OCR A Level History A Unit Group 3 Thematic study and historical interpretations: China and its Rulers 1839-1989 June 2023 question paper Y317

Evaluate the interpretations in both of the two passages and explain which you think is more

convincing as an explanation of the origins and causes of the Cultural Revolution.

Passage A (c) Jay Taylor, 'The Generalissimo and the Struggle for Modern China, p 531'. Link to material: https:// books.google.co.uk/books?id=7Kz111Lie-0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Generalissimo+and+the +Struggle+for+Modern +China&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=The% 20Generalissimo%20and%20the%20Struggle%20for%20Modern%20China&f=false Item removed due to third party copyright restrictions.

Adapted from: Jay Taylor, The Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the Struggle for Modern China, published in 2011.

Passage B

The Cultural Revolution seemed to many observers, and many caught within it, to be a massive fit of collective madness, a delusional and inexplicable descent into chaos. How else could one describe a political campaign in which a state destroyed itself; in which Buddhist statues were paraded in dunce hats, and then burned; and in which the domestic cats of Beijing were systematically slaughtered, and then laid out at the roadside with their front paws tied together. Yet once unleashed it was, in many instances, a revolt driven by the real concerns and fears of those who were dissatisfied, ambitious or afraid.

Included among these were the children of party officials and leaders – those who had done well out of the new regime – who went on the offensive to protect themselves and their future careers. In Shanghai, meanwhile, many younger workers found themselves facing declining workplace security and living standards. They were excluded from the privileges of a better-paid older generation and these concerns fuelled a grassroots uprising against the status quo in the mills and factories of the city. It was virtually impossible not to be involved; and it was vitally important not to be on the wrong side. It was also like a carnival. For many concerned it was liberating and invigorating. The normal tight restraints of age, position and gender were loosened dramatically and swiftly.

Adapted from: Robert Bickers, Out of China, published in 2017.

2* ‘Chinese governments responded effectively to rebellions and internal unrest during the period

from 1839 to 1989.’ How far do you agree?

3* ‘China’s economy was only successful from 1976 to 1989.’ How far do you agree with this view of

the period from 1839 to 1989?

4* ‘China’s attitude to the wider world during the period 1839 to 1989 was always defensive.’ How

far do you agree?