Unit 20: Paper 3 (HL) — History of Asia & Oceania
Topic 20.9: Early modernization and imperial decline in East Asia (1860–1912) Questions
Practice 20 exam-style questions for IB History Topic 20.9. Review the question stems below, then unlock the full Question Bank to access markschemes, model answers, and AI grading.
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Which event in Korea provided the immediate spark for the Sino-Japanese War?
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At which battle was China's Beiyang Fleet destroyed by Japan during the Sino-Japanese War?
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Evaluate the impact of the Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895) on Qing China.
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Analyse the significance of Li Hongzhang in the Self-Strengthening Movement and its ultimate failure.
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To what extent was Kang Youwei responsible for the failure of the Hundred Days' Reform of 1898?
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To what extent did the Self-Strengthening Movement and the Hundred Days' Reform differ in their approach to reforming the Qing state?
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To what extent did Japan's rise as an imperial power depend on the weakness of its regional rivals rather than on its own strengths?
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Compare and contrast the methods used by two Asian or Oceanian states, from different regions, to resist or respond to foreign domination in this period.
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Compare and contrast the Self-Strengthening Movement (1861-1894) in Qing China with the Meiji Restoration in Japan as responses to the challenge of Western imperialism.
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Examine the reasons why the Self-Strengthening Movement (1861-1894) failed to transform Qing China into a modern state.
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Discuss the role played by Empress Dowager Cixi in shaping the course of Chinese reform between 1861 and 1898.
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Examine the consequences of the Treaty of Shimonoseki (1895) for China's relations with foreign powers.
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Evaluate the view that the Hundred Days' Reform of 1898 was doomed to fail from the outset.
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Discuss the reasons why Qing China's defeat by Japan in 1894-1895 was such a shock to the Chinese court and reformers.
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Discuss the impact of Meiji economic and social reforms on Japan's development as a modern power.
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Compare and contrast the reasons for Japan's successful modernization after 1868 with the failure of a reform movement of your choice from a different region.
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Evaluate the role of foreign models and foreign pressure in shaping Japan's modernization between 1868 and 1905.
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Evaluate the extent to which the Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War can both be understood as wars fought over Korea.
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Evaluate the significance of the 1889 Meiji Constitution in Japan's political development.
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Analyse the methods used by Japan to establish control over Korea between 1876 and 1910.
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