A cause comes before an event and helps bring it about. A consequence comes after the event and follows from it. The same fact can be either, depending on the event you are explaining.
This lesson closes world conflict and occupation. It builds on the order in sequencing the major conflicts.
What is the before-and-after test?
Name the event in the question, then ask two things about each fact. The answers give you the label.
- Did the fact happen before the event, and help bring it about?
- Did the fact happen after the event, because of it?
If the answer to 1 is yes, it is a cause. If the answer to 2 is yes, it is a consequence. If both answers are no, the fact may belong to another question.
Worked example: the Japanese occupation of Malaya
The question is: “Explain the consequences of the Japanese occupation of Malaya.” The facts in your notes are: (a) Japan attacked Malaya and Hawaii on 7 and 8 December 1941 2, (b) Singapore fell on 15 February 1942 4, (c) the Sook Ching executions of people suspected of being anti-Japanese took place 5, (d) the MPAJA was formed 6, (e) the new currency lost its value through hyperinflation 7.
Use the test on the event “occupation”. The attack (a) came before and helped bring it about, so it is a cause, in fact the trigger. The fall of Singapore (b) completed the conquest, so it marks the start. The Sook Ching executions (c), the MPAJA (d) and the collapse of the currency (e) came after and followed from it, so they are consequences.
| Fact | Before or after? | Label for “occupation” |
|---|---|---|
| Attack on Malaya, 7 to 8 December 1941 | before | cause (trigger) |
| Fall of Singapore, 15 February 1942 | at the start | start of the occupation |
| Sook Ching executions | after | consequence |
| MPAJA formed | after | consequence |
| Hyperinflation of the new currency | after | consequence |
Note the role change. Japan’s surrender on 15 August 1945 1 ended the occupation. Change the question to “Explain the causes of the Malayan Union” and the surrender becomes a cause, because the British returned and obtained treaties from the rulers in 1945 3 before the Malayan Union began on 1 April 1946 8.
The mistake of mixing the two
The common slip is to include consequences in an answer about causes. A student writes: “One cause of the occupation was the Sook Ching executions.”
The executions happened after the occupation began, so they cannot have caused it. The fact is correct but it answers a different question. The repair is to name the event first and then run the test on each point.
Check yourself
The question is “Explain the consequences of the Japanese invasion of Malaya.” Sort these: (a) the attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, (b) the fall of Singapore, (c) the new currency lost its value through hyperinflation.
Answer
(a) The attack on Pearl Harbor came at the same time as the attack on Malaya, as part of the wider Pacific offensive, so it is background or a cause, not a consequence 2. (b) The fall of Singapore followed from the invasion, so it is a consequence 4. (c) The collapse of the currency came later, during the occupation, so it is a consequence of the occupation 7.
Final answer for the question: the fall of Singapore and, through the occupation, the collapse of the currency. Use the Pearl Harbor attack only in a sentence about background.
What to study next
Test all four skills on fresh cases in the world conflict and occupation practice set. If you mix up order as well, revisit sequencing the major conflicts.
For a teacher to check your labels on your own notes, see online one-to-one Sejarah tuition.