Specimen Paper Answers – Paper 4

Cambridge IGCSE™ / IGCSE (9−1)

History 0470 / 0977
For examination from 2024
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Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 4
Details of the assessment ............................................................................................................... 5
Question 1 ...................................................................................................................................... 6
Question 10 .................................................................................................................................. 11
Specimen Paper Answers

Introduction
These specimen answers have been produced by Cambridge ahead of the examination in 2024 to exemplify
standards for those teaching Cambridge IGCSE / IGCSE (9–1) History 0470 / 0977. Questions have been
selected from Specimen Paper 2, Questions 1 and 10.
The marks given are for guidance only and are accompanied by a brief commentary explaining the
strengths and weaknesses of the answers. Comments are given to indicate where and why marks were
awarded, and how additional marks could be obtained. There is also a list of common mistakes and
guidance for candidates for each question.
The specimen materials are available to download from the School Support Hub.

2024 Specimen Paper 4

2024 Specimen Paper Mark Scheme 4

Past exam resources and other teaching and learning resources are available on the School Support Hub.

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Details of the assessment

The syllabuses for Cambridge IGCSE / IGCSE (9–1) History are available at
www.cambridgeinternational.org

Paper 4 – Alternative to Coursework

1 hour

40 marks

Candidates answer one question on a depth study.

All questions are in the form of structured essays, split into two parts: (a) and (b).

Externally assessed

30% of the IGCSE

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Specimen Paper Answers

Question 1
Question 1(a)
Write an account of how the Schlieffen Plan was implemented in 1914.

Specimen answer
The Schlieffen Plan was devised by Field Marshal Alfred von Schlieffen in 1905. He was the

German Army Chief of Staff who created the plan to avoid Germany having to fight a war on

two fronts at the same time. Schlieffen retired in 1906 and his successor Helmuth von Moltke

changed the plan which reduced the commitment of troops in the East believing the Russians

would take at least six weeks to mobilise. He also changed the route of the planned attack in

the West by avoiding the Netherlands and taking a direct route through Belgium.

When war broke out in 1914, the Germans launched the Schlieffen Plan. Von Moltke believed

that if France could be taken by surprise and defeated quickly, then Germany could redeploy

their troops eastwards to face off the Russian army. He crucially reduced the number of

troops in the East to just ten per cent of the total army. When the German army marched

through neutral Belgium they met fierce resistance, for example at Liege, which slowed their

advance. The violation of Belgian neutrality led to Britain declaring war on Germany. The

BEF, with its 120,000 professionally trained soldiers, first engaged the Germans at the

Battle of Mons. Although they were defeated, they continued fighting in tandem with the

French forces to protect Paris. The victory at the Battle of the Marne forced the Germans to

retreat and dig-in which resulted in a race to the sea where hundreds of miles of trenches

were reinforced by both sides in an attempt to control the English Channel and important

supplies coming from Britain.

Russia mobilised more quickly than expected too. In just ten days the Russian army was

attacking East Prussia which forced von Moltke to redeploy some of the German Army to the

East. Although this effectively stopped the Russian advance, it meant that there were less

troops in the West to defeat France quickly and decisively as planned, leading in part to its

failure and the development of trench warfare.

Mark awarded = 13 out of 15 (Level 3)

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Examiner comment
The account is well focused and includes good detail on all the main events and developments associated
with the implementation of the Schlieffen Plan.
Accurate historical knowledge is used which is vital as this question is based on assessment objective 1
(AO1).
Good examples are used to support the account and the information is accurate and well selected.
The account is logically sequenced and structured, although the last paragraph lacks some of the depth and
detail of the previous parts of the account.

Common mistakes
It is important not to include too much background material in a response like this. The question asks for an
account of the implementation of the Schlieffen Plan rather than an account of when it was formulated.

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Specimen Paper Answers

Question 1(b)
Discuss the impact of new weapons on fighting on the Western Front.

Specimen answer
New weapons such as the machine gun, improved artillery, gas, aircraft and the tank had a

huge impact on the nature of the fighting on the Western Front from 1914 to 1918. One

important impact was the huge number of casualties the new weapons caused. The machine

gun proved to be a devastating defensive weapon as it sprayed bullets during enemy offensives

and artillery was responsible for an estimated sixty per cent of all casualties during the war.

However, new weapons also impacted the way in which warfare was fought on the Western

Front. These powerful new weapons led to a static and defensive trench warfare developing

and with few tactics devised to deal with this, a war of attrition emerged on the Western

Front. Finally, the new weapons had an important psychological impact on the soldiers. The

term shell shock was coined in the war to describe the effect these weapons had on many

soldiers.

The most important impact of the new weapons was their killing power. Artillery was used

before offensives to soften the enemy and destroy the trenches and barbed-wire defences.

