Exemplar for internal assessment resource History 2.4A for Achievement Standard 91232
Exemplar for Internal Assessment Resource
History Level 2
Resource title: Perspectives during the 1905 Russian
revolution
This exemplar supports assessment against:
Achievement Standard 91232
Interpret different perspectives of people in an historical event that is of
significance to New Zealanders
Student and grade boundary specific exemplar
The material has been gathered from student material specific to an A or B assessment
resource.
Date version published by
Ministry of Education
© Crown 2010
December 2011
To support internal assessment from 2012
Exemplar for internal assessment resource History 2.4A for Achievement Standard 91232
The assessor had adapted the historical context for this assessment activity from the
different perspectives of people who were involved in 1905 Russian revolution to
perspectives of people who were involved in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu – which is one of
the alternative contexts suggested in the Teacher guidelines section of the assessment
materials.
Grade Boundary: Low Excellence
1.
For Excellence a detailed interpretation of different perspectives of people is required.
Comprehensive understanding is to be demonstrated by showing depth of
understanding, discernment with significant relevant supporting evidence (Explanatory
Note 2). Actions related to perspectives should also be expected (Explanatory Note 5).
Note that this Achievement Standard does not specifically require students to show the
link(s) between the context and significance to New Zealanders.
This student has correctly followed the requirement of the Achievement Standard to
interpret from the perspective of named people (or from an historian’s perspective
would also have been acceptable).
Student 1 has demonstrated some discerning understanding of the historical context
(for example the last two sentences of the second paragraph of the French writer), and
conveys well the mood of participants. The understanding is supported by some
specific historical detail and actions that are related to the perspectives communicated.
Two different perspectives are presented, as required by the Achievement Standard.
In the entry written by Huu Dang Tho a large number of perspectives are
communicated but the supporting evidence and description of actions taken as a result
of the perspectives tend to be quite brief. Examples of perspectives include, ‘The past
few weeks of hauling artillery up the mountain side has really paid off’, and ‘This is the
perfect opportunity for us to shame their general Navarre’, and ‘Yesterday, we took the
French by complete surprise’ and ‘I feel so proud to be a Viet Minh soldier’.
Communication of a lesser number of perspectives, and greater depth of supporting
evidence for those that were communicated, may have helped to demonstrate
significant supporting evidence and the discernment needed for Excellence.
In the report written by a French officer (second page) the first paragraph carries on
with a large number of perspectives being communicated but not well-supported with
significant evidence, but then in the second and third paragraphs evidence is much
more clearly at Excellence standard. The first two sentences of each of these
paragraphs state perspectives (being ‘extremely surprised’ and being at ‘extreme
disadvantage’) and the rest of each paragraph provides specific evidence that also
demonstrates sound understanding. Writing of this standard throughout both the
Vietnamese and the French reports would have allowed a clear Excellence judgement,
perhaps high Excellence.
Both writers clearly communicate accounts of actions taken as a result of perspectives
held – an expectation that is stated in Explanatory Note 5 of the Achievement Standard
(e.g. in the third paragraph of both writers).
© Crown 2010
14th March 1954
12:35am
Student 1 page 1: Low Excellence
Dear Journal,
At last we set fire upon the French! We started at one of their bases, Beatrice. The past few weeks
of hauling artillery up the mountain side has really paid off. It was tough work, not that I care, as
long as we can kill some French because of it. Because of our raids in Laos (also under French
colonisation), the French have set up bases around the air strip in the valley of Dien Bien Phu. This
is the perfect opportunity for us to shame their general Navarre as he has quoted this as the
"unbeatable fort". Yesterday, we took the French by complete surprise. They had no idea that we
had heavy artillery and just how many fighters we really had. Twenty-four, l05mm Howitzers, we
have pulled up the mountains, and dug into the land – out of sight of the French! These howitzers
can take out their air craft, which would have been our biggest problem. We started fire at around 6
o'clock, and we had taken over shortly after midnight - I feel so proud to be a Viet Minh soldier
I previously had been a bit nervous that, we did not have sufficient recourses to beat the French such as communication devices. But after today, I have no doubt that the enemy and passion in the
Viet Minh is enough, and we have many ways off getting around these problems.
We are using the human wave tactic, although it takes many lives, it still is working. We are also
using the method of direct artillery fire, which meant that due to no radio, we had to have a spotter
forward of the gun to direct our fire, which proved to work very well, and the French could not see
where were firing from because, we have spent the day before digging them into the land.
