Edexcel IGCSE History: The Changing Nature of Warfare and International Conflict, 1919–2011 — Practice Questions

These are original questions written for Marlbridge, for revision and practice on this content. They are not reproduced past-paper questions, and they do not replicate the exam’s exact structure, question count or mark tariffs — examination boards hold copyright in their own papers. Use these alongside the official past papers available free from your board.

Related: B6 revision notes | B6 study guide

These questions practise the three Breadth Study question types of Pearson Edexcel International GCSE History 4HI1 Paper 2, Section B — two differences (6), two causes (8) and a 16-mark change-over-time essay — across the five key topics and themes of Breadth Study B6.

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Set 1

1(a) Explain two ways in which land warfare in 1940 was different from land warfare in 1918. [6]

1(b) Explain two causes of the Allied victory in the Battle of the Atlantic. [8]

1(c) “Nuclear weapons transformed the nature of warfare in the years 1945–2000.” How far do you agree? [16]

You may use the following in your answer:

• Mutually Assured Destruction
• the Falklands War (1982)

You must also use information of your own.

Set 2

2(a) Explain two ways in which sea warfare in the Pacific War (1941–45) was different from sea warfare at Jutland (1916). [6]

2(b) Explain two causes of the Soviet failure in Afghanistan (1979–89). [8]

2(c) “Guerrilla warfare was more effective than high-technology warfare in the years 1936–2011.” How far do you agree? [16]

You may use the following in your answer:

• the Vietnam War
• the first Gulf War (1991)

You must also use information of your own.

Set 3 — extra practice

3(a) Explain two ways in which bombing in the Second World War was different from air strikes in the wars of 2001–11. [6]

3(b) Explain two causes of the decision to drop atomic bombs on Japan in 1945. [8]

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Answers and mark guidance

1(a) [6]

• Movement: in 1918 armies had only just begun to break the trench deadlock; in 1940 Blitzkrieg produced rapid advances of hundreds of kilometres in weeks.
• Coordination: in 1918 early tanks were slow and unreliable; in 1940 fast tank divisions worked with dive-bombers and motorised infantry, linked by radio.

1(b) [8]

• Convoys and escorts: merchant ships sailed in protected groups with escort ships and, later, escort carriers, making U-boat attacks costly.
• Technology and intelligence: long-range aircraft closed the “air gap”, improved radar found surfaced U-boats, and breaking German naval codes let convoys avoid wolf packs; losses forced Dönitz to withdraw in May 1943.

1(c) [16]

Transformed: the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; an arms race of ICBMs, submarine missiles and multiple warheads; MAD deterred direct superpower war; crises such as Cuba (1962) were managed rather than fought; proliferation and arms control (Test Ban, NPT, SALT, INF) shaped international politics. Not transformed: conventional war continued — Korea, the Arab–Israeli wars of 1967 and 1973, the Falklands (1982), where nuclear powers fought with conventional ships and aircraft, and the Gulf War (1991); guerrilla wars in Vietnam and Afghanistan were unaffected by nuclear weapons. Judgement: nuclear weapons transformed relations between the superpowers but not how most wars were fought.

2(a) [6]

• Decisive weapon: at Jutland battleships fought with guns within sight of each other; in the Pacific, carrier aircraft struck fleets beyond the horizon, as at Midway.
• Range and scale: Jutland was a single battle in the North Sea; the Pacific War spread across an ocean, with amphibious island landings supported by carriers.

2(b) [8]

• Guerrilla tactics and terrain: the mujahideen used mountains and local support to ambush Soviet columns and avoid set battles.
• Foreign aid: the USA, Pakistan and others supplied weapons, notably Stinger missiles from 1986, which threatened Soviet helicopters and aircraft; rising costs and Gorbachev’s reforms led to withdrawal in 1989.

2(c) [16]

Guerrilla success: Spanish Republicans’ raids; French Resistance sabotage before D-Day; Vietnam, where the USA withdrew; Afghanistan, where the USSR withdrew; insurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan after 2003. High-tech success: Blitzkrieg; the Battle of Britain and radar; carriers at Midway; the Gulf War (1991), won in weeks with precision weapons; drones. Judgement: high technology won conventional wars between states; guerrilla warfare was more effective against occupying powers, because it targeted their political will. Use criteria for “effective”.

3(a) [6]

• Accuracy: Second World War bombing was imprecise, so whole cities were devastated (Hamburg, Dresden); 21st-century strikes used guided weapons aimed at particular buildings.
• Crews and risk: in 1939–45 bombers carried large crews and suffered heavy losses; after 2001 many strikes were made by drones flown remotely.

3(b) [8]

• Ending the war quickly: Truman’s advisers believed an invasion of Japan would cost huge numbers of American lives, given resistance on Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
• Post-war power: some historians argue the USA wanted to demonstrate its power to the USSR and to end the war before the Soviets could gain influence in the Far East.

How the (c) essay is marked

The 16-mark essay rewards three things together: accurate and relevant knowledge from at least two key topics; analysis of change and continuity (not a list of weapons); and a supported judgement on the question’s claim. A top answer sets out criteria in its opening (for example, “transformed” means changing how wars were fought, not only how they were threatened), uses examples from early, middle and late in the period, and returns to the criteria in its conclusion.

Where marks are usually lost

• In (a), giving features of one date only.
• In (b), naming a cause without explaining its effect.
• In (c), ignoring one of the two sides of a comparison.

Source: question patterns modelled on the Pearson Edexcel International GCSE History (4HI1) specification, Issue 5, February 2026, Paper 2, Section B.

Frequently asked questions

How is the Paper 2 breadth study question structured? Part (a) asks you to explain two ways something was different at two dates (6 marks), part (b) to explain two causes (8 marks) and part (c) is a 16-mark essay on change, continuity or significance across the period.

How did land warfare in 1940 differ from 1918? In 1918 armies had only just begun to break the trench deadlock; in 1940 Blitzkrieg combined tanks, aircraft and radio to produce rapid advances.

How is the 16-mark essay marked? It rewards accurate knowledge from at least two key topics, analysis of change and continuity, and a supported judgement.

Are these real Edexcel past-paper questions? No. They are original questions written in the style of Pearson Edexcel International GCSE History 4HI1; use them alongside the official past papers and mark schemes.