Before the offensive began in the Somme Campaign of 1916, Field Marshal Haig used artillery

to fire over one and a half million shells at the German lines over the course of 7 days. This

was a common tactic used before 1916 and it often resulted in thousands of casualties before

the offensive began. But artillery could also be used between offensives. Artillery gunners were

informed of enemy positions and machine-gun posts by reconnaissance aircraft photographs

and targeted these all day every day. The machine gun was largely a defensive weapon until

the later years of the war, but it proved to be the weapon most associated with large

numbers of casualties because of its deadliness. Multiple machine gun posts could crossfire at

approaching soldiers in no-man’s land, especially when they were caught up in the barbed-

wire defences. On the first day of the Battle of the Somme, there were 60,000 casualties on

the British and French side caused largely by German machine gun fire. The Somme saw a

total of a million casualties on both sides in just 5 months. These two weapons alone were

largely responsible for the huge numbers of casualties on the Western Front and account for

over 80 per cent of total war deaths for both the British and French armies. It meant that

offensives required huge numbers of troops to be effective and it also meant that the

advantage lay with the defender who was protected to some degree by the trenches.

The new weapons also had another important impact on the fighting on the Western Front.

They led to the development of trench warfare and a war of attrition. The trench system was

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in place by the end of 1914 due to the failure of the Schlieffen Plan to defeat France quickly.

The new weapons were used effectively by the Germans when they dug in after retreating at

the Battle of the Marne. The subsequent ‘race to the sea’ saw a network of defensive trenches

dug by both sides and the effectiveness of the machine gun and the artillery meant that

neither side was easily able to advance and outflank their enemy. By the time of the First

Battle of Ypres in October 1914, a stalemate had emerged and neither side was able to

advance across no-man’s land without suffering massive losses. This led to an end of the war

of movement and the development of a static war. Military commanders increasingly believed

that the best strategy for victory was to wear the enemy down through constant

bombardment- this was known as a war of attrition. It was an important impact of the new

weapons as it not only changed the way in which both sides fought each other- for example it

led to the use of underground mines to blow up trenches and the development of gas weapons

such as chlorine and mustard gas- but it also meant very few tactical results were gained. At

the Battle of the Somme, for example, only 7 miles of enemy territory was gained after 5

months of heavy fighting.

Finally, another important impact of these new weapons was due to the impact it had on the

soldiers. Shell shock was increasingly common amongst soldiers in the front-line trenches who

were exposed to constant bombardment and the fear of gas attacks. Both sides used artillery

to launch attacks on enemy trenches and some of the shells were filled with chemicals such as

mustard gas. These attacks caused panic amongst the soldiers and even led to desertions.

Those who developed shell shock were accused of being cowards and some were even court

martialled and executed. It is estimated that as many as 40% of casualties at the Battle of the

Somme were shell shocked. This was an important impact as it led to increasing numbers of

soldiers who were unfit to fight which was a huge problem for both sides on the Western

Front. It did eventually result in more research being done on the condition, but for most of

the war, if the shell-shocked soldier was physically fit for combat, they were returned to the

front.

Overall, the new weapons had a huge impact on the fighting on the Western Front, but the

most important impact was without a doubt the huge number of casualties they caused.

Nearly 10 million soldiers became casualties of the war of which many were killed or seriously

wounded. The new weapons were designed to kill ‘en masse’ and even when they didn’t, the

injury sustained often led to amputation or death due to infection because of the lack of

medical knowledge at the time.

Mark awarded = 22 out of 25 (Level 5)

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Examiner comment
This is a multi-faceted response that uses well-developed explanations and strong examples to support the
arguments about impact. The details and material selected demonstrates a depth of understanding, though
lacks some breadth at times, for example, a limited number of new weapons are discussed.
Some parts of the answer are overly descriptive, but each paragraph explicitly addresses the impact of new
weapons on different aspects of the fighting on the Western Front.
A convincing argument is made and substantiated in the conclusion on the most important impact the new
weapons had.

Common mistakes
It is a common mistake to only focus on one or two types of weapons used in the First World War when a
demonstration of breadth of knowledge is demanded by the question.

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 Specimen Paper Answers

Question 10
Question 10(a)
Write an account of the Japanese conquest of Malaya.

Specimen answer
By 1941, the Japanese Imperial Army had decided to target European colonies in the Asia-

Pacific after four years of war against China, especially as the Allies had been supplying China

against the Japanese and many of these countries had colonies in the region. Japan signed a

pact with Thailand to allow them access to Malaya and began a troop build-up in November.

The Japanese had over 200 tanks and 800 aircraft against Commonwealth forces of just 23

light tanks and 250 aircraft.

The Japanese began the invasion on 8 December with an amphibious assault by the 25th

Army to capture the coastline defences coupled with an air assault on Allied air bases. The

Japanese air force destroyed 60 planes on the first day of the invasion. The British Indian

Army initially repelled the Japanese attacks, but were quickly overwhelmed by their superior

numbers, superior armour and their air superiority.

As the Japanese advanced, they confiscated bicycles and used bicycle infantry and light tanks

to move through the jungle terrain using guerrilla warfare tactics developed while fighting the

Chinese. When the Royal Navy arrived, the air force launched an airstrike and sank 2

battleships which left the east coast of Malaya open for further Japanese reinforcements to

land unopposed.

