| Date | November 2017 | Marks available | 4 | Reference code | 17N.1.BP.TZ0.02 |
| Level | Both SL and HL | Paper | Paper 1 - first exams 2017 | Time zone | TZ0 |
| Command term | Analyse | Question number | 02 | Adapted from | N/A |
Question
Source C
Jack Weatherford, a professor of anthropology and a specialist in tribal peoples, writing in an academic book, Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World (2004).
[Mongol] tactics seemed to be, at least in part, a combination of older fighting techniques and hunting strategies; yet the consistent inability of the perplexed [confused] enemy to respond effectively to this form of warfare indicated that Temujin [Genghis Khan] had introduced enough innovation to make these strategies uniquely his own. Temujin had produced a new type of steppe army based on a greater variety of tactics and, most important, close cooperation among the men and complete obedience to their commanders. They were no longer an attacking horde of individuals; they were now a united formation. Temujin used a set of manoeuvres that each man had to know and to which each responded precisely and without hesitation. The Mongols had a saying: “If he sends me into fire or water I go. I go for him.” The saying reflected not just an ideal, but the reality of the new Mongol warfare, and it made short order of [rapidly defeated] the Naiman.
[Source: Excerpt(s) from GENGHIS KHAN AND THE MAKING OF THE MODERN WORLD by Jack Weatherford,
copyright © 2004 by Jack Weatherford. Used by permission of Crown Books, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. Any third party use of this material, outside of this publication, is prohibited. Interested parties must apply directly to Penguin Random House LLC for permission.]
With reference to its origin, purpose and content, analyse the value and limitations of Source C for an historian studying Genghis Khan’s [Temujin’s] military campaigns and tactics.
Markscheme
Value:
• The author is a professor of anthropology and tribal peoples and is therefore likely to provide an anthropological, rather than an historical, perspective about Genghis Khan’s organization.
• The book was published in 2004 and is aimed at an academic audience. It is therefore likely to have incorporated latest research and theories.
• The source provides an overview of Genghis Khan’s military tactics.
• The source contextualizes Genghis Khan’s contribution to the modern world.
Limitations:
• The book does not exclusively focus on military history, thus information on Mongol military tactics and strategies might be limited.
• In contrast to the first bullet point of “Value”, some candidates may argue that the author is not an historian but a social anthropologist who specializes in tribal peoples.
The focus of the question is on the value and limitations of the source. If only value or limitations are discussed, award a maximum of [2]. Origins, purpose and content should be used as supporting evidence to make relevant comments on the values and limitations. For [4] there must be at least one reference to each of them in either the values or the limitations.
