Cambridge AS & A Level History 9489/22 is the May/June 2026 Paper 2 (Outline Study), variant 2. It lasts 1 hour 45 minutes, is worth 60 marks and is an AS Level paper. You answer two of its nine questions, both from one section: European, American or International. Every question has a 10-mark “explain why” part (a) and a 20-mark judgement part (b), so two-thirds of the paper’s marks sit in the two part (b) essays. This guide goes through every question and shows what the official mark scheme credited. The paper and its mark scheme are free on the Tutopiya Learning Portal.

For an overview of all four 9489 papers from this series, see A Level History 9489 May/June 2026 past papers: what came up and how it was marked.

9489/22 at a glance

Rubric: answer two questions from one section only. Every question has parts (a) 10 marks and (b) 20 marks.

Question	Section	Topic	Marks
1	A: European, Modern Europe 1750–1921	France, 1774–1814	30
2	A: European	The Industrial Revolution in Britain, 1750–1850	30
3	A: European	Liberalism and nationalism in Germany, 1815–71	30
4	B: American, the USA 1820–1941	The origins of the Civil War, 1820–61	30
5	B: American	The Gilded Age and Progressive Era, 1870s to 1920	30
6	B: American	The Great Crash, the Great Depression and the New Deal, 1920–41	30
7	C: International, 1870–1945	Empire and the emergence of world powers, 1870–1919	30
8	C: International	The League of Nations and international relations in the 1920s	30
9	C: International	The League of Nations and international relations in the 1930s	30
	Total answered (two questions)		60

Question-by-question walkthrough

How every question is marked

All nine questions use the same two level grids.

Part (a), 10 marks, four levels:

• Level 1 (1–2): relevant material about the topic, but no reference to causes.
• Level 2 (3–5): you address causation, but describe the factors rather than explain them.
• Level 3 (6–8): you explain one or more factors, supported with relevant information.
• Level 4 (9–10): you explain a range of factors, show how the causes connect, and reach a supported conclusion.

Part (b), 20 marks, five levels:

• Level 1 (1–4): description loosely linked to the question, or comment without support.
• Level 2 (5–8): some understanding of the question, but mostly descriptive or with limited support.
• Level 3 (9–12): some assessment with relevant evidence, but lacking depth or balance.
• Level 4 (13–16): a balanced argument with a good range of evidence, which may begin to form a judgement.
• Level 5 (17–20): closely argued throughout, with precisely selected evidence and a developed, supported judgement.

The content below is indicative. Every question ends with “accept any other valid responses”, so other relevant examples earn credit too.

Section A: European option

Question 1: France, 1774–1814 (30 marks)

• (a) Why there were so many constitutional changes, 1790–95: the collapse of the old order in 1789 with no agreement on what should replace it; the King’s refusal to accept change, shown by the flight to Varennes, until his execution; assemblies that could not agree who should govern or how, including the relationship between executive and legislature and between Paris and the regions; the pressure of the sans-culottes and a radical press; Left–Centre–Right divisions; and background problems of hunger, war, the Terror and the Civil Constitution of the Clergy. The four changes of 1791, 1792, 1793 and 1795 could be used.
• (b) Was divided opposition the main reason the Directory survived, 1795–99? For: counter-revolutionaries disagreed over how far to restore the monarchy, other opponents ranged from moderates to radicals such as Babeuf, and the foreign powers at war with France had no common view. Against: a France tired of mob rule and the Terror wanted calm; the Directory kept popular gains of the Revolution such as the end of feudalism and fairer taxation; it kept order, could be repressive, and showed competent administration; better harvests helped; the “whiff of grapeshot” weakened the Paris mob; and Napoleon’s success in Italy gave the regime credibility.

