Britain, Japan and the United States all had interests in the Asia-Pacific.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2024). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [1] Relations were not good because of Japanese expansion.
2. [1] Japan lacked oil and other natural resources.
3. [1] The US wanted an 'Open Door' policy towards China.
4. [1] Japan invaded Manchuria.
5. [1] The US wanted to protect its imports of oil and rubber from Southeast Asia.
6. [1] The US announced it would stop selling Japan materials that could be used for war.
7. [1] In 1940 an expansionist government came to power.
8. [1] Japan demanded Britain close the Burma Road.
9. [1] The US banned export of metal and oil to Japan.
10. [1] The US began supporting the Chinese against the Japanese.
11. [1] Japan invaded Indochina.
12. [1] The US took control of Japanese money in the US and closed the Panama Canal to Japanese ships.
13. [1] Talks between the US and Japan failed.
14. [6] (Level 4) The British were not ready for an attack and they did not seem to expect an attack on the Malay Peninsula itself. Coordination between the ground troops and the Royal Air Force was poor. The ground troops were not trained or equipped properly, nor did the officers show interest in how to fight jungle warfare. They simply did not think a rapid Japanese advance through the jungle was possible.
15. [5] (Level 3) The British defeat in Malaya stemmed from unpreparedness and underestimation of Japanese capabilities; they did not anticipate an attack on the peninsula itself, lacked proper training and equipment for jungle warfare, and suffered from poor coordination between ground and air forces.
16. [1] (Level 2) Japan sent their best generals and troops to Malaya.
17. [1] (Level 2) The sinking of the Prince of Wales and Repulse.
18. [1] (Level 2) The Japanese moved so quickly by using bicycles.
19. [1] (Level 2) They used collapsible boats to outflank the British.
20. [1] (Level 2) The British defences/troops were unprepared.
21. [1] (Level 2) The Japanese had more military strength – over 200 tanks and 600 aircraft.
22. [1] (Level 2) The British had ignored warnings that an attack might come at Songkhla and Kota Bharu.
23. [1] (Level 2) The British depended on an early warning of an attack and US help – neither happened.
24. [1] (Level 2) The British assumed fast progress through the jungle was not possible.
25. [1] (Level 2) Singapore's guns were not effective against infantry targets.
26. [1] (Level 2) There was a lack of air cover for the British.
27. [1] (Level 1) The British were defeated in Malaya. This was an unexpected and bitter blow. They had certainly not expected Singapore to fall so quickly.
28. [10] (Level 5) Although the attack was a great success on the day with many US ships and planes destroyed, it was a short-term success. It was a strategic disaster for Japan. Japan had started on its expansion without much opposition, but Pearl Harbor led to it being faced with a long war against the US. It was never going to win against American military might and to encourage such a war was a big mistake. In the end, the attack was a big miscalculation by Japan.
29. [6] (Level 3) The attack was a success. The Japanese caught the Americans completely by surprise and their planes were able to destroy or damage 20 US warships and over 300 airplanes. Many Americans were also killed. This was a great victory for the Japanese and a big blow to the Americans. Much of the Pacific Fleet had been destroyed and it showed American incompetence in terms of not planning for such an attack. It also gave Japan a head start in the Pacific War and until mid-1942 the Japanese won every major battle.
30. [6] (Level 3) It was a long-term disaster for Japan. The attack badly misfired because the Japanese had wanted to pressurise the Americans into lifting economic sanctions, but it had the opposite effect – the US declared war on Japan. This meant that Japan now had an enormous military enemy in the way of its planned expansion. It also had to fight Britain and the US at the same time. Finally, rather than damage American morale, it put the Americans behind the US war effort, determined for revenge.
31. [1] (Level 2) Large parts of the US fleet were destroyed.
32. [1] (Level 2) Many US airplanes were destroyed.
33. [1] (Level 2) It was a big propaganda victory for the Japanese.
34. [1] (Level 2) It showed the US was not ready for such an attack.
35. [1] (Level 2) The US aircraft carriers were not at Pearl Harbor.
36. [1] (Level 2) Important parts of the base were not destroyed such as oil depots and shipyards.
37. [1] (Level 2) The US declared war on Japan.
38. [1] (Level 2) It gave the US a chance to rebuild its fleet.
39. [1] (Level 2) The attack united the US behind war.
40. [1] (Level 2) It meant that Japan had to fight both Britain and the US.
41. [1] (Level 1) The attack on Pearl Harbor was in many ways a success. Waves of Japanese aircraft attacked Pearl Harbor. This was what Japan wanted to do because it was angered by many American actions.