Edexcel History Exam 15th May 2012 Part 2

Helloo. Sorry that my last blog was too long, I basically re-wrote my exam answer. =P
I will aim to make this one shorter. I said aim.

So after the civil rights question I turned to the USA in Asia section of Korea or Vietnam.
The choices were either Why did the Korean War last so long? or something about Johnson and the end of the Vietnam war. Haha, can you tell which one I picked yet?

So obviously I did the Korea question. I found this topic much easier to revise as it was a lot shorter and less complicated (in terms of study) than Vietnam, which has many stages.
I saw this question and thought 'double yes' as I had also done a very similar practice essay to this answer.

As far as I can remember I wrote something along the lines of;

Intro
Many factors, such as role of the US, Chinese intervention, issues with POWs, both North and South Korean initial stubborness and influence of Stalin and the encouragement the USSR gave to the wars continuation.

Reason=USA

• Decision to 'rollback' communism in North Korea, rather than sticking to the original stategy of containment.
• General MacArthur insisted he aimed to invade China, all led to Chinese intervention which seriously prolonged war.
• Refused to back down and didn't want to give China a propoganda victory, similarly accepted stalemate but were unwilling to inject more money, troops or weaponry to Korea. Meaning no one could win.

Reason=China

•  Their intervention halted the US advance into North Korea (who had managed to reach as far North as the Yalu River), just when it looked as though the US might win. They pushed the US back over the 38th Parallel but were only powerful enough to keep them there, not defeat them. Contributing to the stalemate and the war lasting so long.
• Like the US they refused to back down and give the opposite side a propoganda victory.
• Very difficult to work with in peace negotiations.

Reason=issues with POWs (prisoners of war)

• The North Koreans and Chinese viewed POWs as their own men and forced them to fight for them. They refused to send them back initially, which broke international law.
• Truman also refused to send back many North Korean and Chinese POWs as he was aware that on their return many were treated as traitors and sent to concentration camps or even shot dead. So he didn't want to be responsible for sending thosands to their deaths.

Reason=North and South Korea

• South initially refused to participate in peace talks although without the US they had no chance of victory, and yet they continued to demand the very unlikely reunification of Korea under one capitalist government.
• Links to North Koreas issues with POWs.

Reason=Influence of Stalin (small factor)

• Stalin secretly supplied the North Korean forced and encouraged them to invade SK.
• He wanted to draw US attention away from Europe and his so-called 'Buffer Zone'.
• After his death in 1953, steps were taken towards peace in Korea.

Could argue war didn't last 'so long' and could have gone on longer (very small section, not a vital point!)

• Only lasted 3 years.
• US or China never deepened involvement to try and win. Bit half-hearted,could have used greater fire power, nuclear bomb etc.

Conclusion
Overall Chinese intervention is the main reason for the war lasting longer than it should have as it meant the US couldn't win and a stalemate was created. This in turn then led to any issues with POWs and peace talks. However the US must also share the blame as it was arguably their decision to promote and pursue 'rollback' over 'containment' which triggered China to intervene and ultimately prolong the war, when it can be seen that their aim was complete a mere few months in.

Overall I thought I answered this question better and more concisely.
But ugh it seems like such a waste all that time I spent revising Vietnam, not to even mention it in my exam!! However I really loved learning about it so no real regret, in fact I wish I had got to write about both Korea and Vietnam. But ultimatally you have to pick the essay you can answer the best.
So top tips for this exam;

• Consider your question choice carefully, as some questions may be on a good topic but then have hidden agendas set to catch you out.
• Plan your essay for about 5 mins before you start writing. Believe me I understand that time is of the essence in exams and there is no time to waste. I never used to plan but in the exam it genuinely does save you time later as it gives you chance to sort your thoughts out and think about what you can actually write. So it's also quite calming as well.
• Try not to write too much (this is total pot calling kettle black on my part but, hey it's still a tip even if I haven't quite grasped it yet myself!!! =D)
• Practice essays as timing is key. Both essays are worth the same so aim to be as equal on both as you possibly can. This is easier said than done of course, but to be honest in an exam you have so much adrenaline that you can surprise yourself, and practice makes perfect!

Hope this has been of some use to someone doing this course!!!! =D

Ooh also the revision guides I bought through my school were great, they're purple and I believe are available for all modules offered, such as Russia etc. You should be able to get them through school or in Smiths or somewhere.

Over and out.