4 Major Conflicts and The Quest For Peace Data-Based Questions

New Exploring World History (Second Edition)
Question Bank (2015 New DBQs)
4 Major Conflicts and the Quest for Peace
Data-based Questions
1. Study Sources A and B.
Source A
The following extract is adapted from the speech given by the Foreign Secretary of Britain,
Edward Grey, in the parliament in March, 1909.
When that program [of building a battle fleet] is completed, Germany, a great country close to
our own shore, will have a fleet of thirty-three Dreadnoughts….It is true that there is not one of
them in commission yet; but it is equally true that the whole program when completed will be
the most powerful fleet that the world has yet seen. That imposes upon us the necessity, of
which we are now at the beginning -- except so far as we have Dreadnoughts already -- of
rebuilding the whole of our fleet.
…If we alone, among the great powers, gave up the competition and sank into a position of
inferiority, what good should we do? ...If we fall into a position of inferiority, our self-respect is
gone.
Source B
The following is adapted from a speech on the responsibility of the First World War, given by the
Prime Minister of Britain, Lloyd George, in 1917.
There were six countries which entered the war at the beginning. Britain was last, and not the
first. …I remember the earnest endeavours we made to persuade Germany and Austria not to
precipitate Europe into this welter of blood. We begged them to summon a European conference
to consider. Had that conference met arguments against provoking such a catastrophe were so
overwhelming that there would never have been a war. Germany knew that, so she rejected the
conference, although Austria was prepared to accept it. She suddenly declared war, and yet we
are the people who wantonly provoked this war, in order to attack Germany.
(a) Identify the motive of Grey to give the speech, as reflected in Source A. Explain your answer
with reference to the language and argument used in Source A. (4 marks)
©LING KEE PUBLISHING CO., LTD. 1

(b) According to Lloyd George, did Britain need to take the most responsibility of the outbreak
of the First World War? Explain your answer with reference to Source B. (3 marks)
(c) ‘Britain paid active effort in preventing the outbreak of the First World War.’ Do your agree?
Explain your answer with reference to Sources A and B, and using your own knowledge.
(7 marks)

Source A
The following passage is about the international relations in the early 20th century, Europe.
For internal reason both Russia and Austria-Hungary in these decades were sensitive to whatever
happened in the Balkans. …Whether, at any moment, Austria backed or opposed Serbia, whether
Russia backed or opposed Bulgaria, depended upon the fine calculations of policy which took
into account both the international scene and the internal condition of insurgent nationalities. It
would be wrong to think of the rivalries of Austria-Hungary and Russia in this region as a battle
only for spheres of influence or only for points of strategic defense. They involved both these
considerations, but they also involved a domestic necessity to hold together somehow their own
multi-lingual and multi-national territories.
Source B
The following is adapted from the letter written by the Chief of the General Staff of the Austria-
Hungary to Archduke Ferdinand in 1912.
The unification of Yugoslavians is a strong nationalist movement, which could be neither

ignored nor suppressed. The question is, that the interests of our empire would be deprived if
the unification is carried out within the broader of our empire or is led by Serbia. The loss of
provinces in Yugoslavia and nearly all the coastlines would be the price our empire have to pay.
Our empire would be downgraded as a strong empire with weaker strength by losing territories
and reputation.
(a) Identify the war, as reflected in Source A. Cite two clues from Source A to support your
answer. (3 marks)
(b) Was the understanding of the author of Source A on the Austro-Hungarian foreign policies in
the Balkans accurate? Explain your answer with reference to Source B. (4 marks)
(c) How useful are Sources A and B in helping you understand the origins of the First World
War? Explain your answer with reference to Sources A and B, and using your own
knowledge. (6 marks)

3. Study Sources A, B and C.
Source A
The following is adapted from the speech given by the President of the US, Woodrow Wilson, in
the parliament in 1917.
It must be a peace without victory….. Victory would mean peace forced upon the loser, a victor’s
terms imposed upon the vanquished. It would be accepted in humiliation, under duress as an
intolerable sacrifice, and would leave a sting, a resentment, a bitter memory upon which terms of
peace would rest, not permanently, but only as upon quicksand.
Source B
The following is adapted from the speech given by the President of Britain Lloyd George in 1917.
There is no security in any land without certainty of punishment. There is no protection for life,
property, or money in a state where the criminal is more powerful than the law.
…There have been many times in the history of the world criminal states. We are dealing with
one of them now. And there will always be criminal states until the reward of international crime
becomes too precarious to make it profitable, and the punishment of international crime becomes
too sure to make it attractive.
Source C
The following is a German cartoon published in July, 1919. It was titled ‘The vampire
Clemenceau’

