Download Revision Test 3.1 full history[1]. - The-Historic

Revision Test on Unit 3.1 War in Europe
3a
Which of the following was the most important reason behind
the rising tensions in international relations in the 1930s?
Explain your answer.
(i)
Communism
(ii)
Great Depression of 1929
(iii)
Territorial ambitions
[12]
L1
Writes about rising tensions in international relations but [1]
without focus on the question
Award 1m max.
L2
Takes a stand and describes 1 or 2 factors
[2-3]
-Describes one factor and gives reason– 2m
-Describes at least 2 factors with reasons– 3m
Introduction
E.g. The fear of Communism was the most important reason behind
rising tensions in the 1930s, and explains the hostility that the
Western Powers felt towards Communist USSR. 2m
E.g. Even though the fear of Communism and territorial ambitions did
help to increase tensions in international relations, it was the Great
Depression of the 1930s that gave rise to and accentuated these two
factors, and is thus the most important factor behind the increasing
hostility in international relations.
L3
Explains one factor (either given or other factors)
[4-5]
Award 4m for an explanation of how the fear of Communism led to
rising tensions in international relations. Additional mark for each
supporting detail, up to maximum of 5 marks.
Factor 1: Fear of Communism
Point: The fear of Communism contributed to rising tensions between
the Western powers (such as Britain, France and Germany) and the
USSR.
- It was the fear of Communism that explains why the Western
powers were willing to give in to Hitler as the latter had made known
his desire to destroy Communism. This can be seen in the Munich
Conference in September 1938 where USSR had been kept out,
while Britain, France Germany and Italy decided on the fate of
Czechoslovakia. (4m) Example
- This increased tensions between the Western Capitalist powers and
USSR, as the latter felt that the former was giving a free rein to
Germany in hope that it can be a strong buffer state against the
spread of Communism. (5m) Analysis
- Thus, the fear of Communism and the subsequent measures taken
to combat this threat heightened the sense of suspicions and distrust
between the West and East and led to rising tensions in international
relations. Link
OR
Explanation of one alternative factor: 4- 5
Factor 2: Territorial Ambitions
Point: Territorial ambitions by Italy and Germany also helped to
heighten the tensions in international relations, as their aggressive
foreign policy meant that they were willing to risk war to gain new
land.
- Germany’s remilitarization of the Rhineland in 1936 led to rising
tensions with France, as Germany’s actions made the French feel
like they were under threat. Hitler next sent his troops into Austria in
1938 and forced a political union upon her. His subsequent demands
for Sudentenland in 1938 and the invasion of the whole of
Czechoslovakia in March 1939, and invasion of Poland in September
1939, destabilized the fragile peace in Europe, and succeed in
launching Europe into WWII. (4m) Example
- Germany’s professed desire for living space and her willingness to
use force to get her way contributed greatly to the rising tensions in
international relations, as she succeeded in threatening the security
of France and USSR, through the remilitarization of the Rhineland
and the invasion of Czechoslovakia. Moreover her invasion of Poland
brought tensions between Germany and Britain to the highest point
as Britain had previously committed itself to defending Poland’s
sovereignty, and thus issued an ultimatum to Germany to withdraw
from Poland, failing which there would be war between Germany and
Britain. (5m) Analysis
- Therefore, German territorial ambitions did contribute largely to
increasing the hostility between the great powers, and eventually led
to the outbreak of World War II. Link
OR
Factor 3: Great Depression of 1929
Point: The Great Depression was an important long term factor in
contributing to rising tensions in international relations.
-The Great Depression that started in America led to severe
repercussions in Europe, as loans made to Germany were recalled,
and protectionism put in place whereby American demand for
European goods dried up and led to mass unemployment in countries
like Germany. This caused great discontentment amongst the people
and led to the rise of Fascist governments in Europe, such as
Germany, who were keen to embark on rearmaments as a way to
expand their armies to execute their expansionary policies, and to
alleviate the problem of unemployment and to boost the morale of the
people. This was seen through Hitler’s 4 year plan 1936-1940, that
featured rearmaments as a way to solve the problem of
unemployment, and to increase German national pride. (4m)
-This economic crisis was the underlying factor that led nations to
safeguard their national interests at the expense of global security
and interests, and thus contributed a great deal to worsening the
relationship between countries, as national interests of various
counties clashed, creating much tensions in Europe.
L4
Award 6m for explanation of one factor and mentioning of one other
factor
Award 7m max for explanation of two factors: Max 7
L5
Award 9m max for explanations of the given factor AND 2 other
factors.
Award 10m for explanations of all 3 factors, all clearly linked to the
topic. Differentiation of marks dependent on clarity and detail of
explanation.
[6-10]
L6 L4 + Explain to what extent i.e. evaluate the relative importance [11-12]
of the different factors leading to the outbreak of war in AsiaPacific.
i.e. answers that show how some factors are contingent /dependent
on others, or the different roles factors play (short-term, long term,
etc.)
In conclusion, I would argue that the Great Depression was the
underlying and therefore most important factor, as it made the fear of
Communism more real, and made an expansionary policy a useful
tool to rally the fledging morale of the nation. The Great Depression
saw the collapse of the American economy, and showed clearly that
the system of Capitalism was flawed. This in turn made the Western
Capitalist states even more fearful about Communism, as they were
afraid that the communists may take advantage of this unstable
situation to launch a take-over. Finally, the Great Depression had
created serious internal economic problems, and thus led to some
countries resorting to an expansionist foreign policy in order to divert
the people’s attentions away from their internal problems.