Continuation – Question Bank for practice purpose From 2020-2022(Topical)

CORE CONTENT 3 “WHY HAD INTERNATIONAL PEACE COLLAPSED BY 1939?”

A number of factors helped Hitler achieve his foreign policy objectives.

(a) What was the Nazi-Soviet Pact? [4]

(b) Why was Mussolini’s support over Anschluss important to Hitler? [6]

(c) ‘The Munich Agreement made war more, not less, likely.’ How far do you agree with this statement?
Explain your answer. [10] (M/J 2020)

Hitler’s foreign policy involved Germany in developments in Europe.

(a) Describe Germany’s involvement in the Spanish Civil War. [4]

(b) Why was taking control of Czechoslovakia important to Hitler? [6]

(c) How surprising was it that Britain and France pursued a policy of appeasement? Explain your answer.
[10] (Oct/Nov 2020)

Germany grew in strength during the 1930s.

(a) Describe what happened in the Saar in 1935. [4]

(b) Why was Anschluss important to Hitler? [6]

(c) Are you surprised that Britain and France declared war on Germany in September 1939? Explain your
answer. [10] (M/J 2021)

Hitler’s foreign policy involved Germany in the affairs of many countries.

(a) What was the Anglo-German Naval Agreement of 1935? [4]

(b) Why did Hitler want to achieve Anschluss? [6]

(c) ‘German involvement in the Spanish Civil War was more important for Hitler than the takeover of
Czechoslovakia.’ How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer. [10] (Oct/Nov 2021)

Hitler’s foreign policy created tension in Europe.

(a) What was Hitler’s policy of ‘lebensraum’? [4]

(b) Why did Stalin agree to the Nazi–Soviet Pact? [6]

(c) How far do you agree that Chamberlain’s attempts to appease Hitler were justified? Explain your
answer. [10] (Oct/Nov 2021)
CORE CONTENT 4 “WHO WAS TO BLAME FOR COLD WAR?”

Immediately after the Second World War relations between the Soviet Union and the United States
were very difficult.

(a) What were the main disagreements at the Potsdam Conference? [4]

(b) Why did the blockade of Berlin fail? [6]

(c) ‘Stalin’s policies in Eastern Europe in the period 1945–49 were defensive.’ How far do you agree with
this statement? Explain your answer. [10] (M/J 2022)

The USA and USSR had different aims in Europe after 1945.

(a) Describe the Berlin Blockade. [4]

(b) Why did Stalin want control over the government of Poland? [6]

(c) ‘Marshall Aid did more to strengthen the Americans than benefit the Europeans.’ How far do you
agree with this statement? Explain your answer. [10] ( O/N 2021)

The USA and USSR contributed to increased tensions in Europe after 1945.

(a) Describe the Communist takeover of Czechoslovakia in 1948. [4]

(b) Why was the Berlin Blockade lifted in May 1949? [6]

(c) How far do you agree that Truman was to blame for the Cold War? Explain your answer. [10]

( M/J 2020 )IGCSE

CORE CONTENT 5 “HOW EFFECTIVELY DID THE USA CONTAIN THE SPREAD OF COMMUNISM.”

Cuba presented problems for the USA.

(a) Describe what happened in the Bay of Pigs incident. [4]

(b) Why was the existence of Soviet missiles in Cuba a problem for the USA? [6]

(c) ‘Kennedy handled the Cuban Missile Crisis more effectively than Khrushchev.’ How far do you agree
with this statement? Explain your answer. [10] (M/J 2020)

The USA had an interventionist foreign policy in the 1950s and 1960s.

(a) Describe the tactics used by the Vietcong. [4]

(b) Why was the Tet Offensive important for the USA? [6]

(c) Which was more important for the USA, its involvement in Korea or the Cuban Missile Crisis? Explain
your answer. [10] (M/J 2021)

The USA and USSR had different aims in Europe after 1945.

(a) Describe the Berlin Blockade. [4]

(b) Why did Stalin want control over the government of Poland? [6]

(c) ‘Marshall Aid did more to strengthen the Americans than benefit the Europeans.’ How far do you
agree with this statement? Explain your answer. [10] (O/N 2021)

Immediately after the Second World War relations between the Soviet Union and the United States
were very difficult.

(a) What were the main disagreements at the Potsdam Conference? [4]

(b) Why did the blockade of Berlin fail? [6]

(c) ‘Stalin’s policies in Eastern Europe in the period 1945–49 were defensive.’ How far do you agree with
this statement? Explain your answer. [10] (M/J 2022)

CORE CONTENT 6 “ HOW SECURE WAS THE USSR’s CONTROL OVER EASTERN EUROPE ,1948-1989?”

Many measures were taken to maintain Soviet control over Eastern Europe.

(a) What was the Brezhnev Doctrine? [4]

(b) Why was the Berlin Wall built? [6]

(c) How far do you agree that resistance to Soviet domination broke out in Hungary (1956) and
Czechoslovakia (1968) for the same reasons? Explain your answer. [10] (M/J 2022)

After decades of problems in parts of Eastern Europe, Soviet control finally collapsed.

