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A-Level Paper 1, Theme III: Conflict and cooperation in the international order (1945-2000)

What the A-Level syllabus expects for Paper 1, Theme III: Conflict and cooperation in the international order (1945-2000), and how to practise it.

What the syllabus expects

What triggered wars between states, studied through two case conflicts.
Scope: Two case studies: the Arab-Israeli Conflict (1948-1979) alongside the Indo-Pakistani Conflict (1947-1972). Their causes span economic interests, religion, nationalism, sovereignty over territory, concerns about security, and decolonisation.
How the various players shaped the way these inter-state conflicts unfolded.
Scope: combatant states, the Superpowers, the United Nations
How well efforts to contain these inter-state conflicts actually worked.
Scope: diplomacy, peacekeeping
What set off conflicts within states, examined through two further cases.
Scope: Two case studies: the Bosnian War (1992-1995) alongside the Congo Crisis (1960-1965). Their causes take in nationalisms of an ethnic and religious kind, economic interests, and the politics at home.
The parts different actors played in driving these internal conflicts.
Scope: regional organisations working with the United Nations; the major powers together with other external state actors; and actors at home, whether of the state or outside it
How effective the attempts to resolve these internal conflicts proved to be.
Scope: peace processes. Exam note: candidates will not be required to compare the case studies.