Conflict and Tension in Asia, 1950 - 1975 is a wider world depth study that investigates international relations. The course focuses on the causes and course of the Cold War in Asia. It considers why conflict occurred in this region, as well as how it developed, and why it proved difficult to find a resolution to the tensions. The course examines the roles of key individuals and groups in influencing change, and how they were impacted by international affairs.

This study will help you to interpret the intricacies and diverse interests of different individuals and states. You will investigate themes such as capitalism and communism, international diplomacy, the causes and impact of warfare, and the challenges of bringing an end to war. This course will enable you to develop historical thinking, to identify and analyse causation and consequence, and encourage you to critically question sources.

Conflict and Tension in Asia, 1950 - 1975 is split into 3 key enquiries:

• ❖ Enquiry 1 examines the conflict in Korea.
• ❖ Enquiry 2 examines the escalation of the conflict in Vietnam.
• ❖ Enquiry 3 examines the ending of the conflict in Vietnam.

Some key individuals studied on this course include:

• ❖ Ngo Dinh Diem.
• ❖ Dwight D Eisenhower.
• ❖ John F Kennedy.
• ❖ Lyndon B Johnson.
• ❖ General Douglas MacArthur.
• ❖ Ho Chi Minh.
• ❖ Richard Nixon.
• ❖ Kim II-Sung.
• ❖ Harry Truman.

Some of the key events and developments you will study on this course include:

• ❖ The origins of the Cold War.
• ❖ The invasion of South Korea.
• ❖ The stalemate in the Korean War.
• ❖ The first Indo-China war.
• ❖ The civil war in South Vietnam.
• ❖ The Gulf of Tonkin incident.
• ❖ Operation Rolling Thunder.
• ❖ The Tet Offensive.
• ❖ The My Lai Massacre.
• ❖ Events at the Kent State University.
• ❖ The USA withdrawal from Vietnam.

The Conflict and Tension in Asia, 1950 - 1975 course is part of paper 1 (2 hours). You should spend 1 hour on this section of the paper. There will be 4 exam questions which will assess what you have learned from the course.

• ❖ Question 1 is worth 4 marks. It requires you to examine a source and explain its meaning in its historical context.
• ❖ Question 2 is worth 12 marks. It requires you to examine 2 sources and assesses your ability to evaluate sources for a particular purpose.
• ❖ Question 3 is worth 8 marks. It requires to you to explain and analyse historical events in relation to cause and consequence.
• ❖ Question 4 is worth 16 marks, plus 4 marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar. You are required to make a judgement about the importance of an event or development in an extended response.