It has been good to lull from fighting, as the French will not know what we are doing. They will
defiantly be surprised when we come out to fight as they cannot see us advancing because we have
dug tracks out of sight of the French. It has also given me rest, not physically but mentally too. The
support from our fellow Vietnamese has been great and vital in this war. They have helped feed us
and heal us after battle. We are both so grateful of each other. I have heard many stories of the great
work the peasants have done for us. Hundreds of peasants on bike are hauling bullets and supplies
up and down the mountains for us to use. And another story of was of men and women heaving on
ropes, pulling up howitzers and other anti air craft machinery.
This morning the French launched a counter attack but were beaten again within hours, they still
obviously have not grasped out capability. The other soldiers and I have been laughing about the
ignorance of the French during lunch today; did they really think they could regain Beatrice? Today
was the best lunch we have had since this all started. I am sure the peasants are very happy with us
for our win yesterday. At the moment we have ceased fire just over 3 hours, but it should start up
again soon. The word of our success has obviously got very far, though our massagers, as the
response the massagers have returned with is amazing, they can't wait to beat more French too.
Although we had about 6oo of our soldiers die yesterday, the French had almost as many losses
than us. I'm not too sure how much but it was a little less than our by the looks of it. 6oo Viet Mien
to maybe 5oo French is definitely worth it, and I am so proud of my fellow soldiers who fought and
died today - generations to come will be forever great full when Vietnam is finally a free country
and these intruders our out. And if our success the past two days weren't good enough, I have just
been told that Charles Piroth (artillery officer) has committed suicide! The French must be so
shamed to be part of their army - hopefully the UN may take us seriously from now? Lunch is now
over, we are now preparing for our attack on Gabrielle. I pray for a safe journey, I pray for our
country, our people, and for an independent country.
Huu Dang Tho.
Student 1 page 2: Low Excellence
Report:
Sir
It is with sincere lament, that I have to inform you on the situation in Dien Bien Phu. As you may
have already perceived, from earlier reports, the situation is severe. I feel remorse, to tell you this
dismal report, but it is vital to have this situation assessed. The Viet Minh have only gotten
stronger, smarter and much larger over the years, and much more organised than when we first
fought with them. It also seems they have gain economical support for other Communist countries.
You are aware of the first attacks from the Viet Minh, were very sudden and brutal at Dien Bien
phu. We were extremely surprised. We quickly became aware, that we had critically
underestimated the Viet Minh artillery power. Initially, it was thought that the enemy had very little
or no artillery. Due to their excellent position in the valley, they surround us from a high angle,
they have a prime advantage. The enemy have optimal range being on higher ground, therefore
harder to aim for. It also means they have an uncomplicated and easy view to fire from. The expert
camouflage of their guns; hidden into the mountainside. Because of all of these elements the use of
our air craft forces, we were incapable to restrain the constant fire from Viet Minh. This gave us
immense pressure on, not only the air force, but all other forces as they realised too, the true power
of the enemy. It was within the first day, due to these events that brought the morale of the French
men right down. Our men do not have as much to fight for. They fight for each other, for survival, a
respect. But Viet Minh are fighting with anger and hatred.
The Viet Minh had also significantly more men than we had approximated, therefore we were
greatly outnumbered. This is extreme disadvantage for our men. Some men said the ratio was at
least 5 to 1. The Viet Minh easily brought in supplies from all around. It was hard for us to prevent
the enemy gaining supplies from supporters because we surrounded by them and they received it
from behind. But for our men to get supplies it was the complete opposite, as we have to move
through the enemy to get supplies. And the enemy had taken over the main air strip and roads
leading out of Dien Bien Phu; it became increasingly harder to supply our men. This became
increasingly stressful. We then commenced with dropping supplies out of air craft to our men. This
saw problems in the form of Viet Minh shooting down our air craft’s. Our change of tactics caused
more problems. The air force would have to drop supplies from a higher altitude to avoid being
shoot down by Viet Mihn, causing less accuracy - and occasionally falling into the hands of the
enemy. Our men became increasingly apprehensive, knowing that the Viet Minh have our high
quality American supplies. Recently the weather has turned, it is now monsoon season - this means
the ground is too slippery for our heavy artillery such as tanks, to drive up the mountains where the
Viet Mihn are.
The tragic death toll now stands at around 1,900 French, and 6,500 have been captured.
Unfortunately, there are 5,400 wounded French men. That is more men than our medical personal
can take on. I am not yet aware of the Viet Minh death toll, although it must be at the least, double
ours. The enemy also has control over Gabrielle, Beatrice, Anne- Marie, and strong parts of Eliane,
and Dominique.
Exemplar for internal assessment resource History 2.4A for Achievement Standard 91232
Grade Boundary: High Merit
2.
For Merit, in-depth interpretation of different perspectives of people is required. This
requires interpreting perspectives which show depth of understanding, with relevant
supporting evidence.
