The USA had an interventionist foreign policy in the 1950s and 1960s.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2021). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [1-4] e.g. 'They used guerrilla warfare.'
2. [1-4] 'They won the support of the Vietnamese peasants.'
3. [1-4] 'The peasants gave them food and hid them.'
4. [1-4] 'They hid in villages and often pretended to be peasants.'
5. [1-4] 'They used booby traps and ambushes.'
6. [1-4] 'They retreated when the Americans attacked so that the Americans could not fight a proper battle.'
7. [1-4] 'They kept on the move.'
8. [1-4] 'They used networks of tunnels for escape and surprise attacks.'
9. [1-4] 'They worked in small cells.'
10. [1-4] 'They did not wear uniforms.'
11. [1-4] 'They raided enemy camps.'
12. [1-4] 'They used hit and run tactics.'
13. [1-4] 'They used the Ho Chi Minh Trail for supplies.'
14. [1-4] 'They had no known base.'
15. [4-5] e.g. 'This was important for the USA because of the impact it had in the USA. Tet was a massive attack by North Vietnamese forces across South Vietnam in 1968. Although it was a military defeat for North Vietnam, it caused a big shock. The Americans had been told that North Vietnam was weak and not capable of launching large attacks. Tet showed this was wrong and support for the war in the US declined and opposition to it grew.'
16. [2-3] e.g. 'This was because lots of cities and US bases in South Vietnam were attacked.'
17. [2-3] 'It helped towards the US seeking negotiations with North Vietnam.'
18. [2-3] 'It increased opposition to the war in the USA.'
19. [2-3] 'The US government was not able to persuade the American people that it was a major defeat for North Vietnam.'
20. [2-3] 'It showed the American people that North Vietnam was far from being defeated and that the war was not nearly over.'
21. [2-3] 'The US had high casualties during the Offensive.'
22. [2-3] 'Extensive coverage on TV convinced US that the war was unwinnable.'
23. [2-3] 'There were questions in the US over the cost of the war.'
24. [2-3] 'There were questions in the US over the tactics used.'
25. [2-3] 'It was questioned in the US how the V.C. were able to launch a major attack and take the US by surprise.'
26. [4-6] e.g. 'I think the USA's involvement in the Cuban Missile Crisis was far more important. This is because Cuba was a communist country off the coast of the USA and so the missiles there were a real threat to America. The missiles could reach major cities all over the country. It was the USSR that had put the missiles there and the USSR was America's biggest rival at the time. The USA could not afford to be the loser in this crisis.'
27. [4-6] OR e.g. 'The Korean War was more important for the USA. It was a major effort to stop the spread of communism. Troops from the communist North Korea invaded South Korea and were supported by both China and the USSR. There was a real danger that South Korea would fall to the communists. This would have been an important step in spreading communism to other countries in South East Asia. The Americans believed in the domino theory – that if one country fell to communism, then neighbouring countries would fall. It was also the first military action of the Cold War and so the USA could not afford to lose it. The USA managed to protect South Korea in the Korean War and this stopped the spread of communism in the region.'
28. [2-3] e.g. 'The Korean War stopped the spread of communism into South Korea and other parts of South East Asia.'
29. [2-3] 'The Korean War was the first big conflict of the Cold War and so the USA could not afford to lose it.'
30. [2-3] 'Korea showed that the US and the UN could work together.'
31. [2-3] 'Korea remained separated.'
32. [2-3] 'The Korean War had high casualty figures.'
33. [2-3] 'The missiles in Cuba threatened every major city in the USA.'
34. [2-3] 'If Soviet missiles had stayed in Cuba, the USA would never have been safe.'
35. [2-3] 'The USA could not afford to back down to the USSR, its biggest rival.'
36. [2-3] 'The Cuban Crisis enhanced the reputation of Kennedy.'
37. [2-3] 'Cuba was important because it was solved without direct warfare.'
38. [2-3] 'Cuba led to improved relations with the Hotline.'
39. [2-3] 'Cuba was still communist.'
40. [2-3] 'The USA had to remove missiles from Turkey.'