Paper 2 · Explain causes and weigh historical arguments
Practise the two-part outline-study responses: a focused explanation and a comparative judgement.
Section P2-ESSAY-SKILLS · Paper 2 · Explain causes and weigh historical arguments
Exam scope and assessment notes
Cambridge lists International History 9982 for schools in the United States only. It is assessed in 2027–2029, with June AS/A Level and November AS-only series, subject to administrative-zone availability. Original StudyForA teaching and practice. This is not an official Cambridge coursebook, question paper, mark scheme or grade prediction. Historical interpretations and source scenarios written for practice are invented and must not be treated as authentic historical sources or named historians’ work. Use the current Cambridge syllabus, specimen materials and class sources; teacher review of extended responses remains important.
Before you begin
- Know the relevant syllabus topic and date range.
- Keep invented practice material separate from authentic historical evidence.
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
What should you identify before drafting?
What you will learn
- Explain a historical development and compare the stated view with alternatives using precise evidence.
- Apply the paper 2 · explain causes and weigh historical arguments method to an original practice task and explain the evidence behind the response.
Part (a) · explain
State the relevant causes, then explain the connection between each cause and the outcome. Use examples and keep within the specified period.
Part (b) · compare and judge
Address the view in the question, test it against alternatives, compare significance and reach a conclusion using a clear criterion. Avoid unstructured narrative.
Sources for this lesson
Pause and explain
How should a judgement use evidence?
Worked example
Why did Germany’s relations with France improve after 1924, and how far did Locarno create lasting security?
Show the worked solution
- Identify the exact command and scope.
- Select precise evidence and explain its connection to the issue.
- State what the evidence supports and what alternative or uncertainty remains.
Answer Economic recovery under the Dawes Plan and diplomacy under Stresemann and Briand supported improved relations; Germany’s League entry and Locarno strengthened cooperation. However, security guarantees were uneven, the eastern borders remained more contested and the 1929 crash exposed economic fragility. Locarno improved western relations but did not create universal or durable security.
From guided practice to a new situation
Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
Why did Germany’s relations with France improve after 1924, and how far did Locarno create lasting security?
Give me a hint
Break the task into its command, claim and required evidence.
Compare my reasoning
- Identify the issue and date range.
- Select a precise piece of evidence.
- Explain how it supports or challenges the claim.
Economic recovery under the Dawes Plan and diplomacy under Stresemann and Briand supported improved relations; Germany’s League entry and Locarno strengthened cooperation. However, security guarantees were uneven, the eastern borders remained more contested and the 1929 crash exposed economic fragility. Locarno improved western relations but did not create universal or durable security.
Look for these in your work
- Answers the command
- Uses relevant evidence
- Explains a connection
Plan a response to this task: Why did Germany’s relations with France improve after 1924, and how far did Locarno create lasting security?
Give me a hint
Choose a position, then select evidence that could challenge it.
Compare my reasoning
- State a provisional answer.
- Select at least two relevant examples.
- Explain how their significance differs.
A strong plan answers the task directly, selects evidence for the view and an alternative, and explains their relative importance. Economic recovery under the Dawes Plan and diplomacy under Stresemann and Briand supported improved relations; Germany’s League entry and Locarno strengthened cooperation. However, security guarantees were uneven, the eastern borders remained more contested and the 1929 crash exposed economic fragility. Locarno improved western relations but did not create universal or durable security.
Look for these in your work
- Includes more than one perspective
- Explains relative importance
- Keeps within syllabus scope
Original practice claim: ‘One dramatic event explains an entire historical outcome.’ Evaluate the claim using the method for this paper.
Give me a hint
Distinguish a trigger from longer-term conditions and later decisions.
Compare my reasoning
- Identify the event and outcome.
- Compare the event with structural or alternative factors.
- Reach a qualified judgement.
A dramatic event may act as a trigger, but its importance depends on the conditions and choices around it. Compare the event with other evidence and qualify the conclusion. Use the response structure appropriate to the component.
Look for these in your work
- Tests a broad claim
- Compares alternatives
- Qualifies the conclusion
Common mistakes
- Retelling content without answering the command
- Using an unsupported judgement
- Treating invented practice material as authentic historical evidence
What can you explain now?
What makes an assessment response convincing?
Compare with the explanation
Relevant evidence, explained reasoning and a judgement that addresses alternatives.
A response must answer the command and use evidence appropriate to its paper.
After trying it yourself, choose your next review. This is your self-assessment.
Your review choice appears on Today. Sign in to sync it across devices.
Make it stick
Check that each paragraph answers the command and every example has an explained link to the question.
If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.