By 1918 Germany was facing many problems.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2023). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [1-4] (a) e.g. 'In October Prince Max von Baden was appointed Chancellor.'
2. '(a) In November the Kaiser introduced the October Reforms which established a parliamentary monarchy.'
3. '(a) There were naval mutinies at Kiel and Wilhelmshaven.'
4. '(a) There were uprisings by soldiers and workers across the country.'
5. '(a) In November the Kaiser abdicated and fled to Holland.'
6. '(a) The Social Democratic leader Ebert took power.'
7. '(a) A German Republic was declared with Ebert as the Chancellor.'
8. [4-5] (b) The blockade was very important. This was because Germany was not able to feed its people very well. Food supplies were not getting through and people had less and less to eat. They ended up having to eat turnips. This caused food riots across Germany.
9. [2-3] (b) e.g. 'Supplies of food could not be imported.'
10. '(b) Supplies to keep Germany's armaments industry could not be imported.’
11. '(b) German imports fell by 60 per cent.'
12. '(b) Lack of food imports led to food riots.'
13. '(b) Lack of food led to people being fed up with the war and wanting peace.'
14. '(b) The riots across Germany put pressure on the authorities to ask for an armistice.'
15. [4-6] (c) 'I agree with this statement. The American entry into the war was late and not that important. Large numbers did not arrive until the summer of 1918 and the Americans never had a victory on the battlefield that was essential to ending the war. They did make the Allied armies a bit stronger but the Allies would have won anyway. The failure of the German Offensive in 1918 was the crucial factor, not the arrival of American troops.'
16. OR
17. '(c) I disagree because the US entry into the war was crucial. By 1918 large numbers of American troops were arriving in Europe. Their arrival was an enormous psychological boost to the Allied troops. They allowed the Allies to transfer their more experienced soldiers into the most important parts of the Western Front where the Germans were still launching offensives. The Germans were losing enormous numbers of troops but the arrival of the Americans meant that the Allies were increasing their numbers of troops. The American troops tipped the balance decisively in favour of the Allies.'
18. [2-3] (c) e.g. 'The Americans did not win one decisive battle.'
19. '(c) Large numbers of American troops did not arrive until the summer of 1918.'
20. '(c) The war was won by other factors such as the failure of the German Offensive.'
21. '(c) Millions of American troops arrived and strengthened the Allied war effort.'
22. '(c) They gave the Allies a psychological boost.'
23. '(c) When the number of German soldiers was going down, the arrival of the Americans led to an increase in the number of Allied troops.'
24. '(c) The American troops were important at the second Battle of the Marne and allied attacks at Le Hamel.'