AQA A-Level History AS Component 1 (1A), June 2025: Question 2

Section B

02 ‘The Papacy intervened in the Near East in the years 1074 to 1095 in order to improve

relations with the Byzantine Empire.’

Explain why you agree or disagree with this view.

[25 marks]

Target: AO1

Demonstrate, organise and communicate knowledge and understanding to analyse and evaluate

the key features related to the periods studied, making substantiated judgements and exploring

concepts, as relevant, of cause, consequence, change, continuity, similarity, difference and

significance.

Generic Mark Scheme

L5: Answers will display a good understanding of the demands of the question. They will be

well-organised and effectively communicated. There will be a range of clear and specific

supporting information showing a good understanding of key features and issues, together with

some conceptual awareness. The answer will be analytical in style with a range of direct

comment leading to substantiated judgement. 21–25

L4: Answers will show an understanding of the question and will supply a range of largely accurate

information which will show an awareness of some of the key issues and features. The answer

will be effectively organised and show adequate communication skills. There will be analytical

comment in relation to the question and the answer will display some balance. However, there

may be some generalisation and judgements will be limited and only partially substantiated.

16–20

L3: The answer will show some understanding of the full demands of the question and the answer

will be adequately organised. There will be appropriate information showing an understanding of

some key features and/or issues but the answer may be limited in scope and/or contain

inaccuracy and irrelevance. There will be some comment in relation to the question. 11–15

L2: The answer will be descriptive or partial, showing some awareness of the question but a failure to

grasp its full demands. There will be some attempt to convey material in an organised way

although communication skills may be limited. There will be some appropriate information

showing understanding of some key features and/or issues, but the answer may be very limited in

scope and/or contain inaccuracy and irrelevance. There will be some, but limited, comment in

relation to the question and statements will, for the most part, be unsupported and generalist.

6–10

L1: The question has not been properly understood and the response shows limited organisational

and communication skills. The information conveyed is irrelevant or extremely limited. There

may be some unsupported, vague or generalist comment.– AS HISTORY – 7041/1A – 1–5

Nothing worthy of credit. 0

Indicative content

Note: This content is not prescriptive and students are not obliged to refer to the material

contained in this mark scheme. Any legitimate answer will be assessed on its merits according

to the generic levels scheme.

Arguments supporting the view that the Papacy intervened in the Near East in the years 1074 to

1095 in order to improve relations with the Byzantine Empire might include: 7

• Gregory VII had considered sending knights to help the Byzantines in 1074; although nothing

substantial came of this, it showed that the Papacy wished to improve relations

• the death of Robert Guiscard in 1085 allowed the Papacy more freedom to operate a more pro

Byzantine policy, eg Urban II had recently improved relations with the Byzantine Empire by lifting the

excommunication on Alexius Comnenus in 1089

• Urban II responded to Alexius’ request for military help in 1095 in order to improve relations further.

Accounts of the Council of Clermont specifically referred to Christian brethren in the East.

Arguments challenging the view that the Papacy intervened in the Near East in the years 1074 to

1095 in order to improve relations with the Byzantine Empire might include:

• the Peace of God and Truce of God that the Church had used to try to alleviate the violence between

the nobility in the West had failed as the Church could not enforce it therefore, the Papacy was hoping

to make use of the knightly class in a war in the East, so the priority was not to help Byzantium

• Urban II might have been trying to assert the supremacy of the Church over the western nobility to

make a statement about the Church’s supremacy in the Investiture Contest with the German

Emperors, helping Byzantium was not the key focus

• Urban II was genuinely concerned about saving the souls of his flock as the Apocalypse was expected

to happen in 1100 and Jerusalem was expected to be the place where Christ returned to Earth so it

needed to be in Christian hands; therefore, Urban’s motives were genuinely religious

• Gregory VII had encouraged the Normans to attack the Byzantines in 1082 at Dyrrachium so Papal

policy was not always peaceful towards the Byzantines.

Students can agree with the focus of the question and say that Gregory VII and Urban II sought to

improve relations with the Byzantines in this period by seeking to aid them both politically and militarily.

Alternatively, students could argue that the Papacy possessed other motives and the Byzantines were

not the priority but rather a bonus objective, for example, asserting Papal dominance by sending troops

to Byzantium’s aid would show the Papacy’s superiority over western nobles.