An A* standard essay for Cambridge AS-Level History (9489) Paper 1 based on the Exam-Style Questions from Cambridge University Press International History, for Cambridge International AS Level History Coursebook (Page 222). I achieved an A* for History in the Cambridge A-Level October/November 202...
1a. Compare and contrast the views expressed in Sources A and B regarding
which country was most responsible for the outbreak of war between Japan
and the USA. (15 marks)
The sources are similar because they were both authored or spoken on the same
day, December 8, 1941. This date is significant as it was when the US declared war
on Japan. This also means that both sources are primary sources, therefore
providing a first-hand contemporary account of the event that prompted the US to
join the Second World War.
Moreover, both sources are heavily biased, and both have the aim of justifying their
actions. Source A is a formal statement from the Japanese government, and as
such, the source would deliver their interpretation of events. Because of this, it uses
phrases such as “damaged our efforts for peace” and “endangered our very
existence” to justify their declaration of war on the US. Source B also does the same
by using phrases like “American people in their righteous might” and “suddenly and
deliberately attacked” to convince the American public that the US must declare war
on Japan. Because it was a speech made to the public, only the American
interpretation of events is included in the source. Furthermore, the sources both
demonstrate that the nations both wanted peace. Source A claims that Japan wanted
to maintain “the peace of East Asia." Similarly, Source B claims that the US's main
aim was the preservation of peace.
On the other hand, the sources greatly differ on a multitude of things. Firstly, the
sources disagree on who started the war. Source A blames the US by saying that the
US “obstructed our peaceful commerce... and ended economic relations” and that
the US’ policies would “damage our efforts for peace in East Asia and endanger
[Japan’s] very existence." Conversely, Source B blames Japan because they were
“suddenly and deliberately attacked” and because the US was deceived by the
Japanese government through their “false statements and expressions of hope for
continued peace.”.
Furthermore, the two sources differ on the actions of the nations involved. Source A
claims that the US and Britain interfered in Japan’s legitimate activities in China and
“disturbed the peace of East Asia." Source A also claims that the US has “ended
economic relations." Source B, on the other hand, claimed that Japan had
undertaken an “unprovoked attack” on the US naval base in Hawaii while still in
peace negotiations.
Source A is a formal declaration of war on the US that was issued by the Japanese
government on December 8, 1941. Despite being a formal document issued by the
Japanese government (which was directly involved in the events and possessed
inside information), this source is unreliable. This is because it contains factually
incorrect information regarding China. The source claims that China had failed to
understand Japan’s true intentions. This is inaccurate, as Japan invaded Manchuria
in 1931 and proceeded to launch a full-scale war on China in 1937. Thus, Source A
is not reliable.
By Sonia A. Sanjay (printsbysonia)
, By Sonia A. Sanjay (printsbysonia)
Source B is a public speech by President Roosevelt delivered on December 8, 1941.
As a formal statement by the President of the US, Source B inevitably reflects the
American viewpoint. But Source B uses a great deal of emotive language, such as
“American people in their righteous might,” to appeal to listeners (the American
public) and convince them that America needed to respond to Japan militarily. Due to
this intention, this source is one-sided or biased. However, because the source
doesn’t contain inaccurate information, it is more reliable.
Hence, the sources mostly disagree regarding which country was most responsible
for the outbreak of war between Japan and America. This is primarily due to the fact
that sources are from opposing governments and only contain their interpretation of
events, making them unbalanced and emphasising the differences between the
sources.
By Sonia A. Sanjay (printsbysonia)
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