AQA_2024: A-level History - Component 2K International Relations and Global Conflict, c1890–1941 (Merged Question Paper and Marking Scheme)

AQA_2024: A-level History - Component 2K International Relations and Global Conflict, c1890–1941 (Merged Question Paper and Marking Scheme) A-level HISTORY Component 2K International Relations and Global Conflict, c1890–1941 Friday 7 June 2024 Materials For this paper you must have:  an AQA 16-page answer book. Instructions Afternoon  Use black ink or black ball-point pen. Time allowed: 2 hours 30 minutes  Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is 7042/2K.  Answer three questions. In Section A answer Question 01. In Section B answer two questions. Information  The marks for questions are shown in brackets.  The maximum mark for this paper is 80.  You will be marked on your ability to: – use good English – organise information clearly – use specialist vocabulary where appropriate. Advice  You are advised to spend about: – 1 hour on Question 01 from Section A – 45 minutes on each of the two questions answered from Section B. IB/M/Jun24/7042/2K 3 Key areas: 1. Origins of the First World War (1890–1914):  European Alliances: The formation of the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy) and the Triple Entente (France, Russia, Britain) created a tense network of alliances, escalating the risk of war.  Militarism: An arms race between Germany and Britain, coupled with the glorification of military strength, heightened tensions.  Nationalism and Imperialism: Nationalist movements, especially in the Balkans, and imperial rivalries, particularly between Germany and Britain, contributed to instability.  Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand: The 1914 assassination triggered the outbreak of war, with alliances pulling multiple nations into the conflict. 2. The First World War (1914–1918):  Trench Warfare: The war on the Western Front was marked by trench warfare, leading to massive casualties and a stalemate.  Global Involvement: The war expanded beyond Europe, with colonial troops and battles fought in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.  US Involvement: The USA entered the war in 1917, boosting the Allied forces. 3. Treaty of Versailles (1919):  Post-War Settlement: The Treaty of Versailles ended WWI, imposing harsh reparations on Germany, which created resentment and economic strain.  League of Nations: Aimed to prevent future wars, but its effectiveness was limited, partly due to the absence of the USA. 4. Interwar Tensions (1919–1939):  Economic Instability: The Great Depression of 1929 exacerbated political extremism, leading to the rise of Nazism in Germany and Fascism in Italy.  Aggressive Expansion: Hitler's Germany reoccupied the Rhineland, annexed Austria, and took Sudetenland, while Italy invaded Ethiopia. These actions reflected a global trend of rising aggression. 5. Appeasement and the Outbreak of WWII (1939):  Appeasement: Britain and France’s appeasement of Hitler allowed him to expand unchecked.  Nazi-Soviet Pact (1939): The agreement between Hitler and Stalin allowed the invasion of Poland, triggering WWII as Britain and France declared war on Germany. These key areas cover the origins, key events, and failures in diplomacy leading to WWII. IB/M/Jun24/G4006/E5 IB/M/Jun24/7042/2K 7042/2K Turn over ► 4 IB/M/Jun24/7042/2K Section A Answer Question 01. Source A From a radio speech given by Molotov, 22 June, 1941. Molotov was Soviet Commissar for Foreign Affairs in 1941. The Soviet government and its head, comrade Stalin, have ordered me to make the following announcement: today, at 4 o’clock in the morning, German troops entered our country, without making any demands on the Soviet Union and without a declaration of war. They have attacked our borders in many places and have subjected our towns to aerial bombardments. Hostile aerial attacks and artillery barrages have also taken place on Romanian and Finnish territory. This attack is unheard of and is a treacherous act that has no equal in the history of civilised peoples. The attack on our country was launched even though a non-aggression treaty between the USSR and Germany had been signed and the Soviet Union has observed all conditions of this treaty in full honesty. The German government has never once been able to dispute our observance of this treaty. The whole responsibility for this raid on the Soviet Union lies in the hands of the Nazi German government. 5 10 Source B From the diary of Hideki Tojo written whilst in prison shortly after the end of war. Tojo had been the Prime Minister of Japan and ordered the attack on Pearl Harbor, 1941. In 1941, the USA made the first step towards the escalation of war when a US naval force was shifted to the Pacific. An American admiral provocatively declared that if war were to break out between Japan and the United States, the Japanese navy could be sunk in weeks. Despite our pact with Germany, Japan attempted to avoid these circumstances by negotiation, and though Japan heaped concession upon concession, there was no progress because the United States would not back down. In the end, the United States repeated demands that Japan could not accept: a complete withdrawal of troops from China. Japan lost all hope of reaching a resolution through diplomatic negotiation. It became clear that to continue in this manner was to lead Japan to disaster. With such limited options, to protect and defend the nation and clear the obstacles in our path, a decisive appeal to arms was made. We had to defend our interests in the Pacific, and the USA and Britain were the biggest challengers there. 5 10 3 Source C From a statement made to a British journalist by General von Kleist, 1948. In 1941, von Kleist had been an army commander involved in Operation Barbarossa. We were told that the Russian armies were about to attack in 1941, and that it was essential for Germany to act first in order to remove the Soviet menace. It was explained that the Führer could not proceed with other plans in Eastern Europe as too large a part of the German forces would be pinned down by the Russians when Stalin found Germany’s sphere of influence too large. It was argued that attack was the only way for us to remove the risks of a Russian offensive. Hopes of victory were built on the prospect that the invasion would produce a political upheaval in Russia. Too high hopes were built on the belief that Stalin would be overthrown quickly by his own people. We had assumed they would rise and crush communism. The belief was fostered by the Führer’s political advisers, and we, as soldiers, didn’t know enough to dispute it. We were also told that we needed to support the Japanese with their efforts in the Pacific. 5 10 0 1 With reference to these sources and your understanding of the historical context, assess the value of these three sources to an historian studying the escalation of the Second World War in 1941. [30 marks] Turn over for Section B IB/M/Jun24/7042/2K Turn over ► 6 IB/M/Jun24/7042/2K Section B Answer two questions. 0 2 To what extent was Great Britain responsible for the increase in international tension in the years c1890 to 1900? [25 marks] 0 3 ‘In the years 1908 to 1913, the Great Powers dealt effectively with the crises in the Balkans.’ Assess the validity of this view.