International Relations from 1900 to 1914
Source C
The total output value of the world’s industries are shown in the
table below (in %).
Year
Read the data in the table
carefully, including:
• What do the figures show?
• What countries are included in
the table?
• W h i c h c o u n t r i e s h a d t h e
most prominent change in the
figures?
The
The
Britain Germany France Russia
others
US
1870
23
32
13
10
4
18
1896 –
1900
30
20
17
7
5
21
1913
36
14
16
6
6
22
(a) According to Source A, identify one reason for Germany’s
expansion before the First World War.
(2 marks)
The answer should be with
reference to the information in
Source A. Give one reason from
the Source.
(b) According to Source B, what was the cartoonist’s view towards
the naval race between Britain and Germany? Explain your
answer with reference to Source B.
(4 marks)
(c) According to Source C, identify and explain the trend of
Germany’s share of the total output value of the world’s
industries between 1870–1913.
(4 marks)
(d) What are the usefulness and limitations of Sources A, B and C
in reflecting the relationship between Britain and Germany from
1900 to 1914? Explain your answer with reference to Sources
A, B and C, and using your own knowledge.
(7 marks)
The usefulness and limitations
of the Sources in reflecting the
relationship between Britain and
Germany are the key question
points. Give your explanation
within the time frame of 1900 – 14.
(a) Reason for Germany’s expansion before the First World
War
2
Any one of the following
e.g. • To satisfy the wants of the growing population.
• To gain market share in foreign countries for her
industrial development.
5
Major Conflicts after the Second World War and Attempts to Make Peace
Paper 2 Essay-type questions
Trace and explain the relations between the US and the USSR
during the Cold War in the period 1946 – 91.
After the Second World War, the US and the USSR gained
influence in the world and became superpowers. The formation
of the two sides – the capitalist bloc and the communist bloc
respectively in the US and the USSR – with two different
ideologies resulted in tense relations between the two countries.
The introduction is related to the
question but does not explain in
terms of different stages.
Therefore, the Cold War occurred.
The relations between the US and the USSR were very
tense since the two superpowers confronted each other in
terms of political propaganda and the arms race. Besides, the
superpowers fought against each other in several regional wars.
The Cold War began after Churchill, the former Prime
Minister of the United Kingdom, delivered a speech about the
‘Iron Curtain’. Later on, the US introduced the Marshall Plan and
the USSR introduced the Molotov Plan. The relations between the
superpowers were tense, and even worsened with regional wars
like the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
Nevertheless, the relations between the superpowers had
changed by the 1970s and the tensions in the Cold War began to
ease. As both countries were not able to support the tremendous
military expenses, they gave up the arms race and redirected
their capital into economic development. These helped ease
international tensions in the Cold War.
Besides, a nuclear war between the US and the USSR
nearly broke out in the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. Being
afraid of the gigantic destruction of a nuclear war, the
superpowers decided to improve their relationship and to ease
Attempts to analyze are made,
but the argument is quite weak
because it lacks the support of
concrete historical facts.
the tensions.
Moreover, the relations between the USSR and China
turnedbad as Mao Zedong, the chairman of the PRC of China,
criticized the revisionism promoted by Khrushchev, the leader
of the USSR; China also had conflicts with the USSR on the
121
History Data-based Questions and Essays Theme B Book 1
boundary issue. The two countries decided to each establish
relations with US to isolate the other. This also helped to ease
the relations between the US and USSR.
The US and the USSR also set up a ‘hot line’ telephone link
to enhance their communication to prevent the outbreak of war.
The USSR and the US signed the Helsinki Agreement later that
maintained an easing of tension between the superpowers.
Moreover, the two countries signed the Nuclear Test Ban
Treaty twice to maintain peace and decrease armanents. Their
relations improved. However, the invasion of Afghanistan by the
USSR in 1979 and the introduction of the ‘Star Wars’ Plan by the
US made their relations become tense again.
Gorbachev, the new General Secretary, came to power in
1985. He actively carried out reforms and suggested that the
communist bloc should promote freedom and the development
of democracy and be open to the world. He accelerated the
economic reforms. All these measures were helpful in improving
the relations between the US and the USSR.
The reform measures introduced by Gorbachev, however,
The answer includes irrelevant
information, such as the content
o f re f o r m s c a r r i e d o u t b y
Gorbachev.
created many problems in the USSR and made the communist
bloc in Eastern Europe become discontented with the USSR. As
a result, the Warsaw Pact collapsed and the tension eased once
again.
In short, the relations between the US and the USSR were
very tense at the beginning. The tension eased later on, and
further eased when Gorbachev introduced reforms.
• Follow the requirement in the question to ‘trace and explain’
the relations between the superpowers, and divide the
relations between the US and the USSR during the Cold War
into several stages. Explain the characteristics of each stage
and support your argument with relevant historical facts.
• Avoid excessively narrating a single event. Discussion of
different events referring to different stages makes the answer
much clearer and more analytical.
• Use exact wording to describe the relations. For example,
the easing of tension means the improvement of the relations
between the US and the USSR during the period 1968 –
79, which is different from the easing of tension in a general
situation.
122
The answer does not ‘trace’
the relations between the US
and the USSR as required in
the question or make a clear
distinction between the stages of
development of their relations.
Major Conflicts after the Second World War and Attempts to Make Peace
1. Study Sources A, B and C.
Source A
The following is an extract from Stalin’s speech about the Soviet policy in Eastern Europe after the
Second World War.
The following circumstance should not be forgotten. The Germans made their
invasion of the Soviet Union through Finland, Poland, Rumania, Bulgaria and Hungary.
... Governments hostile to the Soviet Union existed in those countries. As a result of the
German invasion, the Soviet Union has lost irrecoverably. ... In other words, the Soviet
Union’s loss of life has been several times greater than that of Britain and the United States
put together. ... And so what can be surprising about the fact that the Soviet Union, anxious
for its future safety, is trying to make sure that governments loyal in their attitude to the Soviet
Union should exist in these countries?
Source B
The following is an extract from the American President Truman’s speech in March 1947.
I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who
are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures. ... I believe
that our help should be primarily through economic and financial aid. ... I therefore ask the
Congress for assistance to Greece and Turkey in the amount of $400 million. In addition,
I ask the Congress to authorize the detail of American civilian and military personnel to
Greece and Turkey. ...
125
History Data-based Questions and Essays Theme B Book 1
Source C
The following diagram shows Europe in the late 1940s.
(a) Identify from Source A one cause which can explain the Soviet Union’s high casualties in the
Second World War.
(2 marks)
(b) According to Source B, what do ‘free peoples’ and ‘armed minorities’ refer to?
(c) What are the differences between the Soviet and US governments’ policies towards the postwar European countries? Explain your answer with reference to Sources A and B and the relevant
(4 marks)
historical facts in the period 1945 — 47.
126
(2 marks)