| Date | November 2016 | Marks available | 20 | Reference code | 16N.3op2.HL.TZ0.9 |
| Level | Higher level only | Paper | Paper 3 (History of the Americas) | Time zone | TZ0 |
| Command term | Examine | Question number | 9 | Adapted from | N/A |
Question
Examine the long and short-term causes of the Spanish–American War (1898).
Markscheme
Candidates are required to focus their responses on the reasons why war broke out between the US and Spain in 1898. Candidates are likely to address a combination of long- and short-term causes, both of which are equally important in bringing about the war.
Indicative content
Long-term causes
- Cuban demands for independence: the role of Jose Marti and other nationalist leaders in Cuba as well as the role of Cuban nationalists in the US; the results of the Ten Year War (1868–1878); in 1895 fighting between Spain and Cuban nationalists was renewed.
- Spanish policies in Cuba: the appointment of General Weyler as governor; his policies to try to re-establish Spanish control (concentration camps for civilians) and their effect both in Cuba as well as in the US, which increased support for Cuban independence and US intervention.
- US foreign policy shifted from isolation to imperialism, influenced by the Monroe Doctrine and Manifest Destiny.
- The impact of industrial progress in the US led to the search for new sources of raw materials and new markets to growing economic interests in the Caribbean region, including Cuba, where there was a need to protect US investments, which were threatened by the guerrilla methods used by the nationalists.
- The strategic importance of Cuba’s position in relation to the US may be discussed.
Short-term causes (1898)
- The De Lôme letter criticized US President McKinley.
- The sinking of the US battleship Maine in Havana, which had been sent to Cuba to protect US interests, increased war sentiment in the US.
- The role of the US press and Yellow Journalism may be another area for discussion.
- The diplomatic negotiations of April 1898 failed, leading to war.
The above material is an indication of what candidates may elect to write about in their responses. However, the list is not exhaustive and no set answer is required.
Examiners are reminded of the need to apply the markbands that provide the “best fit” to the responses given by candidates and to award credit wherever it is possible to do so.
[20 marks]
Examiners report
[N/A]