(a) Did Wilson and Lloyd George hold the same view on achieving peace? Explain your answer
with reference to Source A. (4 marks)
(b) Which country did the cartoonist of Source C possibly come from? Explain your answer
with reference to Source C. (4 marks)
(c) Could the Paris Peace Conference achieve ‘peace without victory’? Explain your answer
with reference to Source A, B and C, and using your own knowledge. (7 marks)

4. Study Sources A, B and C.
Source A
The following is an American cartoon published in September, 1919.
Source B
The following is adapted from the commentary on the League of Nations given by a French
politician, Marcel Cachin, in 1920.
The failure of Wilson’s ideology in the US seriously stroke the existence of the League of
Nations. The position of the US in Geneva would remain empty. Britain and France, holding
control of the League of Nations, held an opposite stance on nearly every motion.

Source C
The following is an American cartoon published in 1933.
(a) What did Source A tell you about the cartoonist’s attitude towards the founding of the
League of Nations? Explain your answer with reference to Source A. (4 marks)
(b) What problems did the League of Nations face, as reflected by Sources B and C? Cite
relevant clues from Sources B and C to support your answer. (3 marks)
(c) Was the League of Nations doomed to fail ever since its establishment? Explain your answer
with reference to Sources A, B, and C, and using your own knowledge. (5 marks)

Source A
The following table shows the number of seats obtained by different political parties in the
parliament elections of Germany during 1928-1932.
1928 1930 July, 1932

Communists 54 77 89
Social Democrats 152 143 133
Democrats 25 14 4
Catholic Centre 61 68 75
People’s Party 45 30 7
Nationalists 79 41 40
Nazi 13 107 230
Source B
The following diagram shows the employment rate of Germany during 1929-1932.
(a) Identify the trend of the changes in parliament seats of Germany during 1928-1932, as
reflected by Source A. (4 marks)
(b) Parliament seats obtained by which political party bore the closet relationship with the
unemployment rate of Germany during 1929-1932, as reflected in Source A? Explain your
answer with reference to Sources a and B, and using your own knowledge. (3 marks)

(c) ‘The larger the adversity Germany faced, the more likely Nazism rose’ Do you agree?
Explain you answer with references to Sources A and B, and using your own knowledge.
(5 marks)

Source A
The following is adapted from a commentary on the Munich Conference.
As an ally of France and Czechoslovakia, the USSR was supposed to be invited to the Munich
Conference. However, Chamberlain was dedicated in preventing Stalin, the dictator of the
USSR, from attending the conference … Although he (Stalin) thought that the Nazi Germany
was the major threat of the USSR, he started to suspect the attempts of western powers in using
Germany to attack the USSR. He was afraid of the coalition between the capitalist powers
against the USSR. He started to seek for ways in reaching agreement with Hitler so that he could
direct the German threat to the western countries, away from the USSR.
Source B
The following is a British cartoon entitled ‘The End’. The hat, moustache and teeth belongs to
Chamberlain, the Prime Minister of Britain.
(a) How did the foreign policy of the USSR change after the Munich Conference, as reflected in
Source A? Explain your answer with reference to Source A. (3 marks)
(b) Which year was the cartoon possibly drawn? Cite relevant clues from Source B to support

your answer. (4 marks)
(c) ‘The foreign policy adopted by Britain in the 1930s facilitated the invasions among
different countries.’ Do you agree? Explain your answer with reference to Sources A and B,
and using your own knowledge. (7 marks)

Source A
The following is a cartoon published in 1949. It is about the Berlin Blockade. The military man is
the American General organising the Berlin airlift.