The Vietnamese perspectives are communicated with depth of supporting evidence
that is at a high Achievement standard but the quality of evidence provided by the
French writer is much better (e.g. the third paragraph description of being
outnumbered) and allows a holistic judgement that is at high Merit standard.
For the first writer, the first part of the first entry is largely a narrative that does not
communicate perspectives with supporting evidence, but in the second part of that
entry perspectives are stated and supported with some evidence. The other entries all
communicate clearly the writer’s perspectives, but the depth of supporting evidence is
a problem. There is, of course, also clearly described action that relates to
perspectives – for the second writer as well.
When it comes to the second writer, the standard improves noticeably. The first
paragraph states overall perspectives and following paragraphs begin with a clearly
articulated perspective and the supporting evidence is quite wide-ranging and
demonstrates sound understanding of the historical context – up to Excellence
standard. Looked at holistically, the evidence overall is at high Merit standard.
© Crown 2010
Student 2 page 1: High Merit
13 March 1954
Dear Journal,
It is just after midday on March 13 and in a few hours all the planning, studying and practice assaults will
have paid off. General Giap has chosen 5pm tonight, close to sunset, for our surprise attack on the French.
We have many, many more troops than the enemy, 50,000 men to their 11,000.
If I reach my head out of the tunnels I can see them from here, down in the valley. We have set up in the
hills, tugging our heavy artillery up here, artillery the French are unaware we possess. We have camouflaged
these weapons into optimum positions in the hillside, ready to fire when the time comes. All the surrounding
communities are pitching in a lot; it is a good feeling knowing that we are all in it together, troops and
villagers alike.
I simply cannot let the French defeat us here at Dien Bien Phu and I know my comrades feet the same way.
They have been controlling our country for far too long. They set up all sorts of awful plantations, I feel
enslaved by them. They have no regard for the health and well-being of any of the Vietnamese people, many
of the workers died in the French plantations due to malaria, malnutrition and dysentery.
I cannot stand this any longer, after all Vietnam has been through, the French have no right to be here. We
requested independence at the end of World War II but our pleas were ignored, despite other colonies
gaining their freedom. America believe that all countries should be self-determined and self governing, yet
they did not give Ho Chi Minh and his Declaration of Independence the time of day, even to hear him out.
None of this is fair on us, I loathe the French and I will fight until the end to get them out. Liberty and unity
for Vietnam!
19 March 1954
Dear Journal,
The past few days have been quieter in comparison to when we begun here. We are working as hard as ever
digging ourselves tunnels, tracks and trenches to move closer to the enemy. We seemed to really shock them
with out first attack and it was a confidence boost to know that our actions were greatly affecting them. We
still have them surrounded and are currently working on tightening the noose, so to speak.
27 March 1954
Dear Journal,
Opening packs dropped to the French came as such a delight to all us soldiers as we shared and stored the
treats. However I feel quite annoyed that all the equipment was obviously American. They have no
involvement in our war against the French, yet are paying for what seems like a lot of it. Some figures have
been quoted at as high as 80% paid by America. I guess this would all be different if Ho Chi Minh was not
Communist, as America are all for preventing the spread of it, whatever that means. We really would be
nowhere without the great Uncle Ho, the Vietnamese people owe a lot to him and he cares about us so much.
I will always support his principles.
29 March 1954
Dear Journal,
Today I write on a heavier note, with sad news. On March 27 the
French successfully attacked our positions in the hills. They were staged to the west of us while my
company manned the machine guns. They launched a full out attack in which we lost 17 machine guns and
many men, including two close friends of mine. I am not yet over the shock of this tragic event, the brutality
of war is hitting hard this week.
Student 2 page 2: High Merit
Report:
Sir,
It is with great sadness I write; I must be the one to inform you of the situation as it stands in Dien
Bien Phu. You may have gathered from earlier reports that the state of affairs is grave. I am full of
regrets as I report this to you but we all must do our duties, like the soldiers that went into battle for
France.
The Viet Minh have many advantages over us now, they are larger, stronger, quicker, well trained
with superior equipment and they do not seem to be letting up anytime soon. Their first attack was
sudden and rained down heavily upon us. The clandestine Viet Minh had their artillery disguised in
the hills, as well as their troops. We quickly realised that we had greatly underestimated the sheer
power of the enemy's weaponry. It was initially assumed that the Viets possessed next to no
artillery and that their smaller weapons were not nearly as good as ours, this was unfortunately not
so. Due to the enemy's excellent position in the hills, we were surrounded by them. It was
complicated to fire directly at them from the ground and they had a clearer view of us from above.
Their hidden artillery was difficult to take out and our air force was hindered by their anti-aircraft
guns. This put immense pressure on us all, by the end of the first day of fighting the morale of the
French men was brought crashing down.
