GCSE HISTORY GERMANY 1918--1939 REVISION1939 REVISION

© Miss L Newman, Brighouse High School, 2017

1

GCSE HISTORY GERMANY 1918GCSE HISTORY GERMANY 1918--1939 REVISION1939 REVISION

CONTENTS....There are 4 sections to this booklet.

1918 1929 1933 1934 1939

1 The rise and fall of the Weimar Republic

2 The rise to power of Hitler and the Nazis

3 Hitler overcomes

his opposition

4 The Nazi dictatorship

1 The rise and fall of the Weimar Republic 19181 The rise and fall of the Weimar Republic 1918--3333

This awesome booklet has been designed to help you get exam-ready. It contains the ‘essential’, need-to-know points for the Germany unit, plus useful

revision boosters and guidance on answering exam questions. Remember, getting your exam technique sorted is a must if you’re going to succeed in the

exam - it’s just as important as knowing your stuff!

Introduction If, just for fun, we were to make a graph showing the fortunes of the Weimar Republic,

it would probably look like this…. Phase A 1918-23: The WR suffers from a few major

teething problems, and struggles to survive.

Phase B 1924-28: ‘The Golden Twenties’. Things are

on the up for the WR, as it recovers from its earlier

problems. But beneath the surface, there are still

weaknesses.

Phase C 1929-1933: With the Wall St. Crash and the

Great Depression, the WR comes ‘crashing’ down!

A B C

Of course, during each phase, the Nazis were experiencing their own political rollercoaster ride. Broadly speaking, whenever the WR was enjoying success, the Nazis were not, and vice versa. More about that later.

What was the Weimar Republic and why was it set up?

A lot of students struggle to get to grips with this, but it’s really very simple! The Weimar Republic is the name of a new government that was set up in 1918 to rule Germany. Before 1918, Germany had been a monarchy. The ruling monarch was

the Kaiser - Kaiser Wilhelm II. In 1918, there was a revolution in Germany, and the Kaiser abdicated.

Ka

iser Wilh

elm II

One shall get

one’s servant

to get one’s

coat….

What role did Germany’s defeat in WW1 play in all this?

It was Germany’s defeat in WW1 which pushed the Kaiser to abdicate. By the early autumn of 1918, after four years of warfare, it was clear that Germany had to surrender.

The Allies said that they would not accept Germany’s surrender unless the Kaiser (who they blamed for starting the war) went. Chaos ensued. Armed soldiers and factory workers took control of many German cities. They wanted

the Kaiser to go. Reluctantly, the Kaiser was persuaded by his military advisers to abdicate. Overnight, Germany went from being a monarchy to a republic.


2

A constitution is a list of rules setting out how a government should work. The new Weimar Constitution was completed in August 1919. At the time, it made Germany the most democratic country in Europe (yes, even more so than Britain!) However, the German people were not used to democracy. For many years beforehand, Germany had been ruled as a autocracy. Now, all of a sudden, the people were to be given a say in the running of the country. Would they be able to handle this power responsibly? The Weimar Constitution contained many flaws. When things didn’t go well for the Weimar Republic, its politicians were blamed for creating a weak system of government. The diagram below shows the constitution and its key weaknesses.

Why was Germany difficult to govern during the years 1920Why was Germany difficult to govern during the years 1920--22?22?

DIFFICULTY 1: Drawing up a workable constitution

Article 48 was

a rule which

said that in a

national

emergency,

the President

could make

any law he

wanted

without having

to go through

the

Reichstag.

Perplexed by PR? Don’t

worry. Understanding it

won’t help your grade go up,

and not getting it won’t

make your grade go down. If

you do get it, it’ll help

improve your understanding

of why Hitler was able to get

power in 1933.


3

DIFFICULTY 2: Signing the armistice and the Treaty of Versailles, 1918-19

On 11 November 1918, when he had just taken power, Chancellor Ebert of the Social Democrats signed the armistice. The armistice brought an end to WW1 as both sides agreed to lay down their weapons and stop fighting. This meant that Germany had surrendered to the Allies. When the peace talks started, Germany wasn’t even allowed in! The Allies didn’t hold back in making sure that Germany was well and truly punished in the ‘peace’ treaty to end WW1 (and start WW2!) - the Treaty of Versailles. Ebert had no choice but to sign it. There was no way Germany could return to war and win. The treaty was so humiliating for Germany that it was called the “shameful diktat ” by the press (it was if it had been dictated upon Germany). What were the terms (punishments) of the Treaty?

A German cartoon showing the Big Three—President Wilson (USA),

Clemenceau (France) & Lloyd George (Britain) guillotining the

helpless figure of Germany Key terms of the Treaty of Versailles, 1919

Term/punishment How it affected Germany

L Germany lost 13% of its LAND. Alsace Lorraine, rich in iron ore,

was given back to France (G. had won it from F. in a war in 1871).

Germany also lost the coal rich Saarland to the League of

Nations, who were to run it for 15 years. Also, France were

allowed to take coal from the Saarland. Although Germany didn’t

lose the Rhineland, it was demilitarised (Germany wasn’t allowed

to put any troops or military equipment in the Rhineland).

Germany’s economy depended on the money it earned from

exporting coal and other natural resources. With less agricultural

land, it would have to increase food imports. This would place a

strain on the economy and make it tougher to pay reparations.

A Germany’s ARMY was reduced to a maximum of 100,000 soldiers.

It wasn’t allowed to have an air force, nor any tanks or

submarines. The aim was to limit Germany’s ability to wage war

again.

This was particularly shameful for Germany, which had always

been especially proud of its military. It strengthened the feeling

that many Germans had had before the war—that Germany was

encircled by its enemies. Now, it was unable to defend itself.

