The following were 3 reasons for the outbreak of the Pacific War:

- Japan’s search for economic security
- Rise of militarism in Japan
- Worsening relations between Japan and the US
Which was the most decisive? Explain your answer. [13]

Introduction:
The Pacific War officially broke out on 7 December 1941, when Japan launched an attack on Pearl Harbor. This forced the US to declare war on the following day.

Main Body:
One of the reasons was Japan’s search for economic security. Being a country lacking in natural resources, Japan was always dependent on trade to sustain its economy. Its industries needed raw materials from other countries to manufacture their products and also depended on foreign markets to sell its products in order to maximise its profits. However, during the Great Depression, Japan suffered greatly due to the introduction of protectionism in many countries. This meant that Japan could not market its products effectively and thus, many Japanese factories closed down, leading to high unemployment and poverty in the 1930s. Thus, the military government was eager to solve these problems by ensuring a constant supply of raw materials and the availability of markets. This was only possible if Japan conquered places with raw materials and sufficient population to buy Japanese products. These places would come under Japanese control and would be part of the ‘Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere’. These areas would include Japan, Manchuria, China and parts of Southeast Asia. To achieve this, Japan began to initiate an aggressive foreign policy, which would destabilise the Asia-Pacific region. Tensions with China and the colonial powers would build up, and ultimately resulted in the outbreak of the Pacific War.

Another reason was the rise of militarism in Japan. As the military appeared to be capable of solving Japan’s economic problems in the 1930s, they gained a lot of support from the Japanese people, especially among the member of patriotic societies, who wanted a military dictatorship. This resulted in numerous cases of assassination against politicians who were not supportive of the military. Eventually, the Japanese government was dominated by military officers. By 1941, General Tojo had become the Prime Minister. Like many of his officers, he believed in an aggressive foreign policy that would protect Japanese interests such as economic security and national pride. Long years of perceived discrimination had also led many members of the military government to believe that a war with the US was unavoidable. Thus, it was not surprising that the military government began to plan for a war on a massive scale. This would contribute to the outbreak of the Pacific War as Japan’s military leaders were prepared to challenge the status quo once they gained control of the Japanese government.

The third reason was the worsening relations between Japan and the US. Ever since Japan started to expand into China, the US had become more wary of Japan's ambitions. As Japan imported most of its raw materials from the US, the US began to place embargoes on Japan to check its aggression. This did not affect Japan's war efforts greatly as critical resources such as oil continued to be sold to Japan. It was only when Japan took over French Indo-China in 1940 that the US, together with Britain and the Dutch, placed an embargo on the sale of oil to Japan. This brought US-Japan relations to a new low. Negotiations were conducted to resolve the situation but they were unsuccessful. As a result, Japan decided to take over Southeast Asia to acquire the necessary resources. This would result in a direct conflict with the US, which controlled the Philippines and would not allow the Japanese takeover of Southeast Asia. Anticipating this obstacle, Japan launched an attack on Pearl Harbor to cripple any possible reinforcement to the Philippines while Japan took over the whole of Southeast Asia. This attack on Pearl Harbor triggered the outbreak of the Pacific War.

The following were three methods of control used by Stalin:

Use of fear
Use of propaganda
Control over the economy

Which was most effective? Explain your answer. [13]


Introduction:

Once Stalin gained control of the leadership, he began to introduce various ways to control the Soviet people. To him, this was necessary in order to transform the USSR the way he wanted.


Main Body:

One of the ways which Stalin maintained his control over Russia was through terror. An example would be purges. This would ensure the removal of anyone who opposed him. This also applied to any rival who could be a threat to his position. For instance, when Kirov became more and more prominent in the party, he was assassinated. Thereafter, Stalin began to launch an attack on his opponents in the Communist Party. Thousands of party members were arrested and would be sent to labour camps. Some would be publicly denounced during show trials. In addition, the secret police was very active in spying on the people. Anyone caught or suspected of uttering anti-government or anti-Stalin statements would be arrested and sent to labour camps. Anyone opposing the will of the state would also be deported to the labour camps, as shown by the farmers who resisted collectivisation. All these soon created an atmosphere of fear, which made absolute obedience and loyalty to Stalin the only way to survive.

Another method of control was over culture, mainly in the areas of education and arts. This was done with the aim of controlling the perception the people would have towards Stalin and his government. This was most effective with regard to brainwashing the young people. The teaching of history focused on the roles of Lenin and Stalin. The existence of Stalin's opponents was either downplayed or totally erased. Both students and teachers were closely monitored in order to ensure total compliance in the teaching and learning of such content. Teachers would be purged if they taught otherwise. As for the arts, only positive images of Stalin and his programmes could be portrayed by the artists and writers. The cult of Stalin's personality also prevailed everywhere in the USSR. This was done by placing pictures and erecting statues of Stalin all over the country. The image of him was always portrayed positively such as being fatherly, cheerful, popular and intellectual. All these were aimed at influencing the people to worship him and thus, support him.

