AQA_2024: A-level History - Component 2R The Cold War: c.1945–1991 (Merged Question Paper and Marking Scheme)

AQA_2024: A-level History - Component 2R The Cold War: c.1945–1991 (Merged Question Paper and Marking Scheme) A-level HISTORY Component 2R The Cold War, c1945–1991 Friday 7 June 2024 Materials Afternoon For this paper you must have:  an AQA 16-page answer book. Instructions Time allowed: 2 hours 30 minutes  Use black ink or black ball-point pen.  Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is 7042/2R.  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/G4006/E2 7042/2R A-Level History: Component 2R - The Cold War, c1945–1991 Exam Summary This component examines the origins, key events, and consequences of the Cold War, focusing on the ideological, political, and military tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union from 1945 to 1991. Key themes include:  Origins of the Cold War: The causes of the Cold War, including ideological differences between communism and capitalism, the aftermath of WWII, and the actions of key leaders like Truman and Stalin.  Major Crises and Confrontations: Key events such as the Berlin Blockade (1948–1949), the Korean War (1950–1953), the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962), the Vietnam War (1955–1975), and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (1979–1989), which defined the global tension between East and West.  Detente and Arms Control: The periods of reduced tension, such as the 1970s “détente,” the signing of arms control agreements like the SALT treaties, and the role of leaders like Nixon, Kissinger, and Brezhnev in attempts to ease hostilities.  The End of the Cold War: The factors that led to the Cold War’s conclusion, including the role of Mikhail Gorbachev’s reforms (glasnost and perestroika), the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, and the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. This exam assesses students' understanding of the complex relationships between the superpowers, the global impact of the Cold War, and the political, military, and ideological developments during this critical period in history. 2 IB/M/Jun24/7042/2R Section A Answer Question 01. Source A From a speech to the American people, broadcast on American radio and television, by Leonid Brezhnev, 24 June 1973. Brezhnev was the first Soviet leader to address the American public. I would like to convey the feelings of the Soviet people who are looking forward to the summit meeting between myself and President Nixon and hoping it will make a fruitful contribution to better relations between our countries. I came to this country anticipating negotiations about major questions, and these hopes were satisfied. Agreements have been signed to broaden the sphere of peaceful cooperation. You Americans are aware that in the past, relations between our countries developed very unevenly. There were periods of stagnation and there were ups and downs. A lot has been done to develop Soviet-American relations. Yet we are still only at the beginning of a long road. Constant care is needed to develop the new shoots of good relationships. I believe those who support a radical improvement in relations can be optimistic, for this objective meets the vital interests of both our nations. Mankind has outgrown the rigid restrictions of the Cold War. People want to live peacefully and breathe freely. 5 10 Source B From a diplomatic report to the Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko from Anatoly Dobrynin, 11 July 1978. Dobrynin was Soviet Ambassador to the United States. Soviet-American relations since Carter took office in 1977 have been characterised by instability. American beliefs in support of détente are associated with a simple conviction: détente lessens the threat of confrontation and nuclear war with the Soviet Union. The Carter administration has developed a half-hearted conception of détente. Détente is seen as important and necessary in support of the national interests of the US, such as problems associated with war and peace, limitation of strategic weapons and a total ban on nuclear tests. Carter has come to realise a deterioration in relations would cause deep alarm amongst the American population and for him it would be a political loss, representing a catastrophe in the 1980 presidential elections. A different concept of détente is applied to other issues, such as human rights, and in other areas, such as in Africa and the Middle East, however much the Carter administration denies that it is supporting a return to the Cold War. 5 10 3 Source C From a private letter to Leonid Brezhnev from President Jimmy Carter, 29 December 1979. I want to ensure that you have fully considered the results of Soviet actions in Afghanistan, which we regard as a clear threat to peace. You should understand that these actions could mark a fundamental turning point in our relations as they constitute a clear violation of the Basic Principles Agreement which you signed in 1972. We note with great concern that this is the first time since the invasions of Hungary and Czechoslovakia that the Soviet Union has taken direct military action against another country. In the present instance, the Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan obviously represents an unsettling, dangerous and new stage in your use of military force, raising deep apprehension about the general trend of Soviet policy. Unless you draw back, this will inevitably harm the course of US-Soviet relations. I urge you to take prompt action to withdraw your forces and stop interference in Afghanistan. Many years of promoting more stable relations between our countries could be undermined if this situation is not resolved promptly. 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 relations between the USA and USSR in the years 1972 to 1979. [30 marks] Turn over for Section B IB/M/Jun24/7042/2R Turn over ► 4 IB/M/Jun24/7042/2R Section B Answer two questions. 0 2 ‘American economic interests were the main reason for the creation of East and West Germany by 1949.’ Assess the validity of this view. [25 marks] 0 3 ‘The USA’s policy of containment in Asia was a failure in the years 1949 to 1954.’ Assess the validity of this view. [25 marks] 0 4 To what extent was the Soviet Union and its leadership of the Eastern bloc weakened by the crisis in Czechoslovakia in 1968? [25 marks] END OF QUESTIONS Copyright information For confidentiality purposes, all acknowledgements of third-party copyright material are published in a separate booklet. This booklet is published after each live examination series and is available for free download from Permission to reproduce all copyright material has been applied for. In some cases, efforts to contact copyright-holders may have been unsuccessful and AQA will be happy to rectify any omissions of acknowledgements. If you have any queries please contact the Copyright Team. Copyright © 2024 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. A-level HISTORY 7042/2R Component 2R The Cold War, c1945–1991 Mark scheme June 2024 Version: 1.0 Final MARK SCHEME – A-LEVEL HISTORY – 7042/2R – JUNE 2024 Mark schemes are prepared by the Lead Assessment Writer and considered, together with the relevant questions, by a panel of subject teachers. This mark scheme includes any amendments made at the standardisation events which all associates participate in and is the scheme which was used by them in this examination. The standardisation process ensures that the mark scheme covers the students’ responses to questions and that every associate understands and applies it in the same correct way. As preparation for standardisation each associate analyses a number of students’ scripts. Alternative answers not already covered by the mark scheme are discussed and legislated for. If, after the standardisation process, associates encounter unusual answers which have not been raised they are required to refer these to the Lead Examiner. It must be stressed that a mark scheme is a workin