). It claims that citizens realised "we didn't know what the hell we were doing" and that "we had no plan to end the war" (In).

Summary of Question 3 (c)

  • Question 3 (c) asks you to explain why the interpretations are different

  • You should not repeat what you have written in Question 3 (b)

  • The interpretations used in Question 3 (c) will be the same interpretations used in Questions 3 (b) and (d)

  • You can use Sources B and C in this question

    • However, if you choose not to use them, you can receive full marks

Amount of marks 

4

The time that you should spend on the question 

No more than 5 minutes 

  • An example of the type of question you may encounter can be seen below:

The exam question asks: Suggest one reason why Interpretations 1 and 2 give different views about German recovery in the years 1924-29. It states you may use Sources B and C to explain your answer. The question is worth 4 marks.
An example of Question 3 (c) in Paper 3

Question 3 (c) — "Why are interpretations different?"

  • Interpretation 1 and Interpretation 2 may have different interpretations due to:

    • The types of sources they have used

      • For example, some interpretations may have placed more weight on political sources, whereas others may use more economic sources

    • The authors' focus on short-, medium- or long-term developments or effects

      • For example, some interpretations may have focused on the short-term effects of an event such as the Greensboro sit-ins

      • Others may focus on the long-term effects

  • Do not refer to provenance

    • You will not receive any marks for an explanation focused on the provenance

"Why are the interpretations different?" question structure

  • The most common way of structuring this answer is by using Sources B and C

    • One of the sources will support the argument made in Interpretation 1

    • The remaining source will agree with the argument given in Interpretation 2

    • Do not use Source A in your answer, as you will not receive any marks

Diagram compares two interpretations about opposition to the Vietnam War with sources. Interpretation 1 matches media blame (Source B); Interpretation 2 matches government blame (Source C).
An illustration showing how to match up Sources B and C to Interpretations 1 and 2

  • Using this method, you would use the following structure in your answer:

    • State that the historians' viewpoints differ because they have given weight to different sources (In)

    • For Interpretation 1, state that they have looked at sources such as Interpretation 1's matching source (either Source B or C)

    • Use quotes or details from the source and from Interpretation 1 to show how they connect (In)

    • Repeat this structure for Interpretation 2, using its matching source

  • Do not use irrelevant information from the interpretations that are not based on the question

Worked example of a "Why are the interpretations different?" question

Worked Example

3 (c) Suggest one reason why Interpretations 1 and 2 give different views about the impact of the media on opposition to the Vietnam War.

You may use Sources B and C to help explain your answer.

(4)

Source B: A photograph by Warren K. Leffler in 1968. Leffler was an American photographer who worked for U.S. News & World Report during the Vietnam War. A black-and-white photo of two men watching a Vietnam War report on television in 1968, surrounded by mid-century modern decor. Source C: An extract from Vietnam! Vietnam!, written by Felix Greene, a British journalist, in 1966.​ "The mounting fury of the richest and most powerful country is today being directed against one of the smallest and poorest countries in the world. The average income of the people of Vietnam is about $50 a year - what the average American earns in a single week. The war today is costing the United States three million dollars an hour. What could not the Vietnamese do for their country with what we spend in one day fighting them! It is costing the United States $400,000 to kill one guerrilla - enough to pay the annual income of 8,000 Vietnamese. The United States can burn and devastate; it can annihilate the Vietnamese; but it cannot conquer them."
Interpretation 1 – From Vietnam, J.D. Clare, published in 1997​. "Americans increasingly believed that the Vietnam War was wrong. Many said that the USA had no right to force its views on a poor nation like Vietnam. However, it was extensive media coverage in the USA that was mostly responsible for encouraging opposition to the war. The war was the first to be covered every night on television. It made people viewing at home realise what was being done by American soldiers under orders from the American government. Photographs and magazines had a similar impact. US Army commanders blamed the media for weakening the war effort." Interpretation 2 – From On Strategy: A Critical Analysis of the Vietnam War, H. Summers, published in 1982.​ Summers had served as a colonel in the Vietnam War. "Public opinion at home [in the United States] turned when the average citizen perceived that we didn’t know what the hell we were doing; that we had no plan to end the war. And we didn’t know what constituted victory. By 1968 the public had given us four years, their money and their sons. So I don’t blame the American people. I do blame the national leadership, including the military leadership, for not setting clear and definable goals and objectives."

Answer:

Interpretations 1 and 2 give different views about the media's impact because they have given weight to different sources (In). Interpretation 1 may have been influenced by sources such as Source B. The image shows a family watching graphic war footage on their television, likely at home in the USA. This supports Interpretation 1's view that television made Americans "realise what was being done by American soldiers" and that media coverage "was mostly responsible for encouraging opposition" (In). However, Interpretation 2 will have studied sources such as Source C. In it, Greene criticises the USA's huge spending and failure to win, stating, "it is costing the United States $400,000 to kill one guerrilla". This supports Interpretation 2's argument that opposition came from the belief that "the public had given us four years, their money and their sons" (In).

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the (exam) results speak for themselves:

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    Author
    Reviewer
    Zoe Wade

    Author: Zoe Wade

    Expertise: History Content Creator

    Zoe has worked in education for 10 years as a teaching assistant and a teacher. This has given her an in-depth perspective on how to support all learners to achieve to the best of their ability. She has been the Lead of Key Stage 4 History, showing her expertise in the Edexcel GCSE syllabus and how best to revise. Ever since she was a child, Zoe has been passionate about history. She believes now, more than ever, the study of history is vital to explaining the ever-changing world around us. Zoe’s focus is to create accessible content that breaks down key historical concepts and themes to achieve GCSE success.

    Bridgette Barrett

    Reviewer: Bridgette Barrett

    Expertise: Geography, History, Religious Studies & Environmental Studies Subject Lead

    After graduating with a degree in Geography, Bridgette completed a PGCE over 30 years ago. She later gained an MA Learning, Technology and Education from the University of Nottingham focussing on online learning. At a time when the study of geography has never been more important, Bridgette is passionate about creating content which supports students in achieving their potential in geography and builds their confidence.