MGS 2026 H(E) QP

Class Index Number Name : __________________________________________ METHODIST GIRLS’ SCHOOL Founded in 1887 PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION 2026 SECONDARY 4 HUMANITIES (History) Monday 2261/02 17 August 2026 1 hour 50 minutes INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES Write your class, index number and name on all the work you hand in. Write in dark blue or black pen on both sides of the paper. Do not use staples, paper clips, glue or correction fluid. Section A Answer all parts of Question 1. Section B Answer both questions. Begin Section B on a fresh sheet of paper. Write all answers on the writing paper provided. At the end of the examination, submit your answers to Sections A and B separately . The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question. _________________________________________________________________________ This question paper consists of 6 printed pages.

2 Section A: Source-Based Case Study Question 1 is compulsory for all candidates. Study the Background Information and the sources carefully and then answer all the questions. You may use any of the sources to help you answer the questions, in addition to those sources you are told to use. In answering the questions you should use your knowledge of the topic to help you interpret and evaluate the sources. 1 (a) Study Source A. Do you think this cartoon was drawn by a Western or Soviet cartoonist? Explain your answer, using details from the source and your contextual knowledge. [5] (b) Study Sources B and C. How far do Sources B and C agree about Soviet actions after World War Two? Explain your answer. [6] (c) Study Source D. How reliable is Source D as evidence about Stalin’s intentions in Eastern Europe? Explain your answer. [5] (d) Study Source E and F. Which source is more useful as evidence for understanding how the Marshall Plan was viewed during the Cold War? Explain your answer. [6] (e) Study all the sources. ‘The Soviet Union was responsible for the start of the Cold War.’ How far do these sources support this view? Use the sources and your knowledge to support your answer. [8] Methodist Girls’ School Humanities History Secondary 4 Preliminary Examination 2026

3 Was the Soviet Union responsible for the start of the Cold War? BACKGROUND INFORMATION Read this carefully. It may help you to answer some of the questions. Although the Soviet Union and the United States of America fought together during the Second World War, peace did not last. As soon as the war ended, a Cold War developed between them. Tensions grew and each side blamed the other for increasing rivalry and mistrust. The USA saw Soviet actions in Eastern Europe as aggressive expansion, while the Soviet Union viewed American policies as attempts to contain communism and spread US influence. Historians continue to debate who was most responsible for the outbreak of the Cold War. Was the Soviet Union responsible for the start of the Cold War? Source A : A cartoon depicting the Soviet Union, published around 1947. The building in the middle is the Moscow Kremlin, representing the Soviet Government. Methodist Girls’ School Humanities History Secondary 4 Preliminary Examination 2026

4 Source B : A speech by Winston Churchill, March 1946. He was Prime Minister of Britain from 1940 to 1945. Source C : Soviet leader Stalin’s response to Churchill’s March 1946 speech, 1946. Source D : From former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev’s memoirs, published in 1971. He was one of Stalin’s closest advisers in Stalin’s final years. After Stalin died, Khrushchev condemned many of Stalin’s policies in a speech to the Communist Party. Methodist Girls’ School Humanities History Secondary 4 Preliminary Examination 2026

5 Source E : A Soviet cartoon published in 1951. It shows US Secretary of State George Marshall as a ringmaster 1 holding a harness 2 in one hand and a whip in the other. The harness reads ‘For Europe’. 1 ringmaster: the person who hosts a circus or show; he usually carries a whip and cracks it to cue performers and animals 2 harness: a set of straps used to control something Source F : An American cartoon about the Marshall Plan, titled ‘The Way Back’, 1947. In the background are the onion domes – an architectural feature – of the Soviet Union. Methodist Girls’ School Humanities History Secondary 4 Preliminary Examination 2026

6 Section B: Essays Answer two questions . 2 ‘The use of fear and terror was the main reason why Hitler was able to control Germany after 1933.’ How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer. [10] 3 ‘The appeasement policy was the main reason why war broke out in Europe in 1939.’ How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer. [10] 4 ‘American involvement was the main reason why the Korean War became an international conflict.’ How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer. [10] End of Paper _______________________________________________________________________________ Copyright Acknowledgements: Methodist Girls’ School Humanities History Secondary 4 Preliminary Examination 2026

7 Source A © Clare, John D . (2002/2026). Salami Tactics. Retrieved from https://www.johndclare.net/cold_war6.htm. Sources B, C © Walsh, B. (1996). GCSE Modern World History . London: John Murray. Source D © (N.d.). Retrieved from https://pastpapers.papacambridge.com/directories/CAIE/CAIE-pastpapers/upload/0470_w24_qp_23.pdf Source E © Clare, J. D. (2009). GCSE history AQA B: Modern World History . Harlow: Heinemann. Source F © (N.d.). Retrieved from https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-marshall-plan-1947-nthe-way-back-american-cartoon-by-dr-fitzpatrick-95468862.html Methodist Girls’ School Humanities History Secondary 4 Preliminary Examination 2026