Source B
The following is adapted from a commentary on the Berlin Blockade.
West Berlin was situated in 110 miles within the Soviet zone. West Belin had been being the
forerunner of the West to infiltrate the Communist bloc ever since the Cold War began. It served
as the breeding ground for intelligence gathering and the destination for people of East Germany
who wanted to escape from the control of the USSR. The US President Truman believed that
abandoning West Berlin would endangered the control over the entire Germany. He also
believed that the determination of the USSR to expel Western powers from Berlin was an
attempt to break the promise of the US and other European countries on not letting Berlin fall …
the Berlin Blockade triggered the real fear of the West to the USSR, which further intensified
international relations during the Cold War. The Berlin Blockade did not impeded the
independence of West Germany but accelerated the accomplishment of the Allied Powers’ plan
in establishing West Germany, which led to the formation of a military alliance between the US
and countries in Western Europe, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
(a) What does Source A tell you about the view of the cartoonist towards the Berlin Blockade
carried out by the USSR? Cite relevant clues from Source A to support your answer.
(4 marks)
(b) As reflected in Source B, what was the importance of West Berlin to the US? Explain your
answer with reference to Source B.
(3 marks)
(c) Do you agree that the Berlin Blockade was a victory of the US in the rivalry with the
USSR? Explain your answer with reference to Sources A and B, and using your own
knowledge. (7 mark)

Source A
The following is adapted from a commentary on the development of Cold War during the 1960s-
1970s.
During the late 1960s and the early 1970s, Cold War politics intruded into far-flung regions of
the globe. A number of crucial events at the time proved how entrenched the Cold War still was.
The Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in August 1968, which brought an end to the 'Prague
Spring', demonstrated the limits of what could be changed in east-central Europe. Soviet leaders
were not about to tolerate a major disruption of the Warsaw Pact or to accept far-reaching
political changes that would undercut the stability of the communist bloc. Similarly, the
Vietnam War, which embroiled hundreds of thousands of US troops from 1965 through 1975, is
incomprehensible except in a Cold War context.
Source B
The following American cartoon, published in 1973, is entitled ‘A weird couple’.
(a) As reflected in Source A, how was the relations between the US and the USSR during the

1960s-1970s? Explain your answer with reference to Source A. (4 marks)
(b) As reflected in Source B, identify the period during the Cold War of which the cartoon was
drawn. Cite two clues from Source B to support your answer. (3 marks)
(c) How useful are Sources A and B in helping you understand the development of the Cold War
during the 1960s-1970s? Explain your answer with references to Sources A and B, and using
your own knowledge. (6 marks)

Source A
The following is adapted from a commentary on the relations between the US and the USSR in the
1980s.
As the leader of the US who posed the most significant opposition to Communism during the
entire course of the Cold War, Reagan suddenly found a Soviet leader who was more
determined than him in limiting the use of weapons; eradicating the ideological preferences on
Moscow’s foreign policies; being the active one in proposing a compromise in regular troops
and retreat in Afghanistan. It is worth praising that Reagan was willing to take the first step to
relieve the tension and abandon his anti-communist belief which regarded Communism as an
ideology embedded with an evil nature. Thus, real reconciliation could be allowed … Leaders
of two superpower honestly treated one another as a cooperative partner rather than an enemy.
The US President even overthrew the past idea that regarded the USSR as an evil empire. When
asked if he had such view on the USSR, Reagan answered, ‘ no, I was referring to another era,
another era.’
Source B
The following is a British cartoon published in 1988. The man holding a baby is the General
Secretary of the Communist Party of the USSR.
(a) Identify the leader of the USSR, as reflected in Sources A and B. Cite one clue respectively
from Sources A and B to support your answer. (3 marks)

(b) What problems did the leader of the USSR face, as reflected in Source B? Cite relevant clues
from Source B to support your answer. (3 marks)
(c) Did Gorbachev posed decisive impact on the end of the Cold War? Explain your answer with
references to Sources A and B, and using your own knowledge. (7 marks)

Data-based Questions
Answer
1.(a) Identify the motive of Grey to give the speech, as reflected by Source A. Explain your
answer with reference to the language and argument used in Source A. [4 marks]
L1 Explanation lacks balance, only referring to language or argument of Source. [max. 2]

