OCR · GCSE · History

    Course version: J410 · Version from Mar 2026

    The changing international order 1918–1975 - Cold War confrontations and…

    Full specification wording

    International Relations: the changing international order 1918–1975 - Cold War confrontations and conflict 1954–1975: The end of the war and its impact on international relations.

    This bullet sits in the Vietnam War strand of the Cold War confrontations section, so 'the war' means the Vietnam War and 'the end' means its closing phase.

    Checked against the OCR J410 specification (opens in a new tab) on .

    • Point 6 of 6
    • 4 key terms

    Study notes

    From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.

    The idea

    This bullet sits in the Vietnam War strand of the Cold War confrontations section, so 'the war' means the Vietnam War and 'the end' means its closing phase. Teach learners to trace the sequence with named agents: Nixon's administration pursued 'Vietnamisation' and widened bombing into Cambodia; the Paris Peace Accords of January 1973 were signed by the United States, North Vietnam, South Vietnam and the Viet Cong, after which US combat forces withdrew; North Vietnamese forces took Saigon in April 1975 and South Vietnam fell. Then assess impact on international relations: détente between the superpowers continued alongside the collapse of a US-backed state, Congress limited further US military action, and regional neighbours in South-East Asia faced a changed balance of power.

    What earns the marks

    • Identifies the war as the Vietnam War and places its ending in the 1954–1975 period of the section.
    • Names the January 1973 Paris Peace Accords and the withdrawal of US combat forces that followed them.
    • States that North Vietnamese forces captured Saigon in 1975 and that South Vietnam fell.
    • Explains an impact on international relations, such as the effect on US credibility, on détente or on the regional balance in South-East Asia.

    Common mistakes and how to put them right

    • Treats 'the war' as an unnamed generic conflict.

      Put it right: Name the Vietnam War and its closing events.

    • Dates the US withdrawal and the fall of Saigon as the same event.

      Put it right: Separate the 1973 accords and withdrawal from the 1975 fall of Saigon.

    • Describes only events inside Vietnam and ignores the impact on international relations.

      Put it right: Add a consequence for superpower or regional relations.

    Exam tips

    • Read the stem for the date range 1954–1975 and reject options set outside it.
    • Link each option to a named agent, such as Nixon's administration or North Vietnamese forces, to test whether it is accurate.
    • When two options both sound plausible, choose the one that addresses impact on international relations rather than only military detail.

    Try the lesson

    The start of the International Relations: the changing international order 1918–1975 - Cold War confrontations and conflict 1954–1975: The end of the war and its impact on international relations. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.

    Have a go first

    What was the name of the American programme that gave economic aid to help rebuild Western Europe after 1945?

    Listen

    This bullet sits in the Vietnam War strand of the Cold War confrontations section, so 'the war' means the Vietnam War and 'the end' means its closing phase. Teach learners to trace the sequence with named agents: Nixon's administration pursued 'Vietnamisation' and widened bombing into Cambodia; the Paris Peace Accords of January 1973 were signed by the United States, North Vietnam, South Vietnam and the Viet Cong, after which US combat forces withdrew; North Vietnamese forces took Saigon in April 1975 and South Vietnam fell. Then assess impact on international relations: détente between the superpowers continued alongside the collapse of a US-backed state, Congress limited further US military action, and regional neighbours in South-East Asia faced a changed balance of power. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Identifies the war as the Vietnam War and places its ending in the 1954–1975 period of the section. Names the January 1973 Paris Peace Accords and the withdrawal of US combat forces that followed them. States that North Vietnamese forces captured Saigon in 1975 and that South Vietnam fell. Explains an impact on international relations, such as the effect on US credibility, on détente or on the regional balance in South-East Asia. Exam tip: Read the stem for the date range 1954–1975 and reject options set outside it.

    See it

    A vertical flowchart with six boxes linked by arrows. The first box reads: Nixon's administration: Vietnamisation and widened bombing into Cambodia. An arrow leads to the second box: Paris Peace Accords, January 1973: signed by the United States, North Vietnam, South Vietnam and the Viet Cong. An arrow leads to the third box: US combat forces withdrew. An arrow leads to the fourth box: North Vietnamese forces took Saigon, April 1975. An arrow leads to the fifth box: South Vietnam fell. An arrow leads to the sixth box: Impact on international relations: détente continued, Congress limited further US military action, changed regional balance of power in South-East Asia.
    It shows the sequence from Nixon's Vietnamisation through the January 1973 Paris Peace Accords and US withdrawal to the fall of Saigon in 1975, and the impact on international relations.

    Put it in order

    Put these steps in the order they happen.

    1. 1. US combat forces withdrew
    2. 2. Paris Peace Accords, January 1973: signed by the United States, North Vietnam, South Vietnam and the Viet Cong
    3. 3. Nixon's administration: Vietnamisation and widened bombing into Cambodia
    4. 4. Impact on international relations: détente continued, Congress limited further US military action, changed regional balance of power in South-East Asia
    5. 5. South Vietnam fell
    6. 6. North Vietnamese forces took Saigon, April 1975

    Key words

    Say what each word means before you turn the card.

    Ending of the Vietnam War

    Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.

    Paris Peace Accords 1973

    Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.

    Fall of Saigon 1975

    Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.

    Impact on superpower and regional relations

    Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.

    See every definition
    Ending of the Vietnam War
    The closing phase of the Vietnam War, in which US combat forces withdrew after the Paris Peace Accords and North Vietnamese forces took Saigon.
    Paris Peace Accords 1973
    Agreement of January 1973 signed by the United States, North Vietnam, South Vietnam and the Viet Cong, after which US combat forces withdrew.
    Fall of Saigon 1975
    North Vietnamese forces took Saigon in April 1975 and South Vietnam fell.
    Impact on superpower and regional relations
    Détente between the superpowers continued alongside the collapse of a US-backed state, Congress limited further US military action, and regional neighbours in South-East Asia faced a changed balance of power.

    Label the diagram

    Some boxes have lost their names. Pick the right name for each number.

    The diagram again, with 3 boxes numbered instead of named. A vertical flowchart with six boxes linked by arrows. The first box reads: Nixon's administration: Vietnamisation and widened bombing into Cambodia. An arrow leads to the second box: Paris Peace Accords, January 1973: signed by the United States, North Vietnam, South Vietnam and the Viet Cong. An arrow leads to the third box: US combat forces withdrew. An arrow leads to the fourth box: North Vietnamese forces took Saigon, April 1975. An arrow leads to the fifth box: South Vietnam fell. An arrow leads to the sixth box: Impact on international relations: détente continued, Congress limited further US military action, changed regional balance of power in South-East Asia.

    • 1Box 1

    • 2Box 2

    • 3Box 3

    0 of 3 labelled

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