Presented herein is a comprehensive list of the essay questions featured in the H2 History Singapore A-level examinations, spanning the entirety of the prevailing 9752 H2 History Syllabus introduced in the year 2017 until today. The A-level questions have been arranged by their respective themes.
Paper 1: Shaping the International Order (1945-2000)
Theme II: Global Economy
Growth and Problems of the Global Economy
1. How important was the role of the USA in the growth of the global economy between 1945 and 1970? (Specimen Paper/Q3)
2. ‘The debt crisis of the 1980s presented a greater threat to the global economy than the oil crises of the 1970s.’ How far do you agree with this view? (2017/Q2)
3. To what extent was the 'economic miracle' in Western Europe in the 1950s and 1960s home-grown? (2018/Q3)
4. 'The Bretton Woods system was the key to the Golden Age of Capitalism.' How far is this an adequate explanation of the development of the global economy from 1945 to 1973? (2019/Q2)
5. How far can the economic miracle of western Europe and Japan in the two decades after the Second World War be explained by the role of the USA? (2020/Q2)
6. Was MNCs the most important factor in the collapse of communism? (2022/Q2)
Rise of Asian Tigers
1. ‘It was the government that played a crucial role in the economic transformation of South Korea.' How far do you agree with this assessment of the country's development between 1970 and 1990? (Specimen Paper/Q2)
2. ‘It was private business rather than other factors that led to its transformation.’ How far do you agree with this assessment of Taiwan's economy in the 1970s and 1980s up to 1990? (2017/Q3)
3. How far can South Korea's economic transformation between 1970 and 1990 be explained by factors specific to that country? (2018/Q2)
4. 'Problems in the global economy in the 1970s triggered the transformation of Taiwan's economy.' How far do you agree with this view? (2019/Q3)
5. South Korea and Taiwan are both described as 'Asian Tigers'. How similar was their economic development in the 1970s and 1980s? (2020/Q3)
6. ‘Taiwan’s economic development is largely domestic.’ How far do you agree with this view? (2022/Q3)
Theme III: United Nations
Political Effectiveness of the UN
1. ‘Despite its weaknesses, the United Nations played an important role in maintaining peace and security in the world.’ How far do you agree with this assessment of the United Nations between 1945 and 2000? (Specimen Paper/Q4)
2. ‘The power of veto in the Security Council undermined the effectiveness of the United Nations between 1945 and 2000.’ How far do you agree with this view? (Specimen Paper/Q5)
3. ‘Cold War rivalries greatly undermined the United Nations' political effectiveness during its first 45 years.’ How far do you agree with this view? (2017/Q4)
4. Assess the view that the Security Council of the United Nations has found 'new energy and purpose' since the end of the Cold War in 1989. (2018/Q5)
5. 'In the period 1945 to 1996, successive Secretaries-General failed to adequately utilise the powers available to them under the UN Charter.' How far do you agree with this assessment? (2019/Q4)
6. To what extent did the Cold War impede the effectiveness of the United Nations in its first decade? (2019/Q5)
7. To what extent has the self-interest of individual states been the main cause of the ineffectiveness of the International Court of Justice? (2020/Q4)
8. Assess the view that the main factor limiting the success of international peacekeeping operations has been the reluctance of United Nations' members to contribute to them. (2020/Q5)
9. ‘The Security Council failed in its duty of peace and security from 1945-2000.’ How far do you agree with this view? (2022/Q5)
10. Access the effectiveness of US foreign policy in relation to peacekeeping mission after 1990. (2022/Q4)
UN Reforms
1. To what extent did the reform of the membership of the Security Council enable it to address the challenge of the rise of regionalism and regional organisations? (2017/Q5)
2. ‘Changes to the structure of the United Nations after 1945 made it a more effective body in dealing with international crises in the period up to 1990.’ How far do you agree? (2018/Q4)
Paper 2: The Making of Independent Southeast Asia (Independence-2000)
Theme I: Search for Political Stability
Political Structures
1. How important were the personalities of political leaders in shaping the way that post-independent Southeast Asian countries were governed? (Specimen Paper/Q2)
2. How effective were government responses to popular opposition in maintaining political stability in Southeast Asian states? (2017/Q2)
3. ‘Democratic governments in independent Southeast Asian states had little success in maintaining stability.’ How far do you agree with this judgement? (2018/Q2)
4. How important was the Cold War in the rise of 'maximum' government in Southeast Asian states? (2019/Q2)
5. 'Southeast Asian states established political stability by rejecting Western ideals of parliamentary democracy.' How far do you agree with this view? (2020/Q2)
National Unity
1. How successfully did independent Southeast Asian states manage their minorities? (Specimen Paper/Q3)
2. To what extent were there more similarities than differences in the policies of Southeast Asian states towards their minorities? (2017/Q3)
3. ‘Religious differences obstructed the creation of national unity in independent Southeast Asian states.’ How far do you agree with this judgement? (2018/Q3)
4. How far have the policies of Southeast Asian states towards their minorities enhanced their national unity? (2019/Q3)
5. Assess the view that political factors have been more important than social and economic factors in the emergence of separatist movements in Southeast Asian states since independence. (2020/Q3)
6. ‘Government policies always had an adverse impact on minorities.’ How far do you agree with this view? (2022/Q3)
Theme II: Economic Development
Economic Development
1. How far did government policies explain different rates of economic development in independent Southeast Asian states? (Specimen Paper/Q4)
2. How important were agricultural policies to the economic development of Southeast Asian states? (2017/Q4)
3. ‘The success of governments in promoting economic development in post-independence Southeast Asian states was largely an illusion.’ How far do you agree with this judgement? (2018/Q4)
4. How significant was the role of centralised planning in promoting industrialisation in Southeast Asian states before 1997? (2019/Q4)
5. 'The dominance of Chinese minorities in the economies of independent Southeast Asian states continued in spite of government policies.' How far do you agree? (2019/Q5)
6. 'Characterised by remarkable economic dynamism.' How far do you agree with this verdict on the post-independence economic landscape in Southeast Asian states? (2020/Q4)
Asian Financial Crisis
1. To what extent was the Asian Financial Crisis detrimental to the economies of Southeast Asian states? (Specimen Paper/Q5)
2. How far were the governments of some Southeast Asian states more responsible for the outbreak of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis than others? (2017/Q5)
3. ‘Governments’ responses turned a financial panic into a social crisis.’ Evaluate this judgement on the Asian Financial Crisis. (2018/Q5)
4. 'Evidence of a flawed economic miracle rather than the result of investor panic.' How far do you agree with this assessment of the outbreak of the Asian Financial Crisis? (2020/Q5)
5. To what extent did the economies of Southeast Asian states face negative consequences as a result of the Asian Financial Crisis? (2022/Q5)
All the best with your A-Levels!
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