We were critically outnumbered at Dien Bien Phu; the Viet Minh had a significantly higher count
of men than we had first thought. It was an awful disadvantage to us; many of our troops reported
the numbers being as high as 5:1. Although we had attempted to block all the entry points into Dien
Bien Phu, the enemy still succeeded in bringing in a high amount of supplies, probably from across
the border. They managed to take over the main airstrip, creating huge problems for us. It became
harder to supply our men and this was stress we did not need. Our men sat in the bunkers to shelter
from the constant fire. They were cold, damp and hungry, feeling rather sorry for themselves. As an
Officer I was upset because there was not much I could do to change this. We were trying to drop
our supplies in via air but the Viets kept shooting us down. Tactics were changed and we continued
the supply drops from a higher altitude, although this removed us from the Vietnamese's firing tine,
it created more problems. The aircraft now had less accuracy and as a result our supplies were
falling right into the enemy's hands. Our men felt progressively more uneasy knowing that our
quality supplies were intercepted by the Viet Minh and could be used against us.
Recently the weather has taken a turn for the worse as we enter monsoon season. The slippery
ground prevents our tanks from driving up the mountain toward where the enemy are hiding.
The situation now is that to pair with huge loss of French life at Dien Bien Phu we are likely to lose
Vietnam as a colony. I am aware that this is disappointing as Vietnam is useful to our empire. I am
ashamed of the recent events and even though many of our men recommend that we leave white we
can I do not agree this is the best course of action. The Viet Minh are still considerably larger than
us and we cannot withdraw without losing many more troops. The inevitable loss at Dien Bien Phu
will be humiliating but I still suggest that, in order to maintain some dignity that we hold in and
fight until the bitter end. We can then wait for word from the Geneva Conference as we recover.
Exemplar for internal assessment resource History 2.4A for Achievement Standard 91232
Grade Boundary: Low Merit
3.
For Merit, in-depth interpretation of different perspectives of people is required.
The Vietnamese writer does not always shape the evidence so that perspectives are
communicated and supported with evidence – parts tend towards narrative description
instead. It takes until half way through the first paragraph before a perspective is
stated (‘…we have surprised the French by our tactics…’). When perspectives are
stated they are sometimes lower-level statements of perspective (e.g. ‘it has been
challenging’ and ‘There has been minimal fighting recently’ and ‘This isn't getting any
easier’). But there are also some stronger statements (e.g. ‘They thought we were
weak but we are far from it’ and ‘I want freedom from these people, I don’t want to be
enslaved by these people’ For each perspective, supporting evidence is present but
lacks the significant evidence that could elevate it towards Excellence.
The French writer begins by stating a perspective (about being outwitted) and the rest
of the evidence mostly supports that perspective. This makes up for brevity on the part
of the first writer but overall level of significance of this supporting evidence is still not
as great as either Student 1 or Student 2, though understanding of events, places and
circumstances is reasonable.
From the evidence for the first writer the student appeared to be heading towards a
Merit/high Merit standard but the standard was not sustained and holistically, the
evidence is at low Merit standard overall.
© Crown 2010
Student 3 page 1: Low Merit
March 13th 1954
Today was the first day of battle. We have moved our artillery to the highlands, so we can have a good
position over the French so it will be easy for us to accurately bombard French positions. The fighting
began at 5.00pm, and we, the Viet Minh launched a massive attack on the French. We concentrated on the
position of Beatrice. Before this, we came up every evening to prepare. Our jumping-off point was only
two hundred yards from Beatrice, and to everyone's surprise the French had no idea where we were
hidden. Although, so I have been told we have lost men, the French have lost some too. I think we have
surprised the French by our tactics, they would never think highly of us, they never have, to them we are
nothing more but 'little yellow men', and now they realize what really we can do. They thought we were
weak, but we are far from it. We know what we are fighting for, and that is independence for our country.
As a young boy, I grew up not knowing how my future would be, but as I continued to get older, I
understood that my life would not be like those from other countries, as the French were in ours, stealing
our freedom as it has been for many, many years before me. Although we are a smaller country, does not
mean we should be treated in such ways, we do not deserve to be pulled from our homes, or living in fear
of the French and of our futures.
March 17th 1954
The battle has continued, it has been challenging, but so far I believe we are making good progress. On
March 14th, we made another attack, but this time on Gabrielle. This went on for some time, losing lives.