L2 Clear explanation, referring to both language and argument of Source. [max. 4]
Motive:
- To fight for the parliament’s support on expanding the navy.
Language:
- necessity
- most powerful
- inferiority
Arguments:
- If Germany finished building 33 Dreadnoughts, it would be the most powerful naval fleet
in the word.
- If Britain renounce its participation in the armaments race, it would become the inferior
and lose reputation.
(b) According to Lloyd George, did Britain need to take the most responsibility of the
outbreak of the First World War? Explain your answer with reference to Source B.
[3 marks]
The answer should be yes; otherwise it would be difficult to give reasons.
L1 Vague explanation, and ineffective use of relevant clues from the Sources. [max. 1]
L2 Clear explanation, with effective use of relevant clues from the Sources. [max. 3]
Explanation:
- In the early times of the war, there were six countries participating in and Brtain was the
last to join.
- Britain had made attempts to prevent Germany and Austria-Hungary from waging a war.
- Britain participated in the war in an attempt only to check Germany.
(c) ‘Britain paid active effort in preventing the outbreak of the First World War.’ Do your

agree? Explain your answer with reference to Sources A and B, and using your own
knowledge. [7 marks]
L1 Vague answer, ineffective in using both Source and own knowledge. [max. 2]
L2 Unbalanced answer, using only the Source or own knowledge. [max. 4]
L3 Reasonable and balanced answer, using both Source and own knowledge. [max. 7]
Actively preventing the outbreak of the war:

- Britain had once called for a European conference to solve the conflicts. (Source B)
- Britain participated in the two Hague Conventions. (own knowledge)
Making no active attempt to prevent the outbreak of the war:

- Britain joined the armaments race by competing with Germany in building Dreadnoughts,
intensifying the international situation. (Source A)
- The major target of Britain was not making peace but to protect its reputation in the
international society and its status as a great power without being surpassed by Germany.
Hence, the international situation was intensified. (Source A)
- Britain formed the Triple Entente with France and Russia, which worsened the suspicion
and resentment between the two camps. (own knowledge)
- Britain concluded the Entente Cordiale with France and supported France in the two
Moroccan Crises, intensifying the international situation. (own knowledge)
- Britain did not sincerely prevent the conflicts in the Balkans. It even secretly encouraged
Greece to join the First Balkan War in order to suppress the Russian advance.. (own
knowledge)

2.(a) Identify the war, as reflected in Source A, Cite two clues from Source A to support your
answer. [3 marks]
L1 Vague explanation, and ineffective in using relevant clues from Source. [max. 1]
L2 Clear explanation, and effective in using relevant clues from Source. [max. 3]
Examples:
- Sphere of influence
- Strategic defense
- insurgent nationalities
(b) Was the understanding of the author of Source A on the Austro-Hungarian foreign
policies in the Balkans accurate? Explain your answer with reference to Source B.
[4 marks]
L1 Vague explanation, and ineffective in using relevant clues from Source. [max. 2]
L2 Clear explanation, and effective in using relevant clues from Source. [max. 4]
Understanding:
- The Austro-Hungarian foreign policies in the Balkans did not only consider the sphere of
influence and strategic defense, it also involve the consolidation of its multi-national
territories.
Explanation:
- The Chief of the General Staff of the Austria-Hungary thought that the unification of the
Slavs would lead to the loss of territories and fame and Austria-Hungary would become a
weaker state. His view was based on the concern about the sphere of influence of Austria-
Hungary.
- The success of the unification movement of Yugoslavia would lead to the loss of
provinces in Yugoslavia, which was located within the broader of Austria-Hungary, and
nearly all the coastlines. This view was based on the concern about the strategic defense
of Austria-Hungary.
- The unification of Yugoslavian was a strong nationalist movement. The Yugoslavian
provinces located in Austria-Hungary would depart from Austria-Hungary. This view was
based on the concern about the insurgent nationalities.
(c) How useful are Sources A and B in helping you understand the origins of the First

