# History Grade 12 P1 NSC June 2021 Question Paper (English)

> Grade 12 History Paper 1 question paper from the NSC June Exam 2021 (English), 9 pages. Read online or get the free PDF download, memo linked when available.

- Page: https://www.hlayiso.com/library/history-p1-may-june-2021-eng/0ee202ba-6035-46c9-870f-3c81a1006db8
- Updated: 2026-09-27
- Subject: History
- Grade: Grade 12
- Document type: Question paper
- Year: 2021
- Exam period: NSC June Exam
- Paper: 1
- Curriculum: CAPS
- Pages: 9

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## About this document

History · Grade 12 · NSC June Exam · 2021. Question paper, 9 pages. Read online or download the PDF.

Read it free online on the page above; download the PDF from there.

## Document text

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             SENIOR CERTIFICATE EXAMINATIONS/
         NATIONAL SENIOR CERTIFICATE EXAMINATIONS

                                  HISTORY P1

                                      2021

                                                                     MARKS: 150

                                                                   TIME: 3 hours

       This question paper consists of 9 pages and an addendum of 14 pages.

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History/P1                                     2                                     DBE/2021
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INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION

1.           This question paper consists of SECTION A and SECTION B based on the
             prescribed content framework in the CAPS document.

             SECTION A: SOURCE-BASED QUESTIONS

             QUESTION 1: THE COLD WAR: CONTAINMENT AND BRINKMANSHIP:
                         THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS

             QUESTION 2: INDEPENDENT AFRICA: CASE STUDY – ANGOLA

             QUESTION 3: CIVIL SOCIETY PROTESTS FROM THE 1950s TO THE
                         1970s: THE BLACK POWER MOVEMENT

             SECTION B: ESSAY QUESTIONS

             QUESTION 4: CASE STUDY – CHINA

             QUESTION 5: INDEPENDENT AFRICA: COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY –
                         THE CONGO AND TANZANIA

             QUESTION 6: CIVIL SOCIETY PROTESTS FROM THE 1950s TO THE
                         1970s: THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT

2.           SECTION A consists of THREE source-based questions. Source material that
             is required to answer these questions can be found in the ADDENDUM.

3.           SECTION B consists of THREE essay questions.

4.           Answer THREE questions as follows:

             4.1   At least ONE must be a source-based question and at least ONE must
                   be an essay question.

             4.2   The THIRD question may be either a source-based question or an essay
                   question.

5.           You are advised to spend ONE hour per question.

6.           When answering the questions, you should apply your knowledge, skills and
             insight.

7.           You will be disadvantaged by merely rewriting the sources as answers.

8.           Number the answers correctly according to the numbering system used in this
             question paper.

9.           Write neatly and legibly.

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SECTION A: SOURCE-BASED QUESTIONS

Answer at least ONE question, but not more than TWO questions, in this section.
Source material that is required to answer these questions is contained in the
ADDENDUM.

QUESTION 1:           HOW DID THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA RESPOND TO THE
                      DEPLOYMENT OF SOVIET MISSILES TO CUBA IN 1962?

Study Sources 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D and answer the questions that follow.

1.1    Read Source 1A.

       1.1.1     Why, according to the source, did the American intelligence community
                 become suspicious about events in Cuba?                        (1 x 2)           (2)

       1.1.2     Give the TWO steps in the source that the US government took to
                 check what was taking place in Cuba.                     (2 x 1)                 (2)

       1.1.3     Quote TWO pieces of evidence in the source that suggest the Soviet
                 Union supported Cuba militarily.                           (2 x 1)               (2)

       1.1.4     Explain what Kennedy implied by the statement, 'this country will do
                 whatever must be done to protect its own security and that of its allies'
                 in the context of the deployment of Soviet missiles to Cuba.     (2 x 2)         (4)

       1.1.5     Comment on why Khrushchev continued to deploy missiles to Cuba
                 despite Kennedy's warning.                               (2 x 2)                 (4)

1.2    Use Source 1B.

       1.2.1         Explain the concept quarantine in the context of the Cuban Missile
                     Crisis.                                                    (1 x 2)           (2)

       1.2.2         Why, according to the source, did ExComm find it necessary to put
                     pressure on the Soviet Union to remove the missiles from Cuba?
                                                                                   (2 x 1)        (2)

       1.2.3         Using the information in the source and your own knowledge, explain
                     why Robert McNamara and President Kennedy were determined to
                     avoid military confrontation with the Soviet Union.          (2 x 2)         (4)

1.3    Study Source 1C.

       1.3.1         Explain the messages that are conveyed in the photograph. Use the
                     clues in the source to support your answer.                (2 x 2)           (4)

       1.3.2         Comment on the usefulness of this source to a historian researching
                     the Cuban Missile Crisis.                                    (2 x 2)         (4)

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1.4    Consult Source 1D.

