2022 SCGS HISTORY Prelim P2 QP ANS

1 SINGAPORE CHINESE GIRLS’ SCHOOL PRELIMINARY EXAMINATIONS 2022 SECONDARY FOUR O-LEVEL PROGRAMME CANDIDATE NAME CLASS REGISTER NUMBER CENTRE NUMBER INDEX NUMBER __________________________________________________________ HISTORY 2174/02 Paper 2 The Bi-polar World Order (1945-1991) Thursday 25 August 2022 1 Hour 40 Minutes Additional Materials: 2 Cover Pages _________________________________________________________________ READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST Write your name and class on all the work you hand in. Write in dark blue or black pen. Do not use paper clips, highlighters, glue or correction fluid. Section A Answer all parts of Question 1. Section B Answer one Question. Write all answers on the writing paper provided. Start your NEW question on a NEW sheet of writing paper. Complete the Cover Sheets and attach accordingly. 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 [TURN OVER

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 which 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. Why was this cartoon published during the Korean War? Use the source and your knowledge to support your answer. [5] (b) Study Source B. How useful is this source as evidence about China’s attitude to wards the war? Explain your answer. [6] (c) Study Source C. How reliable is this source in explaining the reason for the co nflict? Explain your answer. [5] (d) Study Sources D and E. How far would Truman in Source D have agreed with what Khrushch ev says in Source E? Explain your answer. [6] (e) Study all the sources. “The Korean War was more of a n act of defence against US aggression .” How far do these sources support this view? Use the sources and your knowledge to support your answer. [8] [TURN OVER Was the Korean War more of an act of defence against the USA?

3 BACKGROUND INFORMATION Read this carefully. It may help you answer some of the questions. Following the Japanese defeat in World War II, the United State s of America (USA) and the USSR occupied Korea and divided it into two occupation zones al ong the 38th parallel. The USA occupied the South while the USSR occupied the North. Although both countries agreed that Korea should be unified under a provisional government, no agreement was reached on the unification even after both superpowers left their respective zones in the late 1940s. In August 1948, Syngman Rhee was elected the leader of the newl y founded Republic of Korea (South Korea) while Kim II Sung, with the support of the Soviet Union, was appointed the leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) on 9 September 1948. Both Rhee and Kim wanted to unify Korea under their own rule an d they were willing to use force to achieve their aim. Between 1949 and 1950, there were many border clashes involving North and South Korea due to Rhee’s attempt to capture territor y in the North. By mid -1950, North Korea was prepared to invade South Korea and it finally did so on 25 June 1950. How far was the Korean War more of an act of defence against the USA? Source A: An American cartoonist created this cartoon during the Korean War in August 1950. Caption at the top reads: A wounded bear is a dangerous bear. Caption at the bottom reads: August 9 th– UN US troops were able to make a reasonably strong stand but by August 14 th the Reds were striking back savagely. It was still a long, long way to a clear victory. [TURN OVER Counter Offensive- A large scale military offensive undertaken by a force previously on the defensive.

4 Source B: A Chinese woodcut in October 1950 , showing North Korean and Chi nese soldiers near the Yalu River, with the caption “Together we can defe at the American aggressors!” Source C: From an article published in a newspaper in China, June 2010. On the 60th anniversary of the Korean War, China has rewritten its history of how the conflict began. Until now, China has strongly supported its North Korean ally, along whose side they fought the war. China previously insisted that the war began wh en the United States assembled a United Nations army, marched defiantly across the b order and invaded North Korea. The official Chinese media now stated for the first time it was North Korea that dealt the first blow. It stated, "On June 25, 1950, the North Korean army marched over 38th Parallel and started the attack, driven by Kim Il Sung's desire to unite Korea under a Communist banner. Three days later, Seoul, South Korea’s capital fell." Source D: An extract from US President Harry Truman’s memoirs written in 1956. In my generation, this (North invasion of South Korea) was not the first time that the strong had attacked the weak. I remembered how each time the democracies failed to act, it encouraged the aggressors to keep going. Communism was acting in Korea just as Hitler, Mussolini and the Japanese had acted just ten years ago. I felt certain that if S outh Korea was allowed to fall, Communist leaders would be encouraged to invade countries closer to our shore. [TURN OVER Destroyed US vehicle and dead American soldiers.

5 Source E: An extract from Nikita Khrushch ev’s memoirs published in the 1970s, after his death in 1971. The North Koreans wanted to give a helping hand to their brethren* who were under the heel of Syngman Rhee. Stalin persuaded Kim II Sung to think it over... Kim returned to Moscow when he had worked everything out. Stalin had his doubts, he was worried the Americans would jump in, but we were inclined to think that if the war were fought swiftly - and Kim II-sung was sure it could be won swiftly - then intervention by the USA could be avoided. Nevertheless Stalin decided to ask Mao Zedong's opinion about Kim II Sung's suggestion. I must stress it wasn't Stalin's idea, but Kim II Sung's. Kim was the initiator. Kim made it clear that the war would be just and fair. He said that it was one Korean figh ting against his own brother, who is of his own flesh and blood, and excessive force will not be used. * brethren – members of the male religious order Source F: An analysis of Kim II Sung’s rule from Time magazine, a US publication in 2001. Conventional wisdom mistakenly blames Moscow, Beijing or Washin gton for turning Korea into the first hot conflict of the Cold War. Kim Il Sung, however, had reasons to want this war. He had always preached that war was the only way to unify the two Kore as. Furthermore, it would increase his reputation against other Koreans who were urging different ways to unite the country. [TURN OVER

6 Section B (Structured-Essay Questions) Answer one question. 2 This question is on Indonesian nationalism. (a) Explain why Surabaya became a battlefield in 1945. [8] (b) ‘Cold War politics were instrumental in Indonesia declaring its independence in 1949.’ How far do you agree with th