The third method relates to the economy. Through collectivisation and Five-Year Plans, most of the Russians were dependent on the state for their jobs and livelihood. This was reinforced with the imposition of strict rules in the collective farms and factories. Targets were set and harsh punishments were meted out to anyone who resisted these rules. With control over their livelihood, most Russians had no choice but to do as they were told.

The following were three reasons for Stalin's victory in the leadership contest:

His position as Secretary-General
His percieved closeness to Lenin
Weaknesses of his rivals

Which was most decisive? Explain your answer. [13]


Introduction:
In 1924, Lenin died, leaving the communist party seeking a new leader. For the next couple of years, there was a power struggle to be the next leader of the USSR, which was eventually won by Stalin.

Main Body:
Firstly, as Secretary-General of the Communist Party, Stalin had the power to give out many jobs in the Communist Party. This gave the opportunity to Stalin to distribute the important posts to those whom he trusted and those who supported him. As the Secretary-General, he was even able to suppress unfavouable information, such as Lenin's notes to recommend Stalin's removal as Secret-General. As Secretary-General, he also managed to build up his power base within the Communist Party, as he was situated in Moscow most of the time.

Another reason that explained Stalin's victory in the leadership contest was his perceived closeness to Lenin. During Lenin's funeral, he was the chief mourner. This gave him the opportunity to demonstrate how close he was to Lenin. On many occasions, he doctored photos and pictures to portray himself as working closely with Lenin. For instance, there were paintings showing him supporting Lenin during the October Revolution, even though he was actually not involved at all. All these actions convinced many party members that Stalin should be Lenin's successor.

The weaknesses of Stalin's rivals also contributed to Stalin's victory. Trotsky's background was a burden to him, as he was not a Bolshevik originally, a fact that was fully exploited by Stalin. Trotsky's absence from Lenin's funeral created a negative image of him, who was perceived as arrogant and disrespectful. His main power base was the Red Army and the youths, which did not allow him to build up his support in the Communist Party, which made all the key decisions in the USSR. As such, it was not difficult for Stalin to oust him from the leadership contest. As for Zinoviev and Kaminev, they underestimated Stalin and failed to see how ruthless Stalin could be. Thus, they could never really challenge Stalin in the leadership contest. By the 1930s, both of them were purged. With all rivals removed, Stalin became the undisputed leader of the party.

The following were three methods of control that the Nazi Party used to control the Germans:

(i) Manipulating the law
(ii) Use of propaganda
(iii) Use of violence and intimidation

Which of the methods was most effective? Explain your answer. [13]

One of the methods was the manipulation of the legal system. Through this method, it became justified and legitimate to take action against anyone in Germany. For example, the Enabling Act allowed Hitler to make laws without the need to seek approval from the Reichstag. This effectively wiped out all opposition. With the Enabling Act, he made all opposition illegal, including trade unions. Another example that demonstrated Nazi manipulation of the law as a method of control was the introduction of anti-Jewish laws. This limited Jewish presence in German society as they could not work in the government or even appeared in certain public places. All these laws encouraged discrimination against the Jews.

The second method was the use of propaganda. In schools, children were brainwashed with Nazi ideas at a very young age. Subjects were adjusted to support Nazi ideas regarding history, geography and biology. Students were expected to join youth organisations set up by the Nazis, who would instill Nazi values in them. All these resulted in future generations of Germans who would remain loyal to the Nazis. These youths were so influenced by Nazi ideas that they would obey the Nazis willingly. This was most obvious when many of them willingly participated in the ill-treatment of the Jews. For the general public, Nazi messages were constantly sent to the people through posters and radios. Censorship was very thorough in order to ensure the people would only be influenced by pro-Nazi messages. Such propaganda tactics were quite successful, as seen in the subsequent willingness of many Germans to fight for Hitler in the Second World War.

Violence and intimidation was also used as a method of control, especially in dealing with any opposition. The secret police, known as Gestapo, was created to arrest people who were expressing any sort of dissent. Informers were planted in all aspects of society to monitor the people's loyalty. These created an environment where nobody would dare to express dissent openly. Even dissent within the Nazi Party was forbidden, as the Night of the Long Knives had proven, as the more independent-minded SA was destroyed by the SS. For those Germans who were arrested, they would be sent to concentrated camps, where living conditions were purposely kept poor so that nobody was likely to survive. All these made Germans fearful of going against the Nazis in any way.

The following was 3 reasons for the rise of the Nazis in Germany:

Effects of the Great Depression
Weaknesses of the Weimar Republic
Nazi Propaganda

Which was most crucial? Explain your answer. [13]


One of the causes for the rise of the Nazism was the Great Depression. The Great Depression brought suffering to the German people. Many of them became unemployed and thus, resulted in poverty. In addition, it exposed the weaknesses of the Weimar Republic once again. This time, it was helpless in dealing with the economic crisis. The Germans lost all confidence in the Weimar Republic and started to search for anyone or any group who could help them. This became an opportunity for the Nazis to win more influence and gain their support, especially during elections.