(a) Describe how the Soviet Union responded to the uprising in Hungary in 1956. [4]

(b) Why was it important for the Soviet Union to stop Dubček’s reform programme in Czechoslovakia?(6)

(c) Are you surprised that Gorbachev made little effort to defend Soviet power in Eastern Europe?
Explain your answer. [10] (M/J 2021)

CORE CONTENT 7 “ WHY DID EVENTS IN THE GULF MATTER-1970-2000?”

Both Iran and Iraq faced many problems.

(a) Describe Saddam Hussein’s modernisation programme in Iraq. [4]

(b) Why did Ayatollah Khomeini become the ‘supreme leader’ of Iran in 1979? [6]

(c) ‘Iraq’s economic problems explain why it invaded Kuwait in 1990.’ How far do you agree with this
statement? Explain your answer. [10] (M/J 2020)

Iraq’s involvement in war had many consequences.

(a) What was the impact of the Iran-Iraq war on Iraqi civilians? [4]

(b) Why did Saddam Hussein’s regime survive the First Gulf War? [6]

(c) ‘Oil was the most important cause of the dispute between Iraq and Kuwait.’ How far do you agree
with this statement? Explain your answer. [10] (Oct/Nov 2020)IGCSE

Iran and Iraq were not friendly neighbours.

(a) Describe the opposition to the Shah in Iran. [4]

(b) Why did Iraq invade Iran in 1980? [6]

(c) Was Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990 surprising? Explain your answer. [10] (M/J 2022)

Tension between Iran and Iraq led to war in 1980.

(a) Describe Western involvement in the Iran–Iraq War. [4]

(b) Why was the Shatt al-Arab waterway a cause of tension between Iran and Iraq? [6]

(c) ‘Damage to the economies of Iran and Iraq was the most important consequence of the Iran–Iraq
War.’ How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer. [10] (O/N 2021)

DEPTH STUDY – USA (1919-1945)

15 The 1920s saw a boom in the US economy.

(a) Describe how mass production worked. [4]

(b) Why was the development of advertising important to the boom? [6]

(c) ‘Americans benefited from the boom.’ How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your
answer. [10]

16 The Wall Street Crash had a great impact on the USA.

(a) What was a Hooverville? [4]

(b) Why did many people face unemployment after the Wall Street Crash? [6]
(c) How surprising was the Wall Street Crash? Explain your answer. [10] (O/N 2021)

Life in the USA in the 1920s had some attractive, but other unpleasant, features.

(a) Describe the attractions of the cinema for Americans in the 1920s. [4]

(b) Why were there changes to the roles of women in the 1920s? [6]

(c) ‘Immigrants suffered most from the intolerance of US society in the 1920s.’ How far do you agree
with this statement? Explain your answer. [10]

16 The New Deal was successful in some ways, but not in others.

(a) What was the Works Progress Administration (WPA)? [4]

(b) Why was the Supreme Court important to the New Deal? [6]

(c) ‘The successes of the New Deal were more important than its failures.’ How far do you agree with
this statement? Explain your answer. [10] (M/J 2020 ) IGCSE

15 The 1920s brought changes in American society.

(a) What was a ‘flapper’? [4]

(b) Why did the 1920s become known as the Jazz Age? [6]

(c) ‘Prohibition failed because it encouraged violence.’ How far do you agree with this statement?
Explain your answer. [10]

16 The Wall Street Crash had political and social consequences.

(a) What was the Bonus March? [4]

(b) Why did ‘buying on the margin’ contribute to the Wall Street Crash? [6]

(c) How surprised are you that Hoover was known as the ‘do nothing’ President? Explain your answer.
[10] (O/N 2020) IGCSE

The 1920s were not an easy time for many Americans.

(a) Describe ways in which the lives of many young women in cities changed during the 1920s. [4]

(b) Why were restrictions on immigration introduced in the 1920s? [6]

(c) ‘The main problem caused by prohibition was corruption among the police and judges.’ How far do
you agree with this statement? Explain your answer. [10]

16 The New Deal had to address many problems.

(a) Describe how the New Deal helped farmers. [4]

(b) Why was the banking system one of the first things Roosevelt focused on during the Hundred Days?
[6]

(c) ‘The New Deal was opposed because it increased the power of government.’ How far do you agree
with this statement? Explain your answer. [10](M/J 2022)

For some Americans the 1920s were a period of greater freedom.

(a) Describe the developments in cinema in the 1920s. [4]

(b) Why was there religious intolerance in the 1920s? [6]

(c) How far do you agree that women’s lives improved in the 1920s? Explain your answer. [10]

16 Some of Roosevelt’s policies were more effective than others.

(a) What did the New Deal do to help the Tennessee Valley? [4]

(b) Why did Roosevelt give his ‘fireside chats’? [6]

(c) ‘The main reason for opposition to the New Deal was that it failed to provide enough help for the
poor.’ How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer. [10](O/N 2022)