Question 2: the Industrial Revolution in Britain, 1750–1850 (30 marks)

• (a) Why free trade was important to industrialisation: show you understand free trade as trade without extra taxes on imports and exports. It allowed cheap imports of raw materials such as raw cotton from the southern USA for the cotton industry of north-west England, opened export markets such as India, stimulated iron, coal, railways and steamships, and the profits encouraged further investment.
• (b) Had Parliament’s efforts to improve working conditions made little progress by 1850? For: laissez-faire attitudes, child labour in dangerous textile work with long hours, women paid much less than men, high death and injury rates in coal mines with no compensation, the weakly enforced Acts of 1802 and 1819, and protests from Tolpuddle, early trade unions, Chartists and Swing rioters. Against: Royal Commissions raised awareness, the 1833 Factory Act began effective regulation of women’s and children’s work, with more comprehensive acts in 1844 and 1847, and employers such as Robert Owen treated workers well. The mark scheme notes that the question is about working conditions, so housing and public health material needs to be tied back to work.

Question 3: Liberalism and nationalism in Germany, 1815–71 (30 marks)

• (a) Why Prussia’s economy developed rapidly after 1849: the earlier boost from the Zollverein, with common weights, measures and currency; heavy railway investment from the 1850s centred on Berlin, which stimulated coal, iron and steel; the Manteuffel reforms (sound banking, low taxes, support for enterprise, stability); roads, canals and Baltic ports; Austria’s stagnation; calm after 1848; and an agricultural revolution that raised productivity and freed peasants to become industrial workers.
• (b) Was military leadership more important than Bismarck’s diplomacy in unification? For: the generals outmanoeuvred Denmark and took Dybbol with few casualties; Moltke and Roon’s planning, railways and the telegraph won the war against Austria at Königgrätz; and conscription, fast mobilisation and the Sedan campaign beat France. Against: Bismarck made sure Denmark, Austria and France had little or no outside support, strengthened Prussia’s economy, kept Wilhelm on side and managed the other German states. The mark scheme also accepts weak enemy leaders and luck, such as the hard frost of 1864 that stopped the Danes using their navy.

Section B: American option

Question 4: the origins of the Civil War, 1820–61 (30 marks)

• (a) Why support for abolitionism grew in the 1850s: Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1851–52), which made readers sympathise with enslaved people and sold in huge numbers; the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which let owners reclaim people who had escaped to free states; the Dred Scott ruling of 1857, which denied enslaved people citizenship; and Northern resentment of the Compromise of 1850 and fear of a “Slave Power Conspiracy”.
• (b) How effectively did the Missouri Compromise secure the balance of sectional interests? Effective: it kept slave and free states balanced in Congress, shown by admitting Maine and Missouri together, and set a northern boundary for slavery, which worked for a time. Less effective: the balance lasted only a few decades; land won from Mexico and the entry of Texas reopened the question, abolitionism weakened the will to compromise, and the Compromise of 1850 and Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 show the balance breaking down.

Question 5: the Gilded Age and Progressive Era (30 marks)

• (a) Why opposition to tariffs was ineffective: big business influence over presidents and Congress (senators were chosen by often business-controlled state legislatures); Republican dominance of the presidency and Senate, so even the Wilson-Gorman Bill of 1894 cut few tariffs; tariffs as a key federal income before income tax in 1913; and farmers, though hurt, did not campaign effectively, with the Grangers not prioritising tariffs.
• (b) Were consumer protection laws Theodore Roosevelt’s greatest achievements? For: the Bureau of Corporations, using the Sherman Anti-trust Act to dissolve the Northern Securities Company, the Hepburn Act and the Interstate Commerce Commission against price-fixing, and the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act. Against: his intervention in the 1902 coal strike, an employers’ liability law, and conservation (adding to forest reserves, the National Conservation Commission of 1908 and new National Parks). The mark scheme expects you to weigh consumer protection against these other achievements.