World War? Explain your answer with references to Sources A and B, and using your
own knowledge.
[6 marks]
L1 Vague answer, unable to effectively refer to the Source and own knowledge, and/or
with little attention to the usefulness and limitations of the Source. [max. 2]
L2 Merely refers to the Source or own knowledge, and/or with inadequate treatment of the
usefulness and limitations of the Source. [max. 4]
L3 Refers to both Source and own knowledge, with adequate treatment of the usefulness
and limitations of the Source. [max. 6]
Usefulness:
- Both Austria-Hungary and Russia were multiracial empires. The situation in the Balkans
affect the stability of the empires, which led to the rivalries between the two empires.
(Source A)
- The Yugoslavians in Serbia and Austria-Hungary advocated unification, threatening the
stability of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Hence, the relations between Austria-Hungary
and Serbia worsened. (Source B)
Limitations:
- The Sources fail to reflect the conflicts between Britain and Germany out of the rivalry
on naval supremacy, which worsened the relations between the two countries. (own
knowledge)
- The Sources fail to reflect tense relations between Germany and France, which made a
war possible between the two countries. (own knowledge)
- The Sources fail to reflect that the Allied Powers and Central Powers had already formed
at that time. (own knowledge)

3.(a) Did Wilson and Lloyd George hold the same view on achieving peace? Explain your
answer with reference to Source A. [4 marks]
Examples:
- The victorious would enforce peace on the vanquished and forced them to accept the
terms set by the victorious countries. Thus, Wilson thought that there should not be
thought of victory in the making of peace. Otherwise, there would never be long-lasting
peace.
- Lloyd George thought that peace could only achieve through punishment in which
criminal states would no longer appear.
(b) Which country did the cartoonist of Source C possibly come from? Explain your
answer with reference to Source C. [4 marks]
Germany. [1 mark]
Explanation: [3 marks]
- The cartoonist depicted the Prime Minister of France Clemenceau as a vampire, who
inhaled all the blood of the woman. It reflects the cartoonists’ resentment on France.
- In the Paris Peace Conference, France held the strongest attitude in enforcing heavy
punishment on Germany. Hence, Germany was dissatisfied on France.
(c) Could the Paris Peace Conference achieve ‘peace without victory’? Explain your
answer with reference to Source A, B and C, and using your own knowledge. [7 marks]
The answer should be no; otherwise it would be difficult to give reasons.

Examples:
- Wilson thought that ‘peace without victory’ suggested that peace should not be forced on
losers. They should not be forced to accept the terms offered by the victorious countries
as well. (Source A)
- As one of the Big Three in the Paris Peace Conference, Britain thought that suitable
punishment was the necessary way to make peace. (Source B)
- France supported heavy punishment on Germany and thoroughly disintegrated German
power. (Source C)
- According to the series of treaties concluded in the Paris Peace Conference, the
vanquished needed to cede territories, pay reparations and reduce armaments. (own
knowledge)
- Wilson suggested the Fourteen Points, which suggested the cooperation between various
countries. Most of the points were not accepted in the conference. (own knowledge)
- The vanquished could not attend the Paris Peace Conference. All the post-war
arrangement and treaties were decided by the victorious. (own knowledge)
- Germany had once protested against the harsh terms but it was not accepted by the
victorious. (own knowledge)

4.(a) What did Source A tell you about the cartoonist’s attitude towards the founding of the
League of Nations? Explain your answer with reference to Source A. [4 marks]
Attitude: Pessimistic
Clues:
- The League of Nations was the product of idealism.
- The cartoonist used soap bubbles to represent the League of Nations. Soap bubbles are
beautiful but fragile. The cartoonist assumed that the League of Nations would fail.
(b) What problems did the League of Nations face, as reflected by Sources B and C? Cite
relevant clues from Sources B and C to support your answer. [4 marks]
L1 Vague explanation, and ineffective in using two sources, or merely uses one source.
[max. 2]
L2 Clear explanation, and effective in using two sources. [max. 4]
- The League of Nations was not representative enough. Within the US, people thought that
Wilson intervened too much in European affairs and they opposed American participation
in the League of Nations. Japan also withdrew from the League of Nations in 1933.
(Sources B and C)
- Britain and France were the major members of the League of Nations. However, they
always held opposite opinions on different motions, which limited the sufficiency of the
League of Nations. (Source C)
(c) Was the League of Nations doomed to fail ever since its establishment? Explain your
answer with reference to Sources A, B, and C, and using your own knowledge. [7 marks]
Doomed to fail ever since establishment:

- The rationale of the League of Nations suggested by Wilson was too idealistic. (Source

