Practice Exam Questions

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Paper 3 is an essay paper based on the 12 Asian History topics of which students at Island School study three. The paper consists of two questions for each of the 12 topics. Japan 1912-1990 is one of those topics. Students must answer any three questions. Ideally you should answer one question from each of the three topics you have studied however you are free to answer both questions from a single topic. Paper 3 is 2 hours 30 minutes in duration which leaves about 50 minutes per essay question. The maximum mark for this paper is 45, with a maximum of 15 marks awarded per essay question. Try these exam essay questions from past papers:

May 2019

Evaluate the impact of the First World War on Japan.

"Japan's weakness was the main reason for its defeat in the Pacific War (1941-1945)." Discuss.

Nov 2018	“The increasing influence of the army in the 1920s and 1930s undermined democracy in Japan.” Discuss.	Discuss the reasons, up to 1990, for Japan’s “economic miracle”.
May 2018	Evaluate the impact of the invasions of Manchuria (1931) and China (1937) on Japan's relations with the West.	Discuss the reasons for, and the consequences of, the adoption of the reverse course in Japan to 1952.
Nov 2017	"Taisho democracy (1912-1926) was fragile." Discuss.	To what extent was Japan's military power responsible for its initial success in the Second World War?
​May 2017	Evaluate the impact of the First World War on the rise of militarism and ​nationalism in Japan.	​With reference to the period up to 1990, examine the effects on Japanese society of globalisation.
Nov 2016	To what extent did Japan have a successful democratic parliamentary system of government by 1929?	Discuss the reasons for Japan's changing relations with the West between 1929 and 1940.
​May  ​2016	​Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the Taisho Democracy.	​To what extent did the social and cultural reforms of the US Occupation (1945–1952) transform Japan as a nation?
Spec Paper	Examine the reasons for the collapse of democracy in Japan in the 1930s.	​To what extent was the context of the Cold War responsible for Japan’s “economic miracle” after the Second World War?

Nov 2015	​“The rise of militarism in the 1930s led to the end of democratic government in Japan.” To what extent do you agree with this statement?	​To what extent did the US Occupation reforms transform the political and social structure of Japan up to 1952?
May 2015	“The invasion of Manchuria in 1931 was a turning point in Japanese domestic and foreign affairs.” To what extent do you agree with this statement?	​Examine the reasons why Japan failed to build on its early successes during the Pacific War (1941–1945).
Nov 2014	“In the years following the First World War, Japan became a major power in international relations.” With reference to the period up to 1929, to what extent do you agree with this statement?	​“The invasion of Manchuria undermined the Japanese government both at home and abroad.” With reference to the period up to 1937, to what extent do you agree with this assessment?
May 2014	In what ways, and with what consequences, was Japan humiliated by the policies of the Western powers between 1919 and 1937?	“The primary aim of the US Occupation of Japan between 1945 and 1952 was to turn Japan into a democratic state.” To what extent do you agree with this assertion?
Nov 2013	For what reasons, and with what consequences, did the Taisho democracy fail to solve the problems faced by Japan up to 1931?	To what extent was Japan’s post-war economic success due to the occupation reforms and to what extent was it due to other factors?
May 2013	“The democratic two-party system of government attempted during the Taisho Democracy period did not last because internal and external economic pressures were too great.” To what extent do you agree with this statement about the situation in Japan between 1918 and 1931?	​Why did Japan attack Pearl Harbor in December 1941?
Nov 2012	Analyse the factors that led to the rise of militarism in Japan in the 1930s.	Examine the reasons for Japan’s initial victories and for its eventual defeat in the Pacific War (1941–1945).
May 2012	Evaluate the influence of the army on Japanese politics in the period 1927–1937.	Explain why, and with what success, Japan established the Co-Prosperity Sphere in the region between 1940 and 1945.
Nov 2011	Why did the Japanese “decade of good behaviour” (1921–1931) come to an end?	“The Japanese expected a cruel and harsh occupation but found a benevolent one. They feared vindictive rule but found a constructive one.” How accurate is this assessment of US Occupation between 1945 and 1952?
May 2011	To what extent was Japan a threat to Western interests in the region by 1922?	Assess the effectiveness of the policies implemented by the United States during the Occupation of Japan between 1945 and 1952.​
Nov 2010	Examine the circumstances behind the Japanese decision to enter into the First World War and assess the consequences for Japan and other countries in the region.	Why did Japan fail to establish a democratic system of parliamentary government in the period from 1918 to 1931?
May 2010	Evaluate the claim that the rise of militarism and nationalism in Japan in the early 1930s was essentially a reaction against Western influence and modernization.	Assess the reasons for the breakdown of relations between Japan and the United States in the late 1930s that eventually resulted in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
Nov 2009	Analyse and explain the rise of militarism in Japan during the 1930s.	To what extent did the Manchurian Incident of 1931 reflect a shift in the balance of power in East Asia?
May 2009	Assess the impact of the Great Depression of the 1930s upon Japan and its domestic policies and foreign policy up to 1938.	Analyse the international and domestic factors which caused the Japanese Government to attack Pearl Harbor and targets in South East Asia in December 1941.
Nov 2008	Analyse the reasons for the rise and changing nature of militarism in Japan between 1925 and 1936.	“Japan’s economic success during the 1960s owed more to the United States than to the Japanese themselves.” To what extent do you agree with this statement?
May 2008	Analyse the reasons for Japan’s initial victories and for its eventual defeat in the Pacific War (1941–1945).	Analyse the changes in United States policy towards Japan between 1945 and 1952.
Nov 2007	Analyse the factors that led to the rise of militarism in Japan in the 1930s.	In what ways, and to what extent, did the American alliance promote conservative democracy in Japan up to 1990?
May 2007	In what ways, and to what extent, could the 1920s be regarded as a lost opportunity for democracy in Japan?	Assess the reasons for Japan’s economic recovery and growth in the 1950s and 1960s.
Nov 2006	For what reasons, and with what results, did liberal ideas and values become more widespread in Japan in the 1920s?	To what extent did the allied occupation transform Japanese society between 1945 and 1952?
May 2006	Why did militarism triumph over liberal ideas and values in Japan between 1918 and 1937?	Why did the Japanese Government decide to go to war against the United States and the Western colonial powers in December 1941?
Nov 2005	Analyse the reasons for the rise of militarism in Japan in the 1930s.	How far do you agree that Japan became a major power between 1960 and 1995?
May 2005	Analyse the failure of political parties in Japan in the 1920s to win public respect and support.	The reforms imposed on Japanese society by the American occupation were, in reality, quite limited. How far do you agree with this statement?