Modern History Exam Discussion (and Suggested Answers!)

[sudodds]

glad it's over, really good questions!! I did the Russian campaign question for CIE but ran out of time at the end and only got 5 pages only about Barbarrossa and Stalingrad!!  how much will this effect my mark??  asking for a friend

Hey! Don't worry about it I can't say much about content as I didn't study this topic, but I definitely didn't get through everything that I wanted to for Cold War last year (only gave myself 30 mins to write the whole essay ), but it still turned out fine! Got the same mark for Cold War as I did for Russia, which I spent way more time on Potentially didn't affect your mark at all, so don't stress!

Congratulations daenyy, you're done!!!!! Great work,

Susie

[sudodds]

Thank you!
And.. erm... I'm pretty sure I said Source B was partially useful... and I may have asked for another booklet and used a whole other page explaining why... oops! Hopefully it works out for me

I also said it was partially useful R.E lack of detail and also being from Hindenburg's perspective and being a memoir, that he may have been diverting attention for German collapse away from his own failings/the German army's failings and towards a lack of resources etc. Did you do similar?

Don't worry! Perfectly legitimate to argue partially useful for Source B , and both of your arguments justifying it sounds great!

[sudodds]

saaaaame. i can't bring myself to throw out any handouts/past papers/notes at the moment, i'm not ready to let go just yet

Then don't I still have all of my old stuff. Also guys, make sure that, before you do throw out your notes if you eventually do, to upload them to the notes section to help out next years group of students!!!

[sudodds]

Overall it was a pretty decent exam! I definitely can't complain with the questions at all

I was so happy to see that as the own knowledge question - I instantly recalled the info that I posted the day before, so that helped out heaps

Instantly thought of you when I saw that question! Sure you absolutely smashed it!!!

I will say though, that the wording of the question was a bit vague. You would have needed to understand the sources to see where they were really pointing you towards. I.E, the photograph of the Capture of the Hindenburg Line, and the recount of the technologies used in the final stages of war would have pointed to events leading to the Armistice.

I agree. It was worded like something from the next dot point - 'Reasons for Allied Victory', which was frustrating. But luckily you did have the sources there to guide your response!

I'd say that the question that I was least confident would be the Germany, Great Depression question. Ironically, it was the question that I wanted to get, because I still hadn't covered much of the content. However, after a painful day of cramming I actually became better at other sections of the syllabus than the one that was assessed... I just feel like it was such a vague question, as it didn't specify a time frame or anything! So I worked my way up from the Depression to Hitler's consolidation of power, and I don't know if that's correct or not :/

Regardless, I felt really confident after WW1, Speer and much of the Conflict in Europe essay. I reckon if I can dish out a solid 19/25 for Germany, then a Band 6 could still be possible

Thats disappointing, but I'm sure it went better than you think!

Great work rodero!!! I'm sure all of your hard work this year paid off I bet you absolutely killed it in this exam! I can't wait to hear your final result (December the anticipation is killing me).

Susie

[sudodds]

ahhh definitely germany!! it was the only section that i pretty much let my hand dance all over the paper (with gorgeous handwriting ) and all over the desk and all over the examiner and everywhere without having to stop and think "is wot im saying the legit truth or am i just making up crap to fill in time?"..sooo was definitely my best!! i chose the great depression question as im def more confident with the earlier syllabus dotpoints (and hey...."the great depression was the only thing that put the wind in hitlers sails" )! also i did germany first so that put me on 10 confident arrogant lil toes for the next sections (of which i made up a lot of stuff nah it was prolly true!)
thanks soooo much susie for everything ure a legendarrryyy laddeee!!

ahahahahaha well it was a well deserved happy dance, so i'm sure the examiner didn't mind too much

I'm so glad that you are feeling so positive about the exam - not that you shouldn't be, it sounds like you killed it!

And no worries <3 It has been a pleasure working with all of you

[jasminesadiqi]

hey, during the exam i was really stressed out that i forgot to add historian quotes.. but i answered everything properly and added a lot of information. do you think i will lose marks for not having quotes? also in the conflict in the pacific question, i didnt talk about the A-bomb, as one of the stragies allies use to defeat japan because i was running out of time. do you think that will affect my mark? because i talked about all the battles the allies had defeated japan in.. please replyyy

[Korrasami]

Quick question, if you didn't end up finishing a section at all, and had to do dot points and had an essay plan prior, would it be too much of a problem. I know Conflict in Europe was definitely my worst section due to not having enough time

My teacher said apparently they mark your essay plan!