Question 6: the Great Crash, the Great Depression and the New Deal, 1920–41 (30 marks)

• (a) Why federal government did little to regulate business in the 1920s: Republican presidents throughout who did not see regulating business as government’s role; laissez-faire belief in market forces and self-reliance; constitutional limits that left economic matters to the states; and an apparently booming economy, with warning signs ignored.
• (b) Was homelessness the most serious impact of the Depression? For: hundreds of thousands of families evicted in 1932, Hoovervilles such as the one in Central Park, an estimated 1.2 million homeless by winter 1932, and insanitary conditions. Other impacts: unemployment rising to almost 13 million (25%) by early 1933, with pay cuts and men riding the railroads for work, and African Americans hit hard; bank failures that wiped out savings; the stock market losing 90% of its value; government inaction and the Smoot-Hawley Tariff; poor health; and unrest such as the Bonus Army march.

Section C: International option

Question 7: empire and the emergence of world powers, 1870–1919 (30 marks)

• (a) Why the Meiji Restoration began Japan’s emergence as a power: fear of Western impositions after the USA forced trading terms led to the end of shogun rule; the new government modernised and industrialised to catch up with Europe, set up a Western-style constitution and education, and built a Western-style army and a modern fleet, tested in victory over China in 1894. The Anglo-Japanese Treaty of 1902 and the Russo-Japanese War could be credited if linked to the question.
• (b) Was the scramble for Africa driven by the wish to increase trade? For: industrialisation and competition for markets, German businessmen pushing Bismarck towards empire and the Berlin Conference, Africa’s natural resources, exploration such as Livingstone’s, and the Long Depression. Against: France seeking prestige after its defeat by Prussia, German national pride and rivalry with Britain and France, the Berlin Conference as a way of stopping rivalry turning into war, Britain protecting trade routes through Egypt and southern Africa, Christian missionaries, and theories of racial superiority.

Question 8: the League of Nations in the 1920s (30 marks)

• (a) Why Bulgarians disliked the Treaty of Neuilly: it was imposed without negotiation; Bulgaria had to accept some responsibility for the war, disarm and pay reparations; it lost land to Greece, Yugoslavia and Romania with the movement of some 300,000 people; its army was cut to 20,000; and reparations were set at £100 million (later reduced).
• (b) Did 1920s international conferences fail to improve relations? The mark scheme rates each meeting: the Reparations Commission (a total of £6.6 billion; some success but long-term failure), the Washington naval conference (three treaties and successful through the 1920s, though easily circumvented and resented by Japan), Genoa (a failure that led to the Rapallo Pact), the Dawes Committee (short-term stability but limited success), and Locarno (hailed as a new era but a partial success, with no guarantee of Germany’s eastern borders). The Kellogg-Briand Pact and the Young Plan were also accepted. You don’t need to cover every conference in detail to reach a strong judgement.

Question 9: the League of Nations in the 1930s (30 marks)

• (a) Why Hitler’s attempted Anschluss of 1934 failed: Anschluss was banned by the peace treaties; Dollfuss had banned the Austrian Nazis and signed a friendship treaty with Italy before he was murdered in July 1934; the authorities quickly arrested and tried the leading Nazis; Austrians showed little support; Mussolini moved troops to the border to guarantee Austria’s independence; and Hitler was not yet strong enough to force it through.
• (b) How far was the League’s reaction to Manchuria responsible for its eventual failure? For: the slow Lytton Commission, Manchukuo set up meanwhile under Puyi, Japan leaving in 1933, the League’s inability to act against a leading member, and the encouragement to Hitler and Mussolini. Against: the failure of the Disarmament Conference and Germany leaving the League, the League’s built-in weaknesses, the rise of aggressive dictatorships, and Mussolini’s turn to Hitler and the Abyssinian crisis.

Where the marks are on 9489/22

Part	Marks per question	Marks across your two questions	How it is marked
(a) Explain why	10	20	Four levels: connected causes and a conclusion
(b) How far / to what extent	20	40	Five levels: balanced argument and a sustained judgement
Total	30	60

• Two-thirds of the paper is in part (b). A one-sided part (b) answer lacks balance, which the grid places in Level 3 (9–12) at best.
• Part (a) rewards connections, not lists. Explaining several factors reaches Level 3; showing how they link and ending with a supported conclusion reaches Level 4.
• The judgement in part (b) must be developed. Level 4 may only begin a judgement; Level 5 sustains it throughout and supports it at the end.

