Cambridge O Level

HISTORY 2147/11
Paper 1 October/November 2023

2 hours

You must answer on the enclosed answer booklet.

* 6 3 7 6 0 1 6 8 9 7 *

You will need: Answer booklet (enclosed)

INSTRUCTIONS
● Answer three questions in total:
Section A (Core Content): answer two questions.
Section B (Depth Studies): answer one question.
● Follow the instructions on the front cover of the answer booklet. If you need additional answer paper,
ask the invigilator for a continuation booklet.

INFORMATION
● The total mark for this paper is 60.
● The number of marks for each question or part question is shown in brackets [ ].

This document has 12 pages. Any blank pages are indicated.

DC (SL) 332673
© UCLES 2023 [Turn over
 2

SECTION A: CORE CONTENT

Answer any two questions from this section.

1 1848–49 was a period of turmoil in Europe.

(a) What were the aims of the Magyar nationalists? [4]

(b) Why did Metternich flee Vienna in March 1848? [6]

(c) How far do you agree that Kossuth was to blame for the failure of the 1848–49 revolution in
Hungary? Explain your answer. [10]

2 The 1848–49 revolution in Prussia was short-lived.

(a) Describe events in Berlin in March 1848. [4]

(b) Why was there support for liberal ideas in Prussia by 1848? [6]

(c) ‘Frederick William IV was to blame for the reassertion of Austrian control over Germany by
1850.’ How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer. [10]

3 There were many attempts in the United States to reduce tension between Northern and Southern
states.

(a) What were the terms of the Missouri Compromise? [4]

(b) Why had the Missouri Compromise broken down by 1850? [6]

(c) Which was more important in causing the Civil War, the book ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ or the raid
on Harpers Ferry? Explain your answer. [10]

4 European powers intervened in many areas of the world.

(a) What benefits did European powers hope to gain from expanding their empires? [4]

(b) Why was the mutiny of Indian troops against the British in 1857 important? [6]

(c) ‘Britain and France controlled their colonies in similar ways.’ How far do you agree with this
statement? Explain your answer. [10]

© UCLES 2023 2147/11/O/N/23

 3

5 The Paris peace settlement did not please everyone.

(a) What was meant by ‘self-determination’? [4]

(b) Why was the Treaty of Sèvres unpopular in Turkey? [6]

(c) ‘German bitterness over the peace treaty was caused by reparations.’ How far do you agree
with this statement? Explain your answer. [10]

6 The League of Nations enjoyed mixed fortunes.

(a) What were the agencies of the League of Nations? [4]

(b) Why was the League able to resolve the dispute over the Aaland Islands? [6]

(c) ‘Failure to bring about disarmament was the most important problem facing the League in the
1930s.’ How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer. [10]

7 In 1950 tensions in Korea escalated into war.

(a) What was Truman’s attitude to the North’s invasion of South Korea? [4]

(b) Why did North Korea invade South Korea in 1950? [6]

(c) ‘The Korean War was a victory for the United Nations.’ How far do you agree with this
statement? Explain your answer. [10]

8 The First Gulf War was damaging for Iraq.

(a) Describe the relationship between Iraq and the United States prior to the invasion of Kuwait.
[4]

(b) Why was oil an important cause of the First Gulf War? [6]

(c) ‘The most important consequence of the First Gulf War was the impact on Iraqi civilians.’ How
far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer. [10]

© UCLES 2023 2147/11/O/N/23 [Turn over

 4

SECTION B: DEPTH STUDIES

Answer any one question from this section.

DEPTH STUDY A: THE FIRST WORLD WAR, 1914–18

9 It was difficult to break the stalemate on the Western Front.

(a) Describe the main features of a trench. [4]

(b) Why was an attack launched on the Somme in July 1916? [6]

(c) ‘Throughout the war on the Western Front, defence was a more effective strategy than attack.’
How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer. [10]

10 Military and political issues weakened the German war effort in 1918.

(a) Describe Allied tactics in their offensive of 1918 on the Western Front. [4]

(b) Why did the USA join the war in 1917? [6]

(c) ‘The USA’s entry into the war was more important than revolution in Germany in bringing
about the armistice.’ How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer. [10]

© UCLES 2023 2147/11/O/N/23

 5

DEPTH STUDY B: GERMANY, 1918–45

11 Several factors worked to Hitler’s advantage in the early 1930s.

(a) What was the Reichstag Fire? [4]

(b) Why did the Night of the Long Knives take place? [6]

(c) ‘Hitler became Chancellor because he had the support of wealthy industrialists.’ How far do
you agree with this statement? Explain your answer. [10]

12 The Nazis used different methods to maintain control.

(a) What changes did the Nazis make to the justice system in Germany? [4]