       1.4.1         How, according to the source, did Khrushchev refer to the quarantine
                     that the USA imposed on Soviet ships?                        (1 x 2)        (2)

       1.4.2         Select TWO pieces of evidence in the source that suggest that
                     President Khrushchev disagreed with the quarantine that the USA
                     intended to impose.                                       (2 x 1)           (2)

       1.4.3         Explain what you think Khrushchev implied by the statement, 'we will
                     not remain mere observers of pirate actions by American ships in the
                     open sea', in the context of the Cuban Missile Crisis.       (2 x 2)        (4)

1.5    Refer to Sources 1B and 1D. Explain how the information in Source 1B differs
       from the evidence in Source 1D regarding the USA's decision to impose a
       quarantine on Soviet ships entering Cuba.                            (2 x 2)              (4)

1.6    Using the information in the relevant sources and your own knowledge, write
       a paragraph of about EIGHT lines (about 80 words) explaining how the United
       States of America (USA) responded to the deployment of Soviet missiles to
       Cuba in 1962.                                                                             (8)
                                                                                                 [50]

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QUESTION 2:           HOW DID CUBA SUPPORT THE POPULAR MOVEMENT FOR THE
                      LIBERATION OF ANGOLA (MPLA) DURING THE ANGOLAN CIVIL
                      WAR OF 1975?

Study Sources 2A, 2B, 2C and 2D and answer the questions that follow.

2.1    Study Source 2A.

       2.1.1     Why, according to the source, did Losada want to 'enter' Angola?
                                                                                (1 x 2)          (2)

       2.1.2     State the TWO requests that the MPLA made to Cuba in May 1975, as
                 quoted in the source.                                      (2 x 1)              (2)

       2.1.3     Explain why it was necessary for the Cubans to learn about the terrain
                 in Angola.                                                    (2 x 2)           (4)

       2.1.4     Comment to what extent a historian would regard this source as
                 reliable when researching the reasons for Cuba's involvement in
                 Angola.                                                  (2 x 2)                (4)

2.2    Use Source 2B.

       2.2.1         Identify, in the source, TWO aspects of the training programme that
                     Cuba offered Neto.                                           (2 x 1)        (2)

       2.2.2         Name the TWO Cuban commanders in the source that were
                     responsible for the overall operation in Angola. (2 x 1)                    (2)

       2.2.3         Using the information in the source and your own knowledge, explain
                     why Cuba decided to deploy more soldiers to Cabinda in 1975.
                                                                                  (2 x 2)        (4)

2.3    Refer to Sources 2A and 2B. Explain how the evidence in Source 2B supports
       the information in Source 2A regarding Cuba's involvement in the Angolan Civil
       War.                                                                  (2 x 2)             (4)

2.4    Read Source 2C.

       2.4.1     Explain the concept independence in the context of Angola.        (1 x 2)       (2)

       2.4.2     Why, according to the source, was 'Operation Carlota' launched?
                                                                               (1 x 2)           (2)

       2.4.3     Explain why members of the special battalion 'wore summer clothes,
                 with no military insignia and carried briefcases and regular passports'.
                                                                                  (2 x 2)        (4)

       2.4.4     Identify TWO military items in the source that the special battalion
                 stored in the cargo hold of the plane.                       (2 x 1)            (2)

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2.5    Consult Source 2D.

       2.5.1     Explain why this photograph was taken.                      (2 x 2)        (4)

       2.5.2     Comment on the significance of Agostinho Neto and Fidel Castro in
                 the background of the photograph.                         (2 x 2)          (4)

2.6    Using the information in the relevant sources and your own knowledge, write
       a paragraph of about EIGHT lines (about 80 words) explaining how Cuba
       supported the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) during the
       Angolan Civil War of 1975.                                                           (8)
                                                                                            [50]

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QUESTION 3:          WHAT ROLE DID ELAINE BROWN PLAY IN THE BLACK
                     PANTHER PARTY DURING THE 1960s AND 1970s?

