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In the exam you are given documents containing
opinions both contemporary and secondary regarding the crises which the
British Government faced between 1936-38.
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You are expected to be able to: Evaluate sources with regard to their provenance. |
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When you are using the documents you are expected to be able to comment on:
This guide is designed to help you if you have difficulty in evaluating the provenance of sources in the unit.
The guide is divided into 2 main sections: 1. General comments on evaluating the provenance of a source.
Once you have studied the points in this guide, practise making comments on the sources used in past exam papers.
1. Commenting on the Provenance of a Source When evaluating the usefulness of a source read the information, which comes with the source, this will help you to make comments. Consider the following:
1) Origin of a source: Commenting on the origin of a source consider:
A Government Source v a non-Government Source ?
2) Possible purpose of source: Commenting on the purpose suggest a reason for the source being produced. Below are possible reasons for the types of sources you will encounter with this topic:
You can usually guess the reason for the source by looking at author and the content of the source.
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The sources used in the exam come from a variety of places. However they can be put in categories:
a) The Government
Immediate:
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1. Prime Minister (head of the Government) |
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Stanley Baldwin (1935-1937) |
Neville Chamberlain (1937-40) |
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2. Foreign Secretary (minister responsible for matters relating to other countries) |
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Anthony Eden, (1935-38) |
Lord Halifax (1938-40) |
They are people at the centre of events which you are studying and determine policy.
Advisers:
Their job is to provide information and advice for the
Government to make decisions.
b)
Political circles
Politicians from the different parties:
c) Ordinary People:
Opinions can be reflected in the:
When thinking about the sources try to distinguish between:
(a) an official source and a private source:
An official source or being from the Government does not necessarily mean it is accurate or reliable.
(b) a primary or a secondary source
Do not assume that because a source is from the time it is
more valuable or reliable than a secondary source or a historian's work.
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A Secondary Source / Historians' Work
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Usefulness |
Usefulness |
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1. An indication of feelings, opinions, way people are thinking, current rumours, 2. Gives an insight into that time, 3. Could have special information that others at the time were not privy to.
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The person has the benefit of hindsight and more evidence is available. As a result: (a) can take a detached view, free from the feelings of the time, (b) can take a longer perspective of an event (analyse, look at all the reasons & factors /give a more balanced view).
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Disadvantages |
Disadvantages |
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1. Limited to narrow views of the time. 2. Do not know what happened next or the consequences/importance of an event, 3. More likely to be biased, 4. Is only a limited piece of evidence and might not be representative of the whole picture.
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(a) It is not from the time - person has to guess to imagine what it was like. (b) Hindsight can distort the past, making the historian place more emphasis on something which was not apparent at the time.
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2. The Main Types of Primary Sources
Certain types of sources are invaluable because of what they are but they have certain drawbacks.
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They are from the time and are good at showing opinions, viewpoints or information that the person had access to.
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But: (a) Watch out for bias and prejudices. (b) Memoirs of politicians / statesmen need careful handling since they contain the following problems: (1) It can be a justification for actions. (2) It can contain a selective view of the facts or actions to present the author in a favourable light. (3) They are based on memory and therefore the author has seen events unfold and has had time to reflect on them.
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They give contemporary comments and opinions especially in the Editorials and the Letters page.
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But: (a) They reflect the proprietor/editor's views/opinions, e.g. "THE TIMES" in 1920s &1930s was pro-Government and pro-German. (b) They aim to influence public opinion as well as show it.
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Found in Newspapers / Magazines, their purpose is to pass comment on the actions of the Government or an event using humour. Often they contain the opinions of the author / cartoonist. Yet he can have 2 aims: (a) to reflect contemporary opinions / criticisms of a person or an event, (b) to try to influence readers or mould public opinion.
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But: Watch out for:
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 Speeches by politicians / statesmen:
Again speeches show contemporary opinions and viewpoints.
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However, they have drawbacks. Be aware of the possible audience of the speech: a) the Government, b) M.P.s in Parliament, c) the public in Britain. Be aware of the purpose of the speech: (a) to appeal for public support, (b) to justify an action, (c) to reassure - say what people want to hear, (d) to state official policy or express a personal viewpoint, (e) to criticise policy or an action.
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This type of source is a contemporary official source. It was not meant for public eyes. It is useful because it can shed light on what advice was given and how the Government at the time took decisions.
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However, it usually does not contain all the factors. |
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