I have been told that one of our shells hit the battalion headquarters and it severely wounded many. The
French wanted a counterattack to ease Gabrielle, but had no luck as our heavy artillery made it hard for
them to defeat us. However this made the Viet Minh lose many lives, but it is all for a respectable cause. I
want the French out of our country; I want freedom from these people. I don't want to be enslaved by
these people. I want one ruler, someone who knows the country, who has lived in this country. Someone
like Ho Chi Minh, he is a man of the people. He knows our ways, and is fighting for what we want,
independence from all foreign powers. He has seen other countries alike our own who have
independence, he has been places that people like me would not get to see, and because of this, he knows
that we deserve our freedom. Not only freedom, but also peace. To be able to live in our country,
undisturbed, together as one unit, not in this war, not fighting.
March 31"t 1954
There has been minimal fighting recently. By the 27th of March, the airstrip was permanently closed
because of light bombardment, this bombardment being made by the Viet Minh. This makes it harder for
the French, it was a completely unexpected move and now they have no way of getting new supplies or
being able to treat the injured. However we are making a steady attack on French defensive positions. I
believe that the advantage we have in numbers is surprising the French and this is the tactic that Giap
wants us to use. He wants us to slowly place a vice-like grip around the French central areas. We have a
hold on there strong points, Huguette, Dominique, Claudine and Eliane. We are progressing, although
slowly.
This isn't getting any easier. I am tired and hungry. We are so concentrated on defeating these monsters
that there is really no time to sleep and eat, because we are all here for the same reason. We are all under
our great leaders, Giap and Ho Chi Minh's orders. However, they did not make this choice of coming into
battle for us. We made it. We made it because we know and have experienced what these people have
done, they have pulled us from our homes, hurt our families and destroyed our villages, our way of living,
our way of surviving. We have watched our family and friends in our villages suffer because of these
people, and now we are standing up to them, we have our rights, and we want respect.
Student 3 page 2: Low Merit
To Whom lt May Concern,
This report contains all details from the current situation at Dien Bien Phu and
I am more than discouraged to say that it has not been pleasant at all.
It is more than an understatement to say that the Viet Minh have outwitted not only the foot soldiers
but senior commanders. We are unsure of what is the next step to take in this battle, it has gone on
for close to two months now, and the Viet Minh have certainly got the better of us.
We were unaware of the Viet Minh's possession of such heavy artillery and also anti-aircraft guns.
But I was extremely surprised by the way they could move such artillery through difficult terrain as
at Dien Bien Phu. We thought that this placement of battle would be an advantage for the French,
but we were more than wrong. The Viet Minh immediately occupied the high lands and were able
to accurately bombard our positions, and all this with ease.
The 27th of March, was a big downfall for the French. We had previously been supplied by air, but
when this was discovered by the Viet Minh, the airstrip was immediately bombed. This making it
hard for us to have access to new supplies and medical care. Those wounded were and still are
being forced to stay in these horrible conditions, untreated. Some really just being left to die, with
no hope.
Slowly, the Viet Minh have just begun to take over all of our major positions.
Beatrice, Gabrielle, Anne-Marie, Huguette, Dominique, Claudine and Eliane. It surprised me their
ability to hide their artillery and also themselves, I have given orders to try finding such things, but
there has been no hope. It is so hard for them to be found, they move silently through the hills and
jungle. We are so unaware of their positions constantly.
We have tried to fight back as much as we can. Using the tactic of fight and retreat, but when we
are ready to fight the Viet Minh are nowhere to be found. It is impossible for us sometimes to try
shoot and bomb.
To be quite frank, I have no idea how I am supposed to lead my soldiers, they want to go home to
their families, their wives and their children. But I am forced to make them stay stranded here,
when there is nothing that they are able to do but wait for someone to shoot at them, and this, I
believe, is quite unfair for the young men of France's future.
I am finding that this battle is not being lead well at all. Especially since our artillery commander
committed suicide sometime ago. It often feels as though there is little hope left, and I can tell this,
also from the morale of my soldiers.
Exemplar for internal assessment resource History 2.4A for Achievement Standard 91232
Grade Boundary: High Achieved
4.
For Achievement, interpretation of different perspectives of people is required.
The Vietnamese writer includes some perspectives, but they are quite difficult to locate
– the first one and a half entries are really just narrative. Perspectives that are
communicated (e.g. ‘Evacuation is extremely difficult’ and ‘This is demoralising’ and
‘The noose is tightening around the French’) are lower level expressions of perspective
but they are supported with evidence. It is the need for greater significance of that
supporting evidence that restricts the judgement to the Achievement standard at this
point. The overall evidence presented indicates good understanding by this student.
The perspectives of the French writer are more easily discernable (e.g. ‘Our situation is
becoming more desperate by the day’ and ‘Morale is understandably low’ and each is
supported with evidence, though again, the depth of that evidence is not great.
The range of perspectives communicated and consistent use of supporting evidence
are pluses. The lack of depth of supporting evidence and some use of narrative are
the negatives.
