ANDERSON JUNIOR COLLEGE

JC2 PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION 2017

Higher 2

HISTORY

Paper 1 Shaping the International Order (1945-2000) 9752/01

No Additional Materials are required. Tue 19 September 2017
3 hours

READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST

Write your name and PDG on all the work you hand in, including this cover sheet.
Write in dark blue or black pen.
Start each answer on a fresh piece of writing paper.

Section A
Answer Question 1(a) and 1(b).

Section B
Answer two questions.

Write the question number of the questions attempted on this cover page.

At the end of the examination, fasten the answer to each question separately, with this cover sheet
attached on top of your answer to Question 1(a).

You are reminded of the need for good English and clear presentation in your answers.

Question No. Marks

Section A
1 (a) /10
1 (b) /30
Section B
/30
/30
Name : __________________________________
Total Marks: /100
PDG : __________________________________

This document consists of 6 printed pages, including this page.

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BLANK PAGE

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Section A

You must answer Question 1.

THE ORIGINS OF THE COLD WAR

1 Read the sources and answer the questions which follow.

Source A

Europe came out of the war with a shattered economy, which cannot soon be repaired. All the
countries of Europe and Asia are feeling an enormous need for consumer goods and equipment.
Such a situation opens up a chance for enormous American deliveries of goods and the
importation of capital to these countries, which will allow for American economic monopoly. The
realisation of this would mean a serious strengthening of America’s economic position globally and
accelerate its path toward establishing American world supremacy.

On the other hand, American expectations of a weak post-war USSR being forced to bow to the US
for economic aid has not materialised. In this event, it could have dictated conditions to carry out
its expansion in Europe and Asia without hindrance from the USSR. In reality, the USSR continues
to remain economically independent from the outside world and is restoring its economy by its
own means.

From a telegram that the Soviet Ambassador to the US sent to the Soviet leadership,
September 1946.

Source B

The truth of the matter is that Europe’s requirements for the next three or four years of foreign
food and other essential products – principally from the US – are so much greater than her present
ability to pay that she must have substantial additional help or face economic, social, and political
deteriorating of a very grave character. It is logical that the US assists in Europe’s return to normal
economic health, without which there can be no political stability and no assured peace.

Our policy is directed not against any country or doctrine but against hunger, poverty and chaos.
Its purpose should be the revival of a working economy to permit the emergence of political and
social conditions in which free institutions can exist. Any government willing to assist in the task of
recovery will find full cooperation from the United States Government. Any government which
blocks the recovery of other countries cannot expect help from us. Furthermore, governments
which seek to perpetuate human misery to profit therefrom will encounter the opposition of the
US.

From a speech by US Secretary of State George Marshall at Harvard University, June 1947.

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Source C

From an American newspaper, 1945.

Source D

The United States Government wishes to call to the attention of the Soviet Government the
extremely serious international situation which has been brought about by the actions of the
Soviet Government in imposing restrictive measures on transport which amount now to a
blockade against the sectors in Berlin occupied by the United States, United Kingdom, and France.
The United States Government regards these measures of blockade as a clear violation of existing
agreements concerning the administration of Berlin by the four occupying powers.

In order that there should be no misunderstanding whatsoever, the United States Government
asserts that its occupation of its sector in Berlin with free access to it is a matter of established
right deriving from the defeat and surrender of Germany and confirmed by formal agreements
among the principal Allies. It further declares that it will not be induced by threats, pressures or
other actions to abandon these rights. It is hoped that the Soviet Government entertains no
doubts whatsoever on this point.

The United States Government is therefore obliged to insist that in accordance with existing
agreements the arrangements for the movement of freight and passenger traffic between the
western zones and Berlin be fully restored.

From George Marshall’s note to the Soviet Ambassador to the US, 1948.

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Source E

It is sometimes said of Stalin that he had long since given up the Lenin-Trotsky goal of world
revolution in favour of ‘socialism in one country,’ a doctrine that seemed to imply peaceful
coexistence with states of differing social systems. But that is a misunderstanding of Stalin’s
position.

Stalin never gave up on the idea of an eventual world revolution, but he expected this to result
from an expansion of influence radiating from the Soviet Union itself. ‘For the Kremlin,’ a well-
placed spymaster recalled, ‘the mission of communism was primarily to consolidate the might of
the Soviet state.’

What is there new to say about the old question of responsibility for the Cold War? Who actually
started it? Could it have been averted? Here I think the ‘new’ history is bringing us back to an old
answer: that as long as Stalin was running the Soviet Union a cold war was unavoidable.

From a book by historian John Lewis Gaddis, 1998.

Source F

A new alignment of political forces has arisen. The more the war recedes into the past, the more
distinct the two major trends in post-war international policy become, corresponding to the
division of the political forces operating on the international arena into two camps: the imperialist
and anti-democratic camp on the one hand, and the anti-imperialist and democratic camp on the
other.

The vague and deliberately guarded formulations of the Marshall Plan amount in essence to a
scheme to create blocs of states bound by obligations to the United States, and to grant American
credits to European countries in return for their surrender of economic and then political
independence.

It has fallen upon the Communists the special historical task of leading the resistance to the
American plan for the enslavement of Europe, and of boldly denouncing all collaborators of
American imperialism in their own countries.

From a speech by a Soviet official at the founding of the Cominform, September 1947.

Now answer the following questions:

(a) Compare and contrast the evidence provided in Sources A and B on the role of the US in the
economic matters of post-war Europe. [10]

(b) How far do Sources A-F support the view that American aggression caused the outbreak of the
Cold War? [30]

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Section B

You must answer two questions from this section.

EITHER

2 ‘The economic miracle in Western Europe and Japan underpinned the Golden Age of
Capitalism.’ Discuss. [30]

OR

3 To what extent was Taiwan’s rise as an Asian Tiger the result of its Confucian culture? [30]

AND EITHER

4 ‘The Great Powers were most responsible for undermining the effectiveness of United Nations
peace operations between 1945 and 2000.’ How far do you agree with this view? [30]

OR

5 ‘United Nations reforms largely succeeded in helping the United Nations remain relevant in its
role of safeguarding international peace and security.’ Assess the validity of this statement.
[30]

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