Evaluate the importance of foreign influence to the outcome of two civil wars.

The question requires that candidates make an appraisal of the importance of foreign influence to the outcome of two civil wars that may or may not be chosen from the same region. The importance of aid provided to both sides may be evaluated, as well as the influence of the Non-Intervention Agreement on the outcome of the Spanish Civil War. For the Chinese Civil War, candidates may evaluate the importance of foreign aid, limited or otherwise, from both the US and the USSR. Other appropriate examples would include the involvement of international organizations and/or neighbouring states upon the outcome of the Congo Civil War of 1960–64 or that of 1996–2000. The influence of the US on the outcome of the Nicaraguan Civil War of 1926–27; the 1979 Revolution and/or the subsequent conflict against the Contras may be evaluated. Candidates may consider foreign influence to include the provision of advisors and/or fighting troops; supplies of arms; financial support; political or diplomatic involvement. Candidates’ opinions or conclusions will be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.

The question required candidates to make an appraisal of the importance of foreign influence on the outcome of two civil wars that may or may not be chosen from the same region. A few responses were seen to this question, with the Spanish and Chinese civil wars being the most popular examples chosen. Mostly, content was detailed and relevant with some candidates offering excellent analyses of foreign influence on the outcome of both wars. In some cases, however, especially with regard to the Spanish Civil War, candidates tended to list the quantity of arms etc. provided by Italy and Germany in a descriptive rather than an analytical response and so lost focus on how this contributed to the outcome of the war.