(b) Why did the Nazis persecute racial minorities in Germany? [6]

(c) How far do you agree that the most important opposition to the Nazis came from the churches?
Explain your answer. [10]

© UCLES 2023 2147/11/O/N/23 [Turn over

 6

DEPTH STUDY C: RUSSIA, 1905–41

13 There were many challenges to Tsarist authority in the early 1900s.

(a) Describe revolutionary activity in Russia during 1905. [4]

(b) Why had discontent with the Tsarist regime grown by 1905? [6]

(c) ‘Hatred of the Tsarina was the main reason the Tsar fell from power in 1917.’ How far do you
agree with this statement? Explain your answer. [10]

14 Stalin used many methods to punish and destroy opposition.

(a) Describe life in the gulags. [4]

(b) Why was the NKVD a feared organisation? [6]

(c) How far do you agree that Stalin’s main target in the purges was those who had supported
Trotsky? Explain your answer. [10]

© UCLES 2023 2147/11/O/N/23

 7

DEPTH STUDY D: THE UNITED STATES, 1919–41

15 Some sectors of the US economy benefited more than others in the 1920s.

(a) What technical innovations helped industry to develop in the 1920s? [4]

(b) Why were more Americans able to buy consumer goods in the 1920s? [6]

(c) How far do you agree that US tariff policy was responsible for the problems facing farmers in
the 1920s? Explain your answer. [10]

16 Roosevelt’s New Deal tried to tackle a range of issues.

(a) What were the aims of the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA)? [4]

(b) Why did Huey Long criticise the New Deal? [6]

(c) ‘The most important achievement of the New Deal was that it restored Americans’ confidence
in their government.’ How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer. [10]

© UCLES 2023 2147/11/O/N/23 [Turn over

 8

DEPTH STUDY E: CHINA, c.1930–c.1990

17 The Nationalists failed in their attempts to defeat the Communists.

(a) Describe the measures taken by Chiang Kai-shek against the Communists before 1934. [4]

(b) Why was the Long March important to Mao? [6]

(c) How far do you agree that failure to resist Japanese forces effectively was the main weakness
of the Kuomintang government? Explain your answer. [10]

18 China’s relationship with the superpowers changed over time.

(a) What happened during the Sino-Vietnamese War? [4]

(b) Why did relations between China and the United States change in the 1950s? [6]

(c) ‘Sino-US relations improved because Sino-Soviet relations changed.’ How far do you agree
with this statement? Explain your answer. [10]

© UCLES 2023 2147/11/O/N/23

 9

DEPTH STUDY F: SOUTH AFRICA, c.1940–c.1994

19 Opponents of apartheid had a difficult task in the years up to 1966.

(a) What was the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC)? [4]

(b) Why was the Group Areas Act passed in 1950? [6]

(c) How far do you agree that the South African government had crushed opposition to apartheid
by 1966? Explain your answer. [10]

20 The ending of white minority rule was a difficult process.

(a) Describe the situation facing de Klerk when he became President in 1989. [4]

(b) Why did Chief Buthelezi represent a possible threat to Mandela’s aims for South Africa? [6]

(c) How important were the changes made by P W Botha to the apartheid system? Explain your
answer. [10]

© UCLES 2023 2147/11/O/N/23 [Turn over

 10

DEPTH STUDY G: ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS SINCE 1945

21 The situation in Palestine grew more tense in the late 1940s.

(a) What was the Stern Gang? [4]

(b) Why were events at the King David Hotel in July 1946 important? [6]

(c) How surprising was the victory of Israel in the 1948–49 war? Explain your answer. [10]

22 The peace process has been difficult.

(a) What is Hezbollah? [4]

(b) Why were the Oslo Accords important? [6]

(c) ‘The main issue which prevented a peaceful outcome after the Oslo Accords was the Jewish
settlements.’ How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer. [10]

© UCLES 2023 2147/11/O/N/23

 11

BLANK PAGE

© UCLES 2023 2147/11/O/N/23

 12

BLANK PAGE

Permission to reproduce items where third-party owned material protected by copyright is included has been sought and cleared where possible. Every
reasonable effort has been made by the publisher (UCLES) to trace copyright holders, but if any items requiring clearance have unwittingly been included, the
publisher will be pleased to make amends at the earliest possible opportunity.

To avoid the issue of disclosure of answer-related information to candidates, all copyright acknowledgements are reproduced online in the Cambridge
Assessment International Education Copyright Acknowledgements Booklet. This is produced for each series of examinations and is freely available to download
at www.cambridgeinternational.org after the live examination series.

Cambridge Assessment International Education is part of Cambridge Assessment. Cambridge Assessment is the brand name of the University of Cambridge
Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), which is a department of the University of Cambridge.

© UCLES 2023 2147/11/O/N/23