AQA
A-level
HISTORY
7042/1K
Component 1K The making of a Superpower: USA, 1865–
1975
Version: 1.0 Final
IB/M/Jun23/E4
... [Show More] 7042/1K
A-level
HISTORY
Component 1K The making of a Superpower: USA, 1865–1975
Wednesday 24 May 2023 Morning Time allowed: 2 hours 30 minutes
Materials
For this paper you must have:
• an AQA 16-page answer book.
Instructions
• Use black ink or black ball-point pen.
• Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is
7042/1K.
• Answer three questions.
In Section A answer Question 01.
In Section B answer two questions.
Information
• The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
• The maximum mark for this paper is 80.
• You will be marked on your ability to:
– use good English
– organise information clearly
– use specialist vocabulary where appropriate.
Advice
• You are advised to spend about:
– 1 hour on Question 01 from Section A
– 45 minutes on each of the two questions answered from Section B.
2
IB/M/Jun23/7042/1K
Section A
Answer Question 01.
Extract A
From 1954, there were times when Eisenhower seemed tempted to involve American
military forces in Vietnam, but he took steps to avoid escalating conflict. With no clear
policy, the United States increasingly relied on Diem to govern South Vietnam and
poured economic and military aid into the South in the hope of making him a viable
leader. Eisenhower’s policy decisions were continued by future presidents as a
commitment to the protection of South Vietnam from Communism.
The situation in Vietnam began to deteriorate by 1963 but Kennedy had no
well-considered long-range plans and gave the situation in Vietnam little attention.
Johnson followed the paths of Eisenhower and Kennedy and spoke of his desire for
peace. Throughout his administration, he took great care not to provoke the Soviet
Union. It was Nixon who escalated and prolonged the war and failed to save South
Vietnam. Nixon thought that he could scare the enemy into peace negotiations and he
stepped up military pressure by bombing heavily and greatly expanding South
Vietnamese forces.
Adapted from J Patterson, Grand Expectations: The United States, 1945–1974, 1996
5
10
Extract B
By 1956 the United States had undermined the Geneva Agreements. All of the
subsequent developments during the Diem era arose from the failure of America to
uphold those Agreements. The Kennedy administration escalated the conflict with
increased military aid, and helicopter units began attacking unarmed villages. Kennedy’s
views reflected Eisenhower’s, which were used to convince the public that the United
States had to stay on course in Vietnam.
The massive and sustained bombing of North Vietnam during Johnson’s presidency was
one of the key elements of Vietnam policy. The election of Richard Nixon brought no
basic change to policy in Vietnam. He attempted to find a way to allow the United States
to survive a long war without losing its Asian empire. The American war in Vietnam was
an example of imperial aggression, built upon the need to extend and maintain its control
in Asia. However, by 1972 the United States was forced to negotiate an agreement to
end the war.
Adapted from J Marciano, The American War in Vietnam, 2016
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10
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IB/M/Jun23/7042/1K Turn over ►
Extract C
Concern over Vietnam stemmed from the larger fear of the People’s Republic of China,
as the United States and China came close to war a number of times in the 1950s.
Eisenhower inherited the war in French Indochina and passed it on to his successors.
Policymakers were worried that if the Communist Vietminh guerrillas won in Vietnam, first
all Southeast Asia, then resource-starved Japan, would fall like dominoes. After this, the
Pacific Ocean would become a Communist lake.
However, presidents like Johnson wanted to break the will of the North Vietnamese
without provoking a military response from China. To minimise the risk, the army
avoided bombing close to China’s borders and, for the same reason, Johnson denied
repeated requests from the military to invade North Vietnam with ground troops. Nixon,
offered no specific way to end the war but felt that détente with China would force Hanoi
to offer concessions.
Adapted from Schaller, Scharff and Schulzinger, The United States since 1945, 1996
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0 1 Using your understanding of the historical context, assess how convincing the
arguments in these three extracts are in relation to American policies in Vietnam.
[30 marks]
Turn over for Section B
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Section B
Answer two questions.
0 2 ‘The growth of the US economy, from 1865 to 1890, was due to the opening of the
West.’
Assess the validity of this view.
[25 marks]
0 3 To what extent did social and ethnic divisions increase in the U [Show Less]