A).
- The US rose to be the major superpower after the First World War. However, it did not
participated in the League of Nations, which weakened the strength of the League of
Nations in suppressing invasions. (Sources B and C)
- Britain and France had held opposite opinions ever since the establishment of the League
of Nations, which weakened the strength of the League of Nations. (Source B)
- Unanimity was required for all the decisions of the League Council. The League Council
was formed by great powers. Thus, the League of Nations could hardly solve the conflicts
between the Great powers. (own knowledge)
- The League of Nations lacked its own army. It could hardly enforce practical sanction on
aggressors.
Not a doomed failure:

- In the early times of the establishment of the League of Nations, it could solve the
territorial conflicts between some small countries. (own knowledge)
- The first serious setback did not come until 1933. Japan ignored the condemnation of the
League of Nations and withdrew from the League of Nations. Japanese invasion in China
kept continued. (own knowledge)

5.(a) Identify the trend of the changes in parliament seats of Germany during 1928-1932, as
reflected by Source A. [4 marks]
Examples:
- The proportion of the rise in Nazi seats was the largest. It rose to 107. The Nazi Party had
become the majority in the parliament elections thereafter.
- The seats of the Communist Party also kept rising. It became the second largest party in
1932.
- The seats of other parties kept diminishing.
(b) Parliament seats obtained by which political party bore the closet relationship with the
unemployment rate of Germany during 1929-1932, as reflected in Source A? Explain
your answer with reference to Sources a and B, and using your own knowledge.
[3 marks]
Political party: the Nazi Party [1 mark]
[max. 1]
- Unemployment rate rose to 14% in 1930. The seats of the Nazi Party surged. When the
unemployment rate reached a high point as 30%, the Nazi Party secured 230 seats and
became the majority in the parliament. Thus, the higher the unemployment rate in
Germany, the more seats the Nazi Party obtained.
(c) ‘The larger the adversity Germany faced, the more likely Nazism rose’ Do you agree?
Explain you answer with references to Sources A and B, and using your own
knowledge.
[5 marks]

Agree:
- The influence of the Nazi Party was limited in 1928 and remained a minority in the
parliament. At that time, German economy revived under the leadership of Chancellor
Gustav Stresemann, which made German people distanced from Nazism. (Source A and
own knowledge)
- In 1930, the seat of the Nazi Party surged, which was closely related to the
unemployment of Germany at that time. (Source B)
- Germany relied on loans lent by the US to develop the economy. However, the Great
Depression happened in 1929. Various countries called for Germany’s pay back, German
economy was dragged into a recession that it had yet experienced. German people wanted
a strong government so they turned to support the Nazi Party. (own knowledge)

6.(a) How did the foreign policy of the USSR change after the Munich Conference, as
reflected in source A? Explain your answer with reference to Source A. [3 marks]
L1 Vague explanation, and ineffective use of relevant clues from the Sources. [max. 1
Example:
- The USSR form an alliance with France and Czechoslovakia. It regarded Germany as the
major threat. However, it suggested an alliance with Germany after the Munich
Conference to resist the capitalist countries of the West.
(b) Which year was the cartoon possibly drawn? Cite relevant clues from Source B to
support your answer. [4 marks]
Year: 1938 [1 mark]
Clues [3 marks]
L1 Vague explanation, and ineffective use of relevant clues from the Source. [max. 1]
L2 Clear explanation, with effective use of relevant clues from the Source. [max. 3]
- The cartoon was titled ‘ The End’. Germany represented by the tiger ate Chamberlain.
This reflects that the appeasement policy failed thoroughly.
- Germany invaded Poland in 1938. Britain abandoned appeasement policy and declared
war on Germany.
(c) ‘The foreign policy adopted by Britain in the 1930s facilitated the invasions among
different countries.’ Do you agree? Explain your answer with reference to Sources A
and B, and using your own knowledge. [7 marks]
Facilitated international invasions:

- Britain was alert against the USSR. It guard against the Soviet attendance in the Munich
Conference. Hence, the USSR turned to reach an agreement with Germany, which
facilitated German invasions. (Source A)
- Britain adopted appeasement policy, which made German invasion even more rampant.

