Unit 4: Paper 1 — Rights and Protest

Topic 4.2: Apartheid South Africa (1948–1964) Questions

Practice 20 exam-style questions for IB History Topic 4.2. Review the question stems below, then unlock the full Question Bank to access markschemes, model answers, and AI grading.

1Choose1 mark
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Which party won the whites-only South African election of May 1948 and made apartheid official government policy?
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2Choose1 mark
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What was the main aim of the 1952 Defiance Campaign?
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3Choose1 mark
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In which year did the National Party win power and begin passing apartheid laws?
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4Analyse4 marks
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With reference to its origin, purpose and content, analyse the value and limitations of Source D for a historian studying the Sharpeville massacre.
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5Analyse4 marks
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With reference to its origin, purpose and content, analyse the value and limitations of Source A for a historian studying how the National Party government justified apartheid.
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6State3 marks
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According to Source A, state three reasons the government gives to defend its policy of separate development.
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7Examine9 marks
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Using the sources and your own knowledge, examine how far the pass laws were central to the conflict between the government and its opponents between 1948 and 1964.
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8Choose1 mark
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How many people were killed in the Sharpeville massacre of 21 March 1960?
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9Choose1 mark
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According to the petty/grand distinction used by historians, which of the following is an example of PETTY apartheid?
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10Choose1 mark
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What does the name 'Umkhonto we Sizwe', the ANC's armed wing formed in 1961, mean?
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11State3 marks
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According to Source B, state three ways in which apartheid affected the life of Miriam Ndlovu's family.
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12Compare and contrast6 marks
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Compare and contrast what Sources A and B reveal about how South Africa should be governed.
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13Choose1 mark
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In what year did the PAC break away from the ANC?
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14Choose1 mark
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What was the outcome of the Rivonia Trial for Nelson Mandela on 12 June 1964?
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15Identify3 marks
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According to Source B, identify three reasons the government minister gives to defend or explain the events at Sharpeville and the government's response.
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16Choose1 mark
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Which 1950 law classified every person in South Africa into a racial group recorded on a national register?
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17Choose1 mark
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At which 1964 trial was Nelson Mandela sentenced to life imprisonment?
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18State3 marks
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According to Source A, state three things the Defiance Campaign asked its volunteers to do.
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19Choose1 mark
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Which leader is usually called the 'architect of apartheid'?
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20Analyse4 marks
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With reference to its origin, purpose and content, analyse the value and limitations of Source C for a historian studying divisions within the anti-apartheid resistance.
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