How to self-mark 9489/22 with the mark scheme

1. For part (a), underline each cause. Check whether you explained how it led to the outcome or only described it. Explained factors put you in Level 3.
2. Look for links between causes. If you showed how one factor made another more important, and ended with a conclusion on which mattered most, you are in Level 4.
3. For part (b), label each paragraph “for” or “against” the view. If every paragraph is on one side, your answer lacks balance and sits around Level 3.
4. Check your evidence. Level 4 needs a good range of well-chosen evidence on both sides; Level 5 needs precisely selected evidence that drives the argument.
5. Test your judgement. Is it stated from the start and argued through every paragraph, then developed and supported in the conclusion? That is what Level 5 describes; a partial or thinly supported judgement fits Level 4.
6. Compare with the indicative content. Note any major factor in the mark scheme you missed, but remember other valid examples are credited too.

Sit 9489/22 as a timed mock

You have 105 minutes for two 30-mark questions, so give each about 49 minutes and spend two-thirds of it on part (b).

Block	Marks	Time
Read your section and choose two questions	–	4 minutes
First question: (a) 15 min, (b) 34 min	30	49 minutes
Second question: (a) 15 min, (b) 34 min	30	49 minutes
Check conclusions in both part (a) and part (b) answers	–	3 minutes

Before each part (b), write your one-sentence verdict and the strongest point on each side, then argue towards that verdict.

Other May/June 2026 9489 papers

• 9489 Paper 12 (Document Question)
• 9489 Paper 32 (Interpretations Question)
• 9489 Paper 42 (Depth Study)

Practise and download

• Download 9489/22 and its mark scheme on the Learning Portal →
• All 9489 May/June 2026 papers: overview and marking patterns
• Try a free A Level History quiz

Need help with a 9489 topic? Book a free trial lesson with an A Level History tutor →

Frequently asked questions

How many questions do you answer on 9489 Paper 22 May/June 2026? +

Two out of nine, both from one section: Section A European (Questions 1 to 3), Section B American (Questions 4 to 6) or Section C International (Questions 7 to 9). Each question has a 10-mark part (a) and a 20-mark part (b), so the paper is out of 60 and lasts 1 hour 45 minutes.

How is part (a) marked on 9489/22? +

With four levels. Describing the topic without addressing causes scores 1 to 2, and describing causes scores 3 to 5. Explaining factors with relevant support scores 6 to 8. The top level, 9 to 10, explains a range of factors, shows how they connect and reaches a supported conclusion.

How is part (b) marked on 9489/22? +

With five levels. Description loosely linked to the question scores 1 to 4, some understanding 5 to 8 and some assessment that lacks depth or balance 9 to 12. A balanced argument with a good range of evidence scores 13 to 16. The top level, 17 to 20, needs a closely argued answer with precisely selected evidence and a developed, supported judgement.

What came up in the League of Nations questions on 9489/22 in 2026? +

Question 8 asked why Bulgarians disliked the Treaty of Neuilly and whether international conferences in the 1920s failed to improve relations. Question 9 asked why Hitler's attempted Anschluss of 1934 failed and how far the League's reaction to Manchuria was responsible for its eventual failure.

Did any 9489/22 question have a special note in the mark scheme? +

Yes. For Question 2(b), on Parliament and working conditions by 1850, the mark scheme notes that the question is about working conditions. Material on housing and public health needs to be linked back to conditions at work.

Where can I download 9489/22 May/June 2026 and its mark scheme? +

Both are free to download and print on the Tutopiya Learning Portal, on the Cambridge AS & A Level History 9489 past papers page.

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