The last entry of the Vietnamese soldier (April 17) really cements the High
Achievement grade. It clearly articulates why there was hatred for the French and
makes a clear link to the impact the French had on Vietnamese life rather than solely
focussing on the battle itself. It provides explanation as to why they were fighting in the
first place.
© Crown 2010
Student 4 page 1: High Achieved
March 19 1954
The fighting has now calmed down and we have been given some time to recover our exhausted bodies and
minds from seven days of fierce fighting. It is a great relief to finally get some rest. Our medical facilities
are very poor. We have a shortage of well trained staff and medical supplies. Evacuation is extremely
difficult as the only way to safety is to march or be carried through the jungle. This is demoralising because
if I, or one of my comrades, is wounded we will go uncared for and die a slow and painful death. We must
keep reminding ourselves that we are fighting for an independent Vietnamese state. We must trust in our
commanders General Giap and Ho Chi Minh.
March 31 1954
Last night our comrades launched an assault on the French positions Dominique l and 2. We now have
gained control of both these positions. The noose is tightening around the French and we have only one fire
base between us and their General Headquarters. We feel the fighting will not last much longer as we have
cut off one of their major supply lines. This will impact significantly on the French fighting ability. For our
forces it will have the opposite effect our troops know the French will be running low on supplies in the
weeks to come and the French will be less capable of defending themselves.
April 13 1954
Three days ago the French launched a counterattack against our recently acquired front at Elaine 1. We had
held the ground for eleven days however, the French saw the position as a major threat to their fire base at
Elaine 4. We managed to put up a strong defence and although the base changed several hands during the
day the French finally fought our weary and significantly demoralised forces back. In an attempt to regain
what we had fought and many comrades died for. We launched a counter attack last night however we were
unsuccessful and the base disappointingly remains in French hands. !
April 17 1954
Although there is no shortage of supplies thanks to the thousands of porters that keep our supply lines
running I searched the bodies of dead French soldiers for food and valuables. One of the French bodies had a
crucifix around his neck. Seeing the crucifix greatly angered me. This symbol of Christ sacrificing himself
goes hand in hand with the French oppression of Indochina. The French have invaded our country and
forced many things upon our people, however one of the main French influences is religion. They have
forced their Catholic beliefs upon our people and want to steer us away from our Confucian views. To me
this symbol is why we are fighting against the French and leaves no doubt in my mind that Ho Chi Minh is
destined to be the leader of independent Vietnam.
Student 4 page 2 High Achieved
Detailed analysis of the Situation
Our situation is becoming more desperate by the day. We are running low on supplies and ammunition
which are critical for our survival. We need a well placed supply drop, however if the supplies were to land
anywhere but the small area under our control they would fall into the hands of the Viet Minh.
Care of our wounded is a major priority. We have no way of evacuating our casualties or dead. The more
injured we have, the less troops we can commit to combat. Our defence will become more thinly spread as a
result. This is a major issue which is directly linked to the health and survival of our remaining soldiers.
Many of our troops are afraid to go into combat fearful that being wounded will mean minimal care will be
given, if they are lucky enough to see a medical officer.
Morale is understandably low from the never ending onslaught of artillery fire and fierce ground fighting.
There has been much talk amongst our remaining men, they refer to the Viet Minh and their officers as
inferior savages. Our hatred of the Viet Minh remains strong and our soldiers and officers have been
showing no mercy towards them.
Approximately 2 hours ago the Viet Minh detonated a mine shaft. I fear that this event will swing the tide of
the battle in the favour of the enemy, as this is one of our few remaining firebases. Currently our battle
weary soldiers are establishing a defensive perimeter around our remaining positions in the form of barbed
wire and land mines. In summary our French defences in the valley of Dien Bien Phu are heavily
outnumbered and with no way of evacuating our wounded we are becoming more and more stretched. We
need resupply and reinforcements if we are to hold our own against the enemy.
We realise it was to our detriment to establish our forces so far away from resupply, in terrain that is easily
dominated by artillery on ground that we could never hope to win. Our failure to control the high ground
has been a major tactical blunder. Unless this situation changes I fear that our positions will shortly be
overwhelmed and defeat will follow. The Viet Minh have demonstrated their commitment to massed attacks.
They seem to have an endless supply of men and ammunition. We have greatly under estimated the Viet
Minh soldier's commitment to his cause and his capability as a fighting soldier. Their logistical planning to
mount such a well coordinated and well supplied attack may prove to be a decisive factor in the outcome of
this battle.
Even though defeat is imminent we remember the words of Napoleon “victory belongs to the most
persevering". We will keep fighting until the end for France.
Viva Le France
Exemplar for internal assessment resource History 2.4A for Achievement Standard 91232
Grade Boundary: Low Achieved
5.
