Mastering Command Terms for Historical Analysis

Describe

Identify and give details about key features (e.g. surface meaning of source).

Explain

Give reasons for something happening (cause/effect; context).

Compare and contrast

Identify similarities AND differences in sources (e.g. message or perspective).

Evaluate

Judge value, reliability, or usefulness. Must be balanced and justified.

Analyse

Break down and interpret meaning, purpose, or significance.

Assess

Make a judgment about value, reliability, or contribution of the source.

Interpret

Explain symbolic or implied meaning (especially useful in visual sources).

MESSAGE

What is the message of the source? What view is being conveyed?

How to Respond (MESSAGE)

Surface meaning (literal), Implied meaning (symbolism, propaganda), Include contextual insight (why that message in that time/place?), If asked to compare - explain why differences exist.

Example (MESSAGE)

A poster from the 1930s shows Stalin smiling with children. The message is that Stalin is a benevolent father figure and symbol of progress. This aligns with the "cult of personality" promoted during the Second Five-Year Plan.

Historians to Support (MESSAGE)

Richard Overy: "The Soviet regime projected an image of stability and benevolence around Stalin to mask terror and uncertainty." Orlando Figes: Notes that messages in Soviet art and media "consciously blurred truth and myth."

CONTEXT

What historical context helps explain this source? What's happening around it?

How to Respond (CONTEXT)

Identify date, event, policy, or political conditions around the source. Link to why the source was created then (e.g., 1932 = collectivisation crisis).

Example (CONTEXT)

A speech by Stalin in 1935 must be understood in the context of the famine's aftermath and rising internal opposition. The regime needed to reassert authority and project optimism, hence Stalin's claim "life has become better."

Historians to Support (CONTEXT)

Sheila Fitzpatrick: Argues that context of chaos and transformation shaped even how ordinary people received state messages. Robert Service: Points out that each shift in Stalin's leadership had distinct motivations driven by internal power struggles.

PURPOSE

Why was the source created? What is it trying to achieve or influence?

Key Categories of Purpose

Propaganda - persuade or manipulate, Justify - defend policies/actions (e.g. purges), Mobilise - encourage production/support/loyalty, Inform or document - rare, usually foreign or post-fact.

Example (PURPOSE)

Pravda articles from 1937 often served to justify the arrests of political figures by presenting confessions and framing trials as part of a moral cleansing of the party.

Stephen Kotkin

Stalin was 'a master of political theatre,' using media to sustain authority.

Trotsky (primary)

Described Stalin's regime as one of 'lies repeated until they become truth.'

Origin Checklist

Includes author/creator, time & place, intended audience.

Example of Origin

A 1921 article by Lenin must be understood in the context of the NEP's controversial introduction.

Fitzpatrick

The NEP was a 'strategic retreat that Lenin dressed as pragmatism.'

Primary Source (Lenin)

'We are not retreating, we are regrouping for a final push.'

Impact

What impact did the event/policy in the source have? How did people respond?

Answer Strategy for Impact

Immediate effect and long-term outcome.

Example of Impact

The image of children saluting Stalin reinforced obedience and trust in the regime.

Figes

'The psychological impact of Stalin's cult reshaped how citizens saw history and themselves.'

Conquest

The purges 'eliminated any possibility of dissent and created a culture of fear.'

Usefulness

How useful is this source for understanding [event/policy/leader]?

Scaffold for Usefulness

Useful for message, representation, insight into bias; consider limitations.

Example of Usefulness

A Soviet propaganda poster is useful to understand how Stalin wanted to be perceived.

Fitzpatrick on Usefulness

Visual sources from the 1930s often reflect a 'ritualised optimism' required of Soviet citizens.

Kotkin on Usefulness

These sources are 'invaluable for understanding regime psychology and public messaging.'

Reliability

Can we trust the information in this source? How accurate is it?

Key Points on Reliability

Bias ≠ unusable; check for corroboration with other sources.

Example of Reliability

Trotsky's writings are biased against Stalin but are still reliable in describing the purges.

Robert Service

Trotsky 'mixed personal hatred with sharp political insight.'

Overy

Reliability depends on 'reading through' the propaganda, not rejecting it entirely.