Letters | China and Japan in 1900-1945: war of words over DSE history exam question brings politics into the classroom
- Question under debate tests essential ability to remain impartial and assess historical sources
- Well-prepared candidates should be able to rely on their own knowledge and offer substantive counter-arguments in reply
However, they may have failed to read the question carefully, and ignored the crucial phrases “in the period 1900-45” and “with reference to Sources C and D and using your own knowledge”.
According to the question, candidates should refer to both sources in their answers, but reference does not mean agreement. There is no indication candidates should base their conclusion entirely on the sources, nor should they. The question is not a reading comprehension exercise. A well-read candidate, cognisant of what Japan did to China in the first half of the 20th century, could point out the limitations of the two sources, which only concerned the first third of the said period, use his or her own knowledge of Japan’s invasion in the later part of the period to provide a counter-argument with substance, and score well.
A simple answer may be along the lines of “Japan's assistance to China in the early 20th century cannot by any measure compensate for the widespread destruction and loss of incalculable lives during Japan’s invasion”. In contrast, an ill-prepared student who got “misled” by the two sources and focused only on the “good” Japan did while turning a blind eye to its harm would justifiably receive a low score.