Zhonghua Sec E-Hist 2025 Prelim Ans

1 Zhonghua Secondary SchoolHistory Elective 2261/2Secondary 4 Express2025 Preliminary ExaminationMarking Scheme and Suggested AnswersSection A: Source-Based Case Study (30 marks)1(a)Study Source A.Why was this cartoon published in 1950? Explain your answer. [5] Question Focus: Inference (Purpose)LevelMark DescriptorMark RangeL1Answer Based On Lifting OR Paraphrasing The Source.Award 1 mark for answers based on lifting OR paraphrasing.1L2ReasonAward 2 marks for a supported claim based on Message.E.g. This cartoon was published by the Americans in 1950 to show that North Korea was aggressive in launching an invasion against South Korea (Message). 2L3L2 plus Answers Based On Target Audience and Desired Outcome.Award 3 marks for Message, with valid Target Audience or Desired Outcome.Award 4 marks for Message, with valid Target Audience and Desired Outcome.Note: Answers on purpose, unsupported will be awarded L2/2 marks.E.g. This cartoon was published by the Americans in 1950 to convince (Intent) the Americans (Audience) that North Korea was aggressive in launching an invasion against South Korea (Message) so that the Americans would support the US government’s involvement in the Korean War (Intended Outcome). Source A depicts a communist leader explaining how North Korea was being invaded by South Korea. However, the map that he was holding is turned upside down. This suggests that North Korea was trying to misrepresent the fact that it started the Korean War because by inverting the map, it would appear as if South Korea was the aggressor. 3-4 L4L3 plus Context to Explain PurposeE.g. L3 + Since the Korean War has started on 25 June 1950 and rapid advancements were made by the North Korean forces in occupying most of South Korea, there was an urgency for the US to provide immediate reinforcements for South Korea in order to prevent a communist takeover of South Korea. As such, the US government needed to justify their upcoming involvement in the war so that they would not face criticisms from its people and to influence public opinion against North Korea / the Communists for starting the Korean War which requires US intervention. 5

2 1(b)Study Source B.How useful is Source B as evidence that the US entered the Korean War to preserve peace? Explain your answer. [5] Question Target: UtilityLevelMark DescriptorMark RangeL1Paraphrasing / lifting / description from source 1L2Useful or not useful, based on content E.g. Source B is useful as it claims that the US entered the Korean War to preserve peace. Source B states that “Win it and Europe most probably would avoid war and yet preserve freedom.” This suggests that the US intervention was necessary to contain the spread of communism and ensure stability. 2L3Useful or not useful, based on cross-referenceAward 4m for a cross-reference, well-explained. E.g. Source B is useful as it is supported by Source A. Source A shows a communist leader explaining how North Korea was being invaded by South Korea. However, the map that he was holding is turned upside down. This suggests that North Korea was trying to misrepresent the fact that it started the Korean War because by inverting the map, it would appear as if South Korea was the aggressor. Therefore, to counter North Korea’s aggression and to preserve peace in the Korean peninsula, the US entered the Korean War. Since Source A supports Source B, Source B is reliable therefore useful.E.g. Source B is not useful as it is challenged by my contextual knowledge. Based on my contextual knowledge, I know that the US entered the Korean War as part of its plan to contain the spread of communism. Initially, the US sought to minimise its involvement in the Korean War, aiming to avoid a direct military confrontation with the USSR while focusing on rebuilding Japan after WWII. However, the communist victory in the Chinese Civil War alarmed the US as inaction would enable the communist takeover of North Korea hence triggering the falling domino effect. Hence, the US changed its stance with the release of the NSC-68 report emphasizing that more aggressive US action in the Korean peninsula was crucial to its containment policy. Since my contextual knowledge challenges Source B, Source B is unreliable therefore not useful. Sources that challenge Source B:D and F 3-4 L4Useful or not useful, based on critical analysis of provenance E.g. Upon critical analysis of provenance, Source B is unreliable therefore not useful in claiming that US entered the Korean War to preserve peace. Source B is from a private letter written by General Douglas MacArthur to the leader of the Republican party which was the opposition in the US Congress on 20 March 1951. General MacArthur had wanted to convince (Intent) the leader of the Republican party (Audience) that the US needed to take more aggressive actions to preserve peace (Message) so that the leader of the opposition party would understand and support General MacArthur’s actions of expanding the scale of the war (Intended Outcome). (4m) As General MacArthur had recently just defied direct orders from Truman and the UN to limit operations north of the 38th parallel, and the leader of the opposition 5

3 was critical towards some of Truman’s administration decisions, it is of General MacArthur’s interest to gain the support of the leader in order to continue with his pursuit of a more aggressive military campaign in the Korean War. (5m)1(c)Study Source C.How surprised are you by this source? Explain your answer. [6] Question Focus: SurpriseLevelDescriptorsMark RangeL1Paraphrasing / lifting / description from source 1L2Surprised or not surprised, based on content OR superficial analysis of provenanceE.g. I am surprised by Source C as it claims that the USSR played a significant role in the outbreak of the Korean War. This is evident in “The decision would not have been made without Soviet sanctions or direction.” This suggests that China was only involved in the Korean War because it has gotten the approval of the USSR. 2L3Surprised or not surprised, based on cross-referenceAward 4 marks for more developed cross-references.E.g. I am surprised by Source C as it is challenged by Source E. Unlike Source C, Source E claims that North Korea was the country that played a significant role in the outbreak of the Korean War. This is evident in “Therefore, we turn to you, comrade Stalin to render us assistance in this regard”. This means that the North Korean leader was the one actively persuading the USSR to intervene through the provision of military training for the Soviet troops. Or E.g. I am not surprised by Source C as it is supported by my contextual knowledge. Based on my contextual knowledge, following the delivery of the defensive perimeter speech by US Secretary of State Dean Acheson and the communist victory in the Chinese Civil War, the USSR became keener and more willing to interfere in the Korean conflict. With a new communist ally and the assurance that the US would not interfere in the region, the USSR believed that the chances of solidifying the communist bloc in the region would increase. As a result, more support was provided for North Korea by the USSR. Therefore, the USSR played a significant role in the Korean War. 3-4 L4Surprised or not surprised, based on critical analysis of provenance Award 5m for a valid analysis of provenance, supported. Award 6m for a valid analysis of provenance, supported, with an analysis of the context of Source C.E.g. I am not surprised by Source C as I expect the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to convince the US government that the USSR was the main actor responsible for the outbreak of the Korean War so that the US government could discuss and implement the necessary policies to counter the threat po