(Source B)
- Britain and Italy did not impede German invasions but suggested ceding territories in
exchange for peace. For example, Italy invaded Abyssinia and Germany annexed Austria
and occupied the Sudetenland. (own knowledge)
- As the major member of the League of Nations, Britain only made condemnation on
Japanese invasions in China without taking practical actions to intervene. This intensified
Japanese invasions in China. (own knowledge)
Suppressed international invasions:

- Britain was one of the countries who suggested the establishment of collective security. In
1930, it hold the London Naval Conference with the US and Japan, limiting Japanese
expansion of its cruisers. (own knowledge)
- Britain allowed the re-militarisation of Germany in exchange for Hitler’s promise in not
challenging British naval supremacy. (own knowledge)

7.(a) What does Source A tell you about the view of the cartoonist towards the Berlin
Blockade carried out by the USSR? Cite relevant clues from Source A to support your
answer. [4 marks]
View:
- The Soviet effort in the Berlin Blockade would be in vain. The US could easily break the
blockade.
Clues:
- The US general is depicted as huge. It reflects that the Berlin airlift planned by the US
would easily break the blockade of the USSR. The blockade would not succeed even
though the Soviet soldiers cautiously guard Berlin.
(b) As reflected in Source B, what was the importance of West Berlin to the US? Explain
your answer with reference to Source B. [3 marks]
Examples:
- West Belin was forerunner of the West to infiltrate the Communist bloc. It served as the
breeding ground for intelligence gathering.
- Guarding Berlin against falling into the Communist bloc was the promise made by the
US to its allies and other European countries.
(c) Do you agree that the Berlin Blockade was a victory of the US in the rivalry with the
USSR? Explain your answer with reference to Sources A and B, and using your own
knowledge. [7 mark]

Agree:
- Although the USSR blockaded Berlin, the US could dissolve the blockade through airlift.
(Source A)
- The USSR failed to blockade Berlin. The US remained control on Germany, keeping the
promise of not letting Berlin fall. (Source B)
- The US and its allies could achieve their plan in establishing West Germany because of
the Berlin Blockade. This prevented Communism from spreading over the whole
Germany. (Source B)
- After the Berlin Blockade, the US strengthened its military connection with its allies by
founding the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The power of the US to resist the USSR
was then strengthened. (Source B)
- Britain and France launched a counter blockade by stopping the supply of coal and steel.
to the Soviet Zone. The USSR failed to stop the US and its allies from sending supply to
West Berlin through airway. (own knowledge)
- The USSR lifted the Berlin Blockade in May, 1949. (own knowledge)

8.(a) As reflected in Source A, how was the relations between the US and the USSR during
the 1960s-1970s? Explain your answer with reference to Source A. [4 marks]
Relations: Tense [1 mark]
- The USSR invaded Czechoslovakia and the suppressed the Prague Spring. This reflects
that the relations between the US and the USSR were still tense. The USSR would not
tolerant instability in the communist bloc as it would made the communist bloc fail to
resist the capitalist bloc led by the US.
- The US sent troops to the Vietnam War to resist Communism. This reflects that the
situation of the Cold War was still tense and the relations between the US and the USSR
were bad.
(b) As reflected in Source B, identify the period during the Cold War of which the cartoon
was drawn. Cite two clues from Source B to support your answer. [3 marks]
Period: Détente [1 mark]
Clues: [2 marks]
- The cartoon was published in 1973, which was the period of détente
- The cartoonist portrayed the US and the USSR as a couple, reflecting the détente.
(c) How useful are Sources A and B in helping you understand the development of the Cold
War during the 1960s-1970s? Explain your answer with references to Sources A and B,
and using your own knowledge. [6 marks]
Usefulness:

- The situation of the Cold War during the 1960s and the early 1970s was still tense. The
USSR maintained the stability of the communist bloc in oppressive ways. The US also
sent troops to join the Vietnam War. (Source A)
- The tension between the US and the USSR relaxed in 1973. (Source B)
Limitations:
- The Sources fail to reflect the construction of Berlin Wall and the Cuban Missile Crisis in
the early 1960s, which further intensified the situation of the Cold War. (own knowledge)
- The Sources fail to reflect that the Cuban Missile Crisis prompted the US and the USSR
to reflect upon their relations. The Moscow-Washington hotline was established in 1963
to allow direct communication between the leaders of the two countries in case of any
future conflicts. This became the key of the relaxed situation of the Cold War in the
1970s. (own knowledge)
- The Sources fail to reflect that the US and the USSR held many conferences for arms
limitation in the 1970s to limit the use of nuclear weapons. (own knowledge)
- The Sources fail to reflect that the situation of the Cold War became tense again after the
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. (own knowledge)

