Discuss the reasons for the rise and collapse of the United Arab Republic (UAR).

The question requires that candidates offer a considered and balanced review of the reasons for the rise and collapse of the United Arab Republic. Candidates may offer equal coverage of the reasons for the rise and the collapse or they may prioritize their discussion of one of them. However, both aspects will be a feature of the response. Reasons for the rise of the UAR may include the popularity of Nasser and Pan-Arabism, Syrian fear of US influence led them to ally with Nasser. Reasons for collapse may refer to the social and cultural differences between Egyptians and Syrians, Syrian resentment of Egyptian domination of government and imposition of Egyptian economic policies. Other relevant factors may be addressed, for example, the actions of other Middle Eastern states and leaders. Candidates’ opinions and conclusions must be well presented and supported by relevant evidence.

The question required that candidates offer a considered and balanced review of the reasons for the rise and collapse of the United Arab Republic (UAR). This question was popular but not answered well. The majority of candidates had no knowledge of what the UAR was, when and how it was founded or when and why it collapsed. Many discussed Pan-Arabism but never addressed the UAR as such and few were aware of the Syrian presence and the reasons for their departure from the organization. This was a clear case for many candidates of poor knowledge and a lack of preparation for a question on this topic.