For Achievement, interpretation of different perspectives of people is required.
Student 5’s Vietnamese writer begins each entry with a narrative of events, which
appears not to address the requirements of the Achievement Standard, until the
beginning of the second paragraph which states perspectives (e.g. ‘The French have
majorly underestimated our power’ and ‘I believe that we are acting completely true to
why we are here’), at which point what was taken as unrelated narrative can be taken,
instead, as evidence supporting the perspective. This student has provided evidence,
then the perspective, rather than the other way around in his/her writing which would
have made assessment a little more straightforward. That being the case, the depth of
supporting evidence is reasonable, but explanation of perspectives is very limited.
Reasons for the Vietnamese antipathy towards the French would have helped to raise
the standard. Perspectives communicated also tend to become repetitive.
The French officer’s report provides slightly better evidence, in that there is a range of
perspectives communicated; supporting evidence is reasonable and indicates good
understanding but is quite generalised as far as Merit’s in-depth understanding is
concerned. More specific detail would have helped to raise its quality. Better detail
provided in the Vietnamese diary helped to compensate for this.
© Crown 2010
Student 5 page 1: Low Achieved
Diary 1 March
Our first major attack happened on the 13th or March 1954 with the fall of French firebase
Beatrice. From one of our launchers we launched a shell that headed straight for the French
command post. It landed on target killing Legionnaire commander Major Paul Pegot along with his
staff and then with another shell we killed Colonel Jules Gaucher, who commanded the whole of
the French's northern part. Beatrice collapsed and we were able to take over. The French then tried
to counterattack us but we managed to fight them off as our artillery was too well hidden for any
French firing squad to find and destroy.
The French have majorly underestimated our power and we are going to continue to squash them
like the bugs they eat. I believe that we are acting completely true to why we are here and that we
are completely within reason with every action we take. Every man that goes to war knows what is
in store for him and the constant nagging thought that death is around the corner is always there.
Diary 2 March
Today we continued to attack the airstrip after a four-hour cease-fire. The airstrip had been closed
yesterday since 4:00pm due to bad weather but is now permanently out of action. Our next target
was Gabrielle. We attacked under the cover of night starting with a concentrated artillery
bombardment at 5:00pm, which was then followed by two regiments of the 308th division who
started to attack at 8:00pm.
At 4:00am, morning of the 15th March, a shell hits the French battalion headquarters and severely
wounds the battalion commander and most of his men.
I believe what we have just done yesterday and early this morning is for the greater good of
Vietnam, it is what we all signed up for and we all knew the risks when we joined. We have been
under French ruling for far too long and we had to take a stand. In this situation it is inevitable that
people will get hurt and it just happened to be the battalion commander and his men that got hurt.
However you can't fight for freedom with out casualties so there is no point in getting allsentimental over the wounded. It is now Vietnam’s time to rise up and state her independence.
With the battalion commander out of action it posed a great opportunity to wipe out French firebase
Gabrielle once and for all. The French tried a counterattack to ease Gabrielle from us however we
had too much artillery at that time and ended wiping out most of the French so that by 8:00am the
French battalion fell back and abandoned Gabrielle to us.
Our response to Gabrielle was what we are all here for. The freedom of Vietnam and to eliminate
the French firebases is how we are going to achieve that. We start with one firebase and then move
on to the next and so on. We are all here for the same reasons. And we will fight it out to the very
end for us to achieve our independence
Student 5 page 2: Low Achieved
Senior Officers Report: May
The situation at present is very bleak. We have experienced severe casualties and have lost the
majority of our bases. The Viet Minh have hidden their artillery in the hills so well that none of our
gunners can find them, let alone destroy them, which would give us an opportunity to hurt them.
We have sorely underestimated their firepower and their sheer will to win this battle.
The start of this war saw us on the back foot as we were ill prepared to deal with what they had in
store for us. The loss of Beatrice at such an early stage meant that we were one firebase down and
at that point of the war we thought we could get it back – but we didn't. However, once we had a
little clue to how the Viet Minh were constructing their attacks we managed to beat them back and
keep hold of some of our firebases, Eliane 1 being only one example.
We have had little skirmishes between some of our commanding officers, due in the main to the
pressure of the task at hand. But these were quickly and effectively dealt with and we were able to
get our commanders back on track leading our men through some tough times.
However, the fighting started to take a turn for the better with all of our men doing everything
within their power to stop the Viet Minh. We started to take back a couple of firebases that had
been previously taken, which was up until a couple of days ago. The Viet Minh are now attacking
with such force that we are unable to hold them for long. It looks like we are not going to hold them
off for much longer as the men are getting more and more discontent. We have only a handful of
reinforcements left and we are quickly running out. The feeling around here is one of utter despair.