Another cause for the rise of Nazism was the weaknesses of the Weimar Republic. The Republic never had much support from the beginning in 1919. By signing the humiliating Treaty of Versailles, the Republic was always regarded as the cause for Germany's surrender. Its unpopularity was already evident from the number of putsches that broke out in the early 1920s. In addition, the Republic did not perform well. In the space of 12 years, it had experienced a number of economic crises, such as the 1923-24 hyper-inflation and the Great Depression from 1929 onwards. All these caused sufferings to the Germans, who would naturally associate democracy with economic hardships. Therefore, when the Nazis began to promise the restoration of German pride and the alleviation from economic hardships, the Germans would naturally prefer the Nazis to be in power rather than maintaining the democratic system of the Weimar Republic.

The Nazi Party also played a part in their own rise. Its propaganda tactics were quite effective, as it captured the support of many Germans. Through posters and rallies, the Nazis came across as a group of people who knew how to restore Germany to greatness. In addition, they propagated much fear about the rise of communism, which prompted the wealthy industrialists and landowners to support the Nazis. They were also led by a very charismatic leader, Adolf Hitler, who was regarded as a saviour by many Germans. With excellent public-speaking skills, he was able to convince many Germans with promises to bring prosperity and greatness to Germany once again.

The following were 3 main terms of the Treaty of Versailles:

(i)Military terms
(ii)Territorial terms
(iii)War Guilt Clause

Which caused the most resentment among the Germans? Explain your answer. [13]


Introduction:
The Treaty of Versailles was signed at the end of the First World War to restore peace in Europe. However, in doing so, it angered the Germans who not only disliked the terms but were forced to accept them.

Main Body:
The military terms of the Treaty of Versailles humiliated the Germans. Once a European military power, as testified by their ability to fight against the British, the French, the Russians and the USA in the First World War, they were now reduced to a very weak power. They could no longer attack any country, as they were not allowed to have offensive weapons like submarines, tanks and air-force. In fact, with only 100,000 soldiers and Rhineland demilitarised, they probably could not even defend themselves. In other words, the country would experience a sense of insecurity.

The territorial terms angered the Germans in many ways. Firstly, the loss of colonies meant that Germany would no longer be regarded as a Great Power. This was a humiliation. Secondly, the loss of resource-rich areas like the Saar would affect Germany, which would find itself having difficulty in recovering its economy during the postwar period. Finally, the loss of lands to Poland and Czechoslovakia was intolerable, given that these lands were inhabited by Germans. The creation of Poland and Czechoslovakia was based on the concept of self-determination and yet, the Germans were deprived of their rights to self-determination. This was certainly unfair to the Germans.

The War Guilt Clause humiliated the Germans as well when Germany was forced to accept all the blame for starting the First World War. The Germans could not understand why Germany had to accept the entire blame when all the countries were involved in the war. Furthermore, Germany's involvement was due to its need to support its ally, which was the same reason why Russia was involved in the war. The amount of £6.6 billion as reparations was to deepen the sense of injustice among the Germans. Such a large sum of money would only add a heavy burden on the German economy for a long time. Thus, this would cause long-term suffering.

How successful was the League of Nations? Explain your answer. [12]

Introduction:

The League of Nations was set in 1920. Its key aims were to resolve international disputes without war, practice of collective security, promoting disarmament and promoting social and economic co-operation between countries.


Main Body:

The League’s greatest success was in promoting social and economic co-operation between countries. Committees such as the International Labour Organisation and the Health Organisation were set up to improve the welfare of workers and to fight against the spread of diseases. They were quite effective. The League helped millions of refugees to return home after the war. The Health Commission helped to reduce the spread of contagious diseases through international vaccination programmes. The League also managed to reduce the smuggling of cheap labour, opium and dangerous chemicals across international borders. All these fulfilled the aim of promoting social and economic co-operation between countries.

The League had mixed success in resolving international disputes without war. It was successful in resolving some disputes such as the territorial dispute between Finland and Sweden over Aland Island in 1920 and the dispute over Upper Silesia between Germany and Poland in 1921. In both cases, the countries in dispute accepted the League’s decisions and war was avoided. However, the League was helpless in stopping the outbreak of war between Greece and Turkey in 1920-1922. These incidents demonstrated that the League were only able to resolve some conflicts but not all.

In terms of collective security and disarmament, the League failed miserably. In the 1920s, such limitations were already evident. The League did not stop Poland from seizing Vilna from Lithuania in 1920. The League also did nothing to stop France and Belgium from invading Ruhr from Germany. In the 1930s, despite blatant acts of aggression, the League did nothing substantial to deter the aggressors. This was more evident when Japan and Italy were not punished when they invaded Manchuria in 1931 and Abyssinia in 1935 respectively. Disarmament was also a total failure. During the World Disarmament Conference, France refused to disarm, even though it was a key member of the League. As a result, many countries began to rearm, especially Germany. Thus, the League has obviously failed in its aim to promote disarmament and to deter aggressors through collective security.