Discuss the successes and failures of peacemaking after two wars.

The question requires that candidates offer a considered and balanced review of the successes and failures of peacemaking. The two wars may or may not be from the same region. Successes and failures may extend beyond the timeframe but they must be clearly linked to the issues raised in the question. Candidates may offer equal coverage of successes and failures, or they may prioritize their discussion of one of them. However, both aspects will be a feature of the response. Successes could include the establishment of peaceful relations between native American tribes and the French by the Great Peace of Montreal (1701) and the lasting peace between Russia and China achieved by the Treaty of Nerchinsk (1689). In contrast, the unequal Burmese–Siamese Treaty (1549) proved to be only a temporary halt to hostilities, which lasted intermittently for 300 years. There may be discussion of the great European treaties of the period, Cateau-Cambresis (1559) and Utrecht (1713), whose successes and failures could, perhaps, best be judged through the eyes of the protagonists. Candidates’ opinions or conclusions will be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.

The question required that candidates offer a considered and balanced review of the successes and failures of peacemaking. Some very good responses were seen that demonstrated a sound knowledge of appropriate treaties contrasting those that resulted in a short-lived cessation of hostilities with those that led to a longer period of sustained peace.