Some have even thought to surrender.
Exemplar for internal assessment resource History 2.4A for Achievement Standard 91232
Grade Boundary: High Not Achieved
6.
For Achievement, interpretation of different perspectives of people is required.
The French soldier’s diary (the first one) is very limited in depth and communication of
perspectives (the first sentence is one example of a perspective). The diary of the
Vietnamese soldier is better but is still not sufficient to reach the Achievement standard
overall. There are a number of perspectives communicated (e.g. ‘I want to free our
land…’) but they are not well explained; there is an understanding of some aspects of
the battlefield, but depth is lacking, even for Achievement. Description of personal
circumstances, which are largely an invention by the student (though possibly based on
reality – e.g. ‘I got the day off while they were patching me up with a few dirty
bandages’ and ‘My hands are blistered from all the digging’) should not be taken too
much as valid supporting evidence for the perspectives provided.
While there are signs of understanding and there is some historically accurate detail,
holistically the evidence is not quite sufficient for Achievement.
© Crown 2010
Student 6 page 1: High Not Achieved
The situation facing our soldiers at Dien Bien Phu is grave. Supplies are running dangerously low.
The Viet Minh have captured all of our airfields. Supply drops are falling into enemy hands. We
are low on ammunition, and our rations are all but gone. We have only a few strongholds left. The
rest have fallen to the enemy. We have tried to counter attack but to no avail. The Viet Minh
artillery is too powerful, and we can't locate them in order to destroy them. They have pounded
several of our bunkers into submission. The enemy is closing in on us. Their attacks have become
more frequent and more vicious. Every time, we kill hundreds of theirs but we take tremendous
casualties ourselves. We are running low on men, and the Viet Minh seem to have an endless
amount. We are hopelessly outnumbered, and the morale of my men is breaking. We are in
desperate need of help. The British have decided at the Geneva Conference not to help us. We are
on our own.
Student 6 page 2: High Not Achieved
March 13,1954
We just finished hauling the last of the artillery up the mountains this morning. They were so
heavy, and the mud went up to my ankles. I've never been so tired in my entire life. My arms were
aching and my feet hurt, but it will all be worth it to finally rid our country of these French
invaders. I got a little bit of a rest before General Giap issued the order to fire. The cannons fired on
the French for what felt like forever. I was so anxious. I wanted to fight those bastards. I want to
free our land so that my grandchildren will not have to live under the rule of someone else. I'm
ready to die for my country, but I'm still afraid.
March 15,1954
I'm so tired. I haven't slept for days. Today we took one of the French bunkers and two of their
airfields. Now they can't fly in supplies. This is a good start, but at what cost. I've seen so many of
my friends die today. We just keep rushing forward, and getting shot down. Luckily, I was in the
back of this wave so I didn't get hit. I wonder how much longer this is going to go on.
March 18,1954
I got hit today. It wasn't that bad, just took a bit of my bicep off, but it hurt like hell. I got the day
off while they were patching me up with a few dirty bandages. I was finally able to get some sleep.
It was just an hour or so but that's a lot when you've been awake for so long. All day I was
watching the artillery bomb one of the French bunkers. It was amazing how many shells were fired.
I didn't think anyone could survive that for long. And sure enough, the French soldiers in that
bunker surrendered. I caught a glimpse of a few of them as they were being taken away. They
looked ashamed. I can't wait until I can make the rest of them look like that as well.
April 5,1954
This morning, General Giap ordered a stop to the human wave attacks. Instead, we are to build
trenches. We've all been digging since that order and we already have a large amount of trenches
built. My hands are blistered from all the digging, but it's worth it to see a stop to those suicide
charges. So many good men died in those charges. Some of them my friends. But now I may have a
chance of getting out of here alive.
May 1, 1954
The past month, we have been digging our trenches closer and tightening the noose around the
French invaders. I have become immune to all the death I see around me. I have seen a countless
number of my brothers die. I myself have killed 6 French soldiers. I'm so tired it doesn't even feel
like I'm doing it. I feel numb, and it's like I'm watching someone else act it out in my body. Not
even the pain from the blisters on my hands from digging, or my rotting feet from standing in the
water filled trenches can pierce my exhaustion. We have captured three more French bunkers
today, but there might as well be a thousand more.
May 7, 1954
We did it! It's finally over. We won! After a massive attack on the last of the French outposts we
finally overran them. We took a lot of casualties but we won. Many French soldiers tried to escape
but we either killed or captured most of them. There are French prisoners all around me. All the
killing and death is over, and I survived. This was a major victory for us. So much so that the
French might actually finally leave our country. My family will finally be able to live in a country
without the oppression of the French rule. I can't wait to get home and see my wife and kids. We
won!