What mistakes do students make with The role of government policies in economic change,…?

Treating the 1879 tariffs as purely agricultural. Put it right by noting they also protected heavy industry and forged a coalition of rye and iron. Assuming Marshall Aid alone caused the West German economic miracle. Put it right by weighing currency reform, the social market economy and existing industrial capacity alongside aid. Dating the start of the EEC and CAP to 1956. Put it right by noting the specification period is post-1956, but the Treaty of Rome was 1957 and CAP began in 1962.

What are the exam tips for The role of government policies in economic change,… in History Pearson Edexcel A-Level?

Anchor each policy to a date and a measurable economic effect, such as tariff levels, naval tonnage or aid totals. Compare policies across time to show change and continuity rather than listing them separately.

Pearson Edexcel · A-Level · History

Course version: 9HI0 · Version from Sept 2015

Germany, 1871–1990: united, divided and reunited - 2 Economic change in…

Full specification wording

Paper 3, Option 37.2: Germany, 1871–1990: united, divided and reunited - 2 Economic change in Germany and West Germany: The role of government policies in economic change, 1871– 1990 (key developments: the introduction of protection 1879, the building of a large navy from 1898 to 1914, the impact of Nazi policies, the impact of Marshall Aid, the impact of membership of the European Community and the Common Agricultural Policy post-1956).

Government policy shaped German economic change from 1871 to 1990.

Checked against the Pearson Edexcel 9HI0 specification (opens in a new tab) on 23 September 2026.

Point 2 of 2

Study notes

From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.

The idea

What earns the marks

Explains that the 1879 protection tariffs sheltered domestic grain and heavy industry, linking agrarian and industrial elites to the state.
Explains that naval building from 1898 to 1914 stimulated steel, shipyards and engineering but raised state debt and diplomatic tension.
Explains that Nazi policies cut unemployment through rearmament, public works and autarky, while directing output towards war preparation.
Explains that Marshall Aid provided capital, fuel and raw materials that supported West German industrial recovery after 1945.
Explains that EC membership and the CAP post-1956 protected agriculture through price supports and structural funding, with mixed effects on consumers and efficiency.
Judges the relative weight of each policy and links it to continuity or change in the German economy across the period.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

Treating the 1879 tariffs as purely agricultural.
Put it right by noting they also protected heavy industry and forged a coalition of rye and iron.
Assuming Marshall Aid alone caused the West German economic miracle.
Put it right by weighing currency reform, the social market economy and existing industrial capacity alongside aid.
Dating the start of the EEC and CAP to 1956.
Put it right by noting the specification period is post-1956, but the Treaty of Rome was 1957 and CAP began in 1962.

Exam tips

Anchor each policy to a date and a measurable economic effect, such as tariff levels, naval tonnage or aid totals.
Compare policies across time to show change and continuity rather than listing them separately.

Try the lesson

The start of the Paper 3, Option 37.2: Germany, 1871–1990: united, divided and reunited - 2 Economic change in Germany and West Germany: The role of government policies in economic change, 1871– 1990 (key developments: the introduction of protection 1879, the building of a large navy from 1898 to 1914, the impact of Nazi policies, the impact of Marshall Aid, the impact of membership of the European Community and the Common Agricultural Policy post-1956). lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.

Have a go first

Which tariff policy did the German government introduce in 1879?

Tip: press 1 to 4 to choose

Listen

Government policy shaped German economic change from 1871 to 1990. Bismarck's 1879 protection tariffs sheltered grain and industry, tying Junker and industrial interests to the state. From 1898 to 1914, naval expansion under Tirpitz absorbed steel and shipbuilding capacity, straining finances. Nazi policies from 1933 used rearmament, public works and autarky to cut unemployment, but distorted the economy towards war. After 1945, Marshall Aid supplied capital that underpinned West German recovery. Post-1956, European Community membership (from 1957) and the Common Agricultural Policy (from 1962) integrated farming into a protected market, with price supports and structural funds. Assess each policy by its economic effect and limits. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Explains that the 1879 protection tariffs sheltered domestic grain and heavy industry, linking agrarian and industrial elites to the state. Explains that naval building from 1898 to 1914 stimulated steel, shipyards and engineering but raised state debt and diplomatic tension. Explains that Nazi policies cut unemployment through rearmament, public works and autarky, while directing output towards war preparation. Explains that Marshall Aid provided capital, fuel and raw materials that supported West German industrial recovery after 1945. A common slip: Treating the 1879 tariffs as purely agricultural. Instead, noting they also protected heavy industry and forged a coalition of rye and iron. Exam tip: Anchor each policy to a date and a measurable economic effect, such as tariff levels, naval tonnage or aid totals.

See it

A top-down flowchart with five parallel branches. The first branch runs from the 1879 protection tariffs to the effect that they sheltered grain and heavy industry. The second runs from naval building 1898–1914 to the effect that it stimulated steel, shipyards and engineering. The third runs from Nazi policies from 1933 to the effect that they cut unemployment while output was directed to war. The fourth runs from Marshall Aid after 1945 to the effect that it supplied capital, fuel and raw materials for recovery. The fifth runs from EC membership and the CAP post-1956 to the effect that agriculture was protected, with mixed effects. — Five named government policies from 1879 to 1990 and the economic effect the note gives for each.

Label the diagram

Some boxes have lost their names. Pick the right name for each number.

The diagram again, with 3 boxes numbered instead of named. A top-down flowchart with five parallel branches. The first branch runs from the 1879 protection tariffs to the effect that they sheltered grain and heavy industry. The second runs from naval building 1898–1914 to the effect that it stimulated steel, shipyards and engineering. The third runs from Nazi policies from 1933 to the effect that they cut unemployment while output was directed to war. The fourth runs from Marshall Aid after 1945 to the effect that it supplied capital, fuel and raw materials for recovery. The fifth runs from EC membership and the CAP post-1956 to the effect that agriculture was protected, with mixed effects.

1Box 1
2Box 2
3Box 3

0 of 3 labelled

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Test your understanding of Paper 3, Option 37.2: Germany, 1871–1990: united, divided and reunited - 2 Economic change in Germany and West Germany: The role of government policies in economic change, 1871– 1990 (key developments: the introduction of protection 1879, the building of a large navy from 1898 to 1914, the impact of Nazi policies, the impact of Marshall Aid, the impact of membership of the European Community and the Common Agricultural Policy post-1956).

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