RI_H1_HIST_P1

1 RAFFLES INSTIUTION [JUNIOR COLLEGE] JC2 PRELIMINARY EXAMS 2009 ________________________________________________________________ PAPER 1: INTERNATIONAL HISTORY, 1945-2000 H2: HISTORY 9731/01 H1: HISTORY 8814 ________________________________________________________________ September 2009 Time allowed 3 Hours READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST Section A Answer Question 1 . Section B Answer any three questions. Candidates are advised to spend not more than 45 minutes in answering each question. Please attempt each question on a fresh sheet of paper. All questions in this paper carry equal marks. Start each answer on a fresh sheet of paper. At the end of the examination, fasten all your work and this cover sheet securely together. ________________________________________________________________________ This document consists of 4 printed pages.

2 Section A: The United Nations and Global Affairs, 1945-2000 You must answer Question 1 The UNITED NATIONS AND THE PERSIAN GULF WAR, 1990-91 1. Read the sources and then answer the question Source A In 1990, in the run-up to Desert Storm, George Bush Senior bribed and threatened and punished virtually every country on the Security Co uncil to force them to vote to authorize the U.S. war. The U.S. bribed poor countries with cheap Saudi oil. Washington dangled new arms packages before governments such as Ethiopia and Colombia whose access to U.S. military support had been cut becaus e of wars and human rights violations. U.S. diplomats went to China and said " name your price" to avert a veto -- and fulfilled Beijing's wish list for post-Tienanme n Square diplomatic rehabilitation (with announcement of a White House visit by the Chinese foreign minister) and new development aid (in the form of a $114 million World Bank assistance package). And when the ambassador from Yemen, the only Arab c ountry on the Council, voted against the U.S. war, there was a U.S. diplomat at his side in seconds, saying "that will be the most expensive 'no' vote you ever cast." And then Washington punished Yemen, poorest country in the Arab world, with a cut-off o f the entire $70 million U.S. aid package. Taken from an article in the left wing internet news magazine, Znet 2002. Source B The United States at that period was becoming the s ole superpower, the Soviet Union was at its weakest point and we knew very well that that was an American plan, because Kuwait could do the economic war.... We were expecting an Israeli aggression or an Ameri can aggression or both, during that period, regardless of whether we go to Kuwait or no t. That was our analysis, that was our conviction, that the United States, after the w eakening of the Soviet Union, when George Bush started to feel that he's the most powe rful leader in the world. He decided to take over this region. He decided to put his han d on the oil reserves. He c