9.(a) Identify the leader of the USSR, as reflected in Sources A and B. Cite one clue
respectively from Sources A and B to support your answer. [3 marks]
The Soviet leader: Gorbachev [1 mark]
Clues: [2 marks]
[max. 1]
- Gorbachev failed to improve the relations between the Soviet and the US during his term
of office. (Source A)
- Gorbachev was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in
1988 (Source B)
- As reflected in the cartoon, the Soviet leader is holding the baby of ‘glasnost’. The phrase
‘glasnost’ was an aim of the economic and political reforms raised by Gorbachev. (Source
B)
(b) What problems did the leader of the USSR face, as reflected in Source B? Cite relevant
clues from Source B to support your answer. [3 marks]
Problem:
- After Gorbachev raised ‘glasnost’, people started to pursue a higher level of democracy
and freedom, which increasingly threatened the Soviet system.
Clue:
- In the cartoon, the baby representing ‘glasnost’ is huge. Gorbachev is beaten seriously by
the baby, making his face swollen. When she grows up, she will be even more powerful.
(c) Did Gorbachev posed decisive impact on the end of the Cold War? Explain your answer
with references to Sources A and B, and using your own knowledge. [7 marks]

Decisive impact:
- Gorbachev took an active initiative in mending fences with the US. He suggested arms
limitation and withdrew troops from Afghanistan. Hence, the US was willing to relieve
the tension of the relations with the USSR. (Source A)
- Gorbachev suggested ‘glasnost’, making people pursue a higher level of democracy and
freedom. (Source B) Yet the opposition was dissatisfied with ‘glasnost’ and launched a
coup. The USSR was then dissolved, followed by the end of the Cold War. (own
knowledge)
- Gorbachev’s economic reform made the economy of the USSR collapsed and hence he
relaxed the Soviet control over Eastern Europe. As a result, a drastic change took place in
the Eastern European political scene. At the same time, a coup was launched in the
USSR. Eventually, the USSR was dissolved and the Cold War ended. (own knowledge)
No decisive impact:
- Although Gorbachev took the first step to give in, the relaxation of the relations between
the USSR and the US relied on the attitude of the US. (Source A)
- The Eastern European nations were long under the Soviet control during the Cold War.
They lost their sovereignty. The Eastern Europeans had always wished their countries to
alter their communist economic system. (own knowledge)
- The USSR faced serious economic problems. The annual growth rate of Soviet Industrial
and agricultural production dropped to a record low. The lack of food and resources was
common. The economic problems made it hard for the USSR to maintain such a huge
communist bloc. (own knowledge)

4 Major Conflicts and The Quest For Peace Data-Based Questions

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4 Major Conflicts and The Quest For Peace Data-Based Questions

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New Exploring World History (Second Edition)

Question Bank (2015 New DBQs)

4 Major Conflicts and the Quest for Peace

1. Study Sources A and B.

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2. Study Sources A and B.

The unification of Yugoslavians is a strong nationalist movement, which could be neither

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3. Study Sources A, B and C.

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4. Study Sources A, B and C.

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5. Study Sources A and B.

1928 1930 July, 1932

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6. Study Sources A and B.

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your answer. (4 marks)

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7. Study Sources A and B.

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8. Study Sources A and B.

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1960s-1970s? Explain your answer with reference to Source A. (4 marks)

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9. Study Sources A and B.

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L1 Explanation lacks balance, only referring to language or argument of Source. [max. 2]

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Actively preventing the outbreak of the war:

Making no active attempt to prevent the outbreak of the war:

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The answer should be yes; otherwise it would be difficult to give reasons.

The answer should be no; otherwise it would be difficult to give reasons.

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Doomed to fail ever since establishment:

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Not a doomed failure:

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Political party: the Nazi Party [1 mark]

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Year: 1938 [1 mark]

Facilitated international invasions:

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Suppressed international invasions:

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The answer should be yes; otherwise it would be difficult to give reasons.

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Relations: Tense [1 mark]

Period: Détente [1 mark]

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