The 8 Mark "Write an Account" Question: Asia (Q3) (AQA GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Zoe Wade
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Summary of Question Three
Question Three requires you to explain the sequence or connections of the event or issue outlined
You also need to analyse how the event or issue impacted a wider development in the course
For the wider world depth study, this question will focus on cause and consequence
Amount of marks | 8 |
|---|---|
The time that you should spend on the question | No more than 10 minutes |
An example of the type of question you may encounter can be seen below:
In previous years, this question has focused on the following topics:
Year of Exam | Question Topic |
|---|---|
2018 | How the Gulf of Tonkin incident escalated the Vietnam conflict |
2019 | |
2020 | How events in Vietnam increased opposition in America to the war |
2021 | How the media and TV influenced American opinions about the Vietnam War |
2022 | |
Sample 1 | How events in Korea became an international crisis in 1950 |
Sample 2 | How events at Dien Bien Phu created an international problem in 1954 |
How to Explain Cause & Consequence
Cause and consequence is a second-order concept
Causes and consequences are like falling dominos
The causes are what push the dominos over
For the example question, a cause of opposition to the Vietnam War in America was the use of chemical warfare
The consequences are the other dominos that fall
For the example question, a consequence of opposition to the Vietnam War in America was the US withdrawal from Vietnam in 1973
Cause and consequence can be directly linked and can be used to help explain the relationship between events, issues or developments
Cause
A cause in history is usually something that resulted in an event or issue to happen
For example, a cause of American involvement in the Korean War was the US policy of containment
There can be multiple causes of a single event
Some can be short-term and long-term
A cause does not always have to be something which happened before the event or issue happened
For example, a cause of opposition to the Vietnam War in the United States was the ongoing media coverage which showed horrific scenes every day in American households
Consequence
A consequence in history is something which has happened in response to the cause
Consequences can be:
Different for different groups of people
E.g. the consequences of the Korean War affected North Koreans and South Koreans in different ways
Short and long-term
Both positive and negative
When explaining cause and consequences you may want to use causation connectives such as:
Due to
As a result
Consequently
For the wider depth study, you may want to revise key events by organising them into cause and consequence, as it will help you to answer this question
“Write an Account” Question Structure
Your answer should consist of:
Specific and relevant knowledge
A demonstration of the cause and consequence of the event or issue
An explanation of how the event or issue mentioned in the question impacted the wider development of the topic
Your answers could be written in PEE paragraphs:
P- Make a point about the question
E- Include knowledge to support the point you have made
Focused on the group or development mentioned in the question
Show knowledge to demonstrate cause and/or consequence
E- Explain the question
Focus on the key demands of the questions
Include a complex explanation showing your understanding of cause and/or consequence
To achieve full marks, you need to repeat this twice
It is tempting in this question to write your answer like a story, do not do this
The question is asking you to explain the causes and consequences
Worked Example of a “Write an Account” Question
Worked Example
Write an account of how US military tactics increased opposition in America to the Vietnam War
[8 marks]
Answer:
One way that US military tactics increased opposition in America to the Vietnam War was the use of chemical warfare. From 1962 to 1971, the US Army launched Operation Ranch Hand which spread herbicide, the most commonly used was Agent Orange, across large areas of Vietnam. This aimed to reduce the forests that the Viet Cong hid in. The US Army also used napalm, a flammable jelly, that they set fire to. Both Agent Orange and napalm increased opposition to the war in America because they were seen as inhumane. Agent Orange and Napalm caused significant health problems for Vietnamese citizens from skin burns to cancer. Many photographs and newsreels showed Vietnamese citizens running from these chemical attacks and the aftermath of them. Therefore, the horrendous effects of chemical warfare many many US citizens criticise their country’s military tactics.
Another way US military tactics increased opposition was using Search and Destroy. Search and Destroy was a military tactic which focused on killing as many enemy troops as possible and wiping out all of the villages supporting the Viet Cong. Search and Destroy became criticised by the US public after the My Lai Massacre of 1968. Lieutenant William Calley and his men killed, raped and tortured over 300 civilians in a Search and Destroy mission. The incident increased opposition as the US public was horrified at the actions of US soldiers against innocent civilians. Therefore, Search and Destroy was a military tactic that caused mass destruction in Vietnam and shocked people in America.
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