The defeat of the Allied army at the Battle of Jitra in December saw the Japanese army

quickly advance and overwhelm the British defences in the north. The bombing of Penang

effectively cut off British supplies and the Japanese had total air superiority. The

Commonwealth troops retreated their forces to the South in Johor where, after some

resistance by Australian troops, they were forced to retreat across the Johor Strait to

Singapore.

Mark awarded = 14 out of 15 (Level 3)

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Specimen Paper Answers

Examiner comment
The account is detailed and well sequenced in chronological order. The main events are described with good
supporting contextual knowledge and some well selected examples add depth to the account, though the
third paragraph lacks the detail of the other paragraphs. It is a well-structured response which remains
focused on the conquest of Malaya throughout.

Common mistakes
A common mistake with part (a) questions is to not logically sequence the accounts. Paragraphs should
connect with each other, in chronological order for example, rather than examine a theme or an aspect of the
account by themselves.

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 Specimen Paper Answers

Question 10(b)
Discuss the importance of the fall of Singapore.

Specimen answer
The fall of Singapore in 1942 was important for many reasons. Firstly, it was hugely

important because it resulted in the biggest defeat for British and Commonwealth troops in

military history with huge numbers of prisoners captured by the Japanese by the end of the

campaign. However, it was also important because of the impact the occupation had on the

civilians which included atrocities committed against the ethnic Chinese population. Finally,

the fall of Singapore was important as a strategic loss for the British Commonwealth, both as

a vital trading port as well as its important position geographically.

The fall of Singapore was considered a disaster for the British Commonwealth forces, and this

was important as it impacted the morale and prestige of the British and their ability to

maintain control of their overseas colonies in the Asia-Pacific region. This, in turn, led to a big

boost in morale for the Japanese forces who were able to defeat the Commonwealth forces

within 8 days. The Japanese used their air superiority to bomb both civilian and military

targets which inflicted huge damage and loss of life. The Japanese army used heavy

bombardment and amphibious landings to secure a beachhead in the north while troops from

the Malayan peninsula advanced. The Japanese forces were outnumbered by the

Commonwealth forces by over 3 to 1, but poor communication and tactics by the British

forces led to a humiliating defeat when General Percival, ignoring his orders, issued a

surrender. About 80,000 British and Commonwealth troops were taken as prisoners of war

on the fall of Singapore and even Prime Minister Winston Churchill referred to it as the worst

disaster in British military history. Furthermore, another important aspect of this defeat was

due to many of the Indian troops joining the Indian National Army and fighting alongside the

Japanese. This was a huge embarrassment for the British.

The occupation of Singapore by the Japanese and its treatment of the civilians there was also

an important aspect. The Japanese targeted the ethnic Chinese population and other anti-

Japanese groups. The most significant event took place between February and March of 1942

in the Sook Ching massacre which was overseen by the Japanese Imperial Army and the

Japanese secret police force, the Kempeitai. Estimates put the number killed at around

50,000 of which most were ethnic Chinese. This was an important aspect of the fall of

Singapore as it demonstrated the ethnic cleansing polices of the Japanese military and the

ruthless repression used to control their occupied territories. Many others, including prisoners

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of war, were subjected to executions, torture and forced labour in the Japanese camps and

prisons such as Changi Prison.

A final important aspect of the fall of Singapore was the strategic loss for the British

Commonwealth. Singapore was the most important military base and economic port in the

Asia-Pacific region and was crucial for defence planning, often being referred to as the

Gibraltar of the East. The British had established a naval base in Singapore in the 1920s

which was used to defend trade and merchant vessels in the region. It was also important to

access important mineral resources in the region such as oil from Borneo and Java. The

Japanese capture allowed them to gain control of this vital trade hub as well as advance into

nearby colonies held by other European powers and create their Greater East Asia Co-

Prosperity Sphere. This was important as it marked the end of British imperialism in the

region, permanently damaging their prestige.

In conclusion, the fall of Singapore was a very important event in the war in the Asia-Pacific.

Ultimately, the most important aspect was the loss of British morale and prestige in the

region and the huge damage it did to the British Commonwealth’s ability to operate militarily

and economically. The huge defeat of the superior forces of the British Commonwealth by an

inferior Japanese force was humiliating for the Allies and a huge setback to future operations

in the Asia-Pacific region.

Mark awarded = 22 out of 25 (Level 5)

Examiner comment
The response is well-structured and provides multiple facets of the discussion which are well-focused on the
importance of the fall of Singapore. Explanations are well-supported by precise and accurate contextual
knowledge and demonstrate a breadth and depth of understanding. The conclusion attempts to reach a
judgement about the most important facet, but this could have been made more convincing by comparing it
to the other facets discussed in the answer.

Common mistakes
A common mistake with the part (b) questions happens when the responses only examine one facet rather
than multiple facets of the discussion. Use of multiple facets gives breadth to the discussion and helps the
answer reach a valid conclusion.

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