Study Sources 3A, 3B, 3C and 3D and answer the questions that follow.

3.1    Read Source 3A.

       3.1.1     What, according to the source, influenced Elaine Brown's political
                 education?                                                (2 x 1)                (2)

       3.1.2     Quote TWO roles from the source that Elaine Brown played in the
                 Black Panther Party.                                     (2 x 1)                 (2)

       3.1.3     Explain why Elaine Brown's appointment as the first female member of
                 the Black Panther Party's Central Committee was significant.  (1 x 2)            (2)

       3.1.4     Why, according to the source, did Elaine Brown become the leader of
                 the Black Panther Party?                                     (1 x 2)             (2)

3.2    Consult Source 3B.

       3.2.1     Quote TWO sentences from the source that suggest Elaine Brown took
                 her place in African-American history.                      (2 x 1)              (2)

       3.2.2     Explain to what extent historians would regard Elaine Brown's
                 leadership of the Black Panther Party as 'revolutionary'. (2 x 2)                (4)

       3.2.3     Using the information in the source and your own knowledge, explain
                 what Elaine Brown implied by 'I would not allow my leadership to be
                 challenged' in the context of the Black Panther Party.      (2 x 2)              (4)

3.3    Use Source 3C.

       3.3.1     Comment on why this photograph was taken.                         (2 x 2)        (4)

       3.3.2     Explain the significance of the raised clenched fists in the photograph.
                                                                                    (1 x 2)       (2)

3.4    Refer to Sources 3B and 3C. Explain how the information in Source 3B supports
       the evidence in Source 3C regarding Elaine Brown's leadership of the Black
       Panther Party.                                                         (2 x 2)             (4)

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3.5    Study Source 3D.

       3.5.1     What, according to Elaine Brown, 'did it mean to be a Black Panther'?
                                                                                (2 x 1)        (2)

       3.5.2     Identify TWO members of the Black Panther Party in the source that
                 were assassinated in Los Angeles in 1969.                  (2 x 1)            (2)

       3.5.3     Define the concept fascism in your own words.                  (1 x 2)        (2)

       3.5.4     Comment on what Elaine Brown implied by the statement, 'we wanted
                 to be the vanguard (forerunner) for the emancipation (liberation) of
                 African Americans …'                                         (2 x 2)          (4)

       3.5.5     Explain the limitations of this source to a historian researching the
                 challenges that the Black Panther Party faced in the 1960s and 1970s.
                                                                                (2 x 2)        (4)

3.6    Using the information in the relevant sources and your own knowledge, write
       a paragraph of about EIGHT lines (about 80 words) explaining the role that
       Elaine Brown played in the Black Panther Party in the 1960s and 1970s.                  (8)
                                                                                               [50]

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SECTION B: ESSAY QUESTIONS

Answer at least ONE question, but NOT more than TWO questions, in this section.

Your essay should be about THREE pages long.

QUESTION 4:          CASE STUDY – CHINA

Explain to what extent Mao Zedong's policies of the Great Leap Forward and the
Cultural Revolution were successful in increasing the industrial and agricultural
production in the People's Republic of China between 1958 and 1969.

Support your line of argument with relevant evidence.                                         [50]

QUESTION 5:          INDEPENDENT AFRICA: COMPARATIVE                CASE     STUDY     –
                     THE CONGO AND TANZANIA

Mobuto Sese Seko (the Congo) and Julius Nyerere (Tanzania) overcame the political
and economic challenges that their respective countries faced after attaining
independence from colonial rule in the 1960s.

Critically discuss this statement. Support your line of argument with relevant evidence.      [50]

QUESTION 6:          CIVIL SOCIETY PROTESTS FROM              THE    1950s    TO    THE
                     1970s: THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT

American civil rights activists were successful in using various forms of protests to end
discrimination in the United States of America in the 1960s.

Do you agree with this statement? Support your line of argument with relevant
evidence.                                                                                     [50]

                                                                                TOTAL:        150

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