[dancing phalanges]

hey, during the exam i was really stressed out that i forgot to add historian quotes.. but i answered everything properly and added a lot of information. do you think i will lose marks for not having quotes? also in the conflict in the pacific question, i didnt talk about the A-bomb, as one of the stragies allies use to defeat japan because i was running out of time. do you think that will affect my mark? because i talked about all the battles the allies had defeated japan in.. please replyyy

Hey I didn't do that question for the Pacific, but in order of things to put in from most important to least important I would say:
1. Allied Strategies as it was the part of the question, so here you could discuss:
- Key Battles such as the use of MAGIC at Midway in breaking the Japanese code of surprise > led to significant Japanese losses > could not overcome losses and turned the course of the war
- Island Hopping
- Allied submarine warfare as successful in crippling Japanese economy
- Allied air raids on the Japanese home front
- A-Bomb (this may have officially ended the conflict but I would make sure to mention the previous reasons before the A-Bomb as they were more long-term reasons for the defeat so don't be too worried
Then you could have discussed Japan's economic/industrial weakness and linked this to how they overextended their defensive perimeter. But yeah back to your question as long as you mentioned 4 or so of these you'll be fine

[Korrasami]

Ah that's a shame, but don't stress too much! I was very pressed for time with Cold War last year (stupidly left myself only 30 mins to write a whole essay), and I didn't write everything that I wanted to, but it still went well in the end

Glad you think it went well overall though! What was your favourite section?

Hey didn't see this! My favourite section was definitely the part b Germany question, I feel I answered it reasonably well. Albert Speer was a good section too, but I had to rush the part b section of it, because I needed to start my Conflict in Europe essay. Ahh, if only I had more time

[bluecarraway]

Omg, just realised i talked about background info for the Personality section

[Dylpickle01]

Time to express my feelings about the trials and tribulations of this years paper.

SECTION 1: I feel like such a potato. I made the single stupidest mistake of my life. I think I put A (hopefully I'm wrong, but I have a feeling that I did) for the first question  . aaaaaaaaaa. Other than that, I felt quite good about the rest of the section and found the source analysis and the 8 marker to be quite forgiving. I will be so so so so so so so so so so mad if I end up losing 1 mark in the paper, and it's only from that stupid mistake.

SECTION 2 (Germany): When I looked at the questions, I was pleasantly surprised. I avoided the b because it said to 1939, and I couldn't be bothered trying to incorporate a range of historical examples, quotes and stats from that large period. A was actually a really nice question. I think my argument, in the very least, was strong and consistent throughout and I managed to embed good detail and examples to support it. I feel good overall with this section, but I feel like I may have goofed up some wording here and there which might degrade the response a little. I guess we'll see in December.

SECTION 3 (Speer): LOL. Part A felt somewhat copy paste from other years, which I was down for. I had just done a very similar question yesterday! I think I wrote too much though (3.5 pages), but my writing was a bit bigger and spaced out for this section than usual. For part B though, I decided to discuss Speer in terms of a change in Nazi racial policy from discrimination to extermination, which allowed me to make some really good criticisms. I was quite happy with this question, I felt like my argument was insightfully critical. Hopefully the markers like it ^.^

SECTION 4 (Indochina): As soon as I saw Geneva, I felt very limited and confined. I immediately went on to option b, which I felt was the better option. I was sorta freaking out by the time I started this essay, I had only 39 minutes or so. I wrote like crazy. My hand is dying now. I think I ended up writing to my 10th page for this section, (like my others), even in a shorter amount of time. I argued that the Nationalism of the Communist North fundamentally shaped their armed and political struggle. It also worsened the state of the US homefront, I explored the implications of their perseverance on the Anti-War movement and how it led to gradual de-escalation. Even though I had less time for it, I felt like this essay ended up pretty good.

OVERALL: I'm so mad about the multiple choice question. But, I am generally quite happy with how I went in the paper and found it to be quite a good, friendly exam. My hand is DEFINITELY sore though, double English then Modern has left my in a wreck lol. I'll persevere though, just like the North did, except I'm fighting for a solid result in the end of the day 

P.S, thanks so much Susie and the ATARNotes fam for their time and efforts ^.^ The revision videos were so helpful, the lecture series, everything. I found it all immensely helpful and I can't express my gratitude adequately (especially atm, my brain is dead from today  )

[jasminesadiqi]

thank you !! and will it really affect my mark that i did not add any historians and their opinons throughout my essays?

[dancing phalanges]

thank you !! and will it really affect my mark that i did not add any historians and their opinons throughout my essays?

For Conflict in the Pacific 150% no! It was hard in itself to find quotes from historians for the Pacific! I had some for other sections but honestly definitely not, more important for this type of question IMO is stats which show how effective x was in bringing about the end of the conflict

[jasminesadiqi]

wait for conflct i didnt even use stats!! HAHAHA i think im going to die but thank you, you made me feel better!! i also couldnt use quotes for my personality (kita ikki) due to time management! i really hope it wont affect my mark..

[dancing phalanges]

wait for conflct i didnt even use stats!! HAHAHA i think im going to die but thank you, you made me feel better!! i also couldnt use quotes for my personality (kita ikki) due to time management! i really hope it wont affect my mark..

haha don't worry too much! I just stress over using stats! As long as you said the reasons and explained why they brought about japanese defeat/were good for the allies you should be ok