G Germany was forced to accept the War GUILT Clause. This stated

that G was to blame for starting the war. G was made an outcast

in Europe, and denied entry to the League of Nations.

This term held up the rest of Treaty—by making Germany admit

guilt, the other punishments could be enforced. The War Guilt

Clause was the most humiliating of the terms. Germany felt that

countries should share the blame for starting the war.

E Germany lost its EMPIRE. All of its colonies were handed over to

the Allies.

This resulted in a further loss of international status for Germany.

It would also deprive Germany of markets and raw materials.

R Germany had to pay the Allies £6.6 billion in REPARATIONS

(compensation). This money would help the Allies repair any

damage caused by the war, and stop G from going to war again.

At the time, this was a huge amount of money. It would take

Germany until the 1980s to pay it off. In 1923, reparations

indirectly caused 2 crises for the Weimar Republic—the

occupation of the Ruhr and hyperinflation (see later pages).

How else did the armistice & Treaty of Versailles affect Germany in the years 1919-23?

The November Criminals: Right wingers

such as the Nazi and Freikorps labelled the politicians who’d signed the armistice the

‘November Criminals’. It was said that they’d let

Germany down by signing it.

The Stab In The Back Myth: This

myth said that the politicians of the Weimar Republic had ‘stabbed the German army in the back’ by signing the armistice & TOV. It didn’t help that it wasn’t public knowledge that the Allies threatened to restart the war if Germany refused to sign the TOV.

The Kapp Putsch 1920 & the Munich Putsch 1923: partly because of

the TOV & the SITB myth, both the Freikorps and the

Nazis attempted to take over the government (see later pages). The crises of 1923:

The terms of the Treaty of Versailles indirectly led to the occupation of the Ruhr and hyperinflation in 1923 (see later pages).


4

DIFFICULTY 3: Opposition to the Weimar Republic

from the political left and right

Although the Social Democrats were in power, were they really in control? Between 1918 and 1923, the Weimar Republic faced constant threats from both left and right—from groups who didn’t support Germany’s new government. It seemed that the WR could not win. Its politicians were criticised for signing the armistice, accepting the TOV and then introducing high taxes for the better off in order to meet the Allied reparations. How serious were these threats?

The Freikorps during the Kapp Putsch. They

are waving the flag that Germany used when

it was ruled by the Kaisers.

Rev

isio

n b

oo

ster

! If

th

e to

pic

of

left

If

th

e to

pic

of

left

and

rig

ht

win

g u

pri

sin

gs c

om

es u

p in

an

d r

igh

t w

ing

up

risi

ngs

co

mes

up

in

exam

Qs,

th

en t

he

focu

s te

nd

s to

be

on

ho

w t

he

up

risi

ngs

ex

am Q

s, t

hen

th

e fo

cus

ten

ds

to b

e o

n h

ow

th

e u

pri

sin

gs

mad

e G

erm

any

diffi

cult

to

go

vern

, or

ho

w s

erio

us

a m

ade

Ger

man

y d

ifficu

lt t

o g

ove

rn, o

r h

ow

ser

iou

s a

thre

at t

hey

pre

sen

ted

. Tr

y gi

vin

g ea

ch o

ne

a sc

ore

ou

t o

f th

reat

th

ey p

rese

nte

d.

Try

givi

ng

each

on

e a

sco

re o

ut

of

55, t

hen

listi

ng

, th

en li

stin

g 33

rea

son

s to

justi

fy e

ach

of

you

r sc

ore

s.re

aso

ns

to ju

stify

eac

h o

f yo

ur

sco

res.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Bundesarchiv_Bild_146-1971-091-20%2C_Kapp-Putsch%2C_Marine-Brigade_Erhardt.jpg


5

So, how serious a threat to the Weimar Republic did left and right wing uprisings present?

All 3 uprisings were relatively simple for the Weimar Republic to defeat, showing there was some support for the WR (especially when the workers went on strike to defeat the Kapp Putsch)…..

BUT they revealed a fundamental weakness. Whilst 10 left-wingers were sentenced to death for their part in uprisings, no right -wingers were. The leaders of the Kapp Putsch went unpunished. Since the Freikorps had the army’s support, Ebert could do nothing. This, coupled with the fact that the WR had relied so heavily on the Freikorps to crush left wing uprisings, showed how dependent the WR was on the right-wing’s goodwill for its continued existence. Similarly, at Hitler’s trial in 1923, right-wing judges only sentenced him to five years imprisonment (and he only served 9 months!)

Important Exam stuff!

Explain why there was opposition in Germany to the Treaty of Versailles (1919).

You may use the following in your answer:

military terms

territorial terms

You must also use information of your own. (12 marks)

Here’s a sample paragraph explaining one reason (which isn’t one of the bullet points!)

One reason why the Treaty of Versailles caused opposition was because it was viewed as a diktat. This was because the Germans had been forced into signing the Treaty by the Allies, who threatened to resume the war if they refused. Many Germans felt this was unfair because they had not had a chance to negotiate the terms. Furthermore, Germany was forced to accept the war guilt clause, known as article 231. This stated that the war was all Germany’s fault. This

infuriated Germany because other countries had not shared responsibility for starting the war. Ultimately, this led to the Stab In the Back Myth. This was a rumour that the

army had been stabbed in the back by the politicians – the ‘November Criminals’ – who had signed the armistice and then the treaty. This caused opposition because it created a divide between Germany’s government and its citizens, making people feel that their government had betrayed them.

For an explain why question, you need to try to explain three

reasons. Try to start each reason with a clear

statement, then develop it with factual knowledge.

This answer is on track to reach a grade 7 or 8 (obviously, it would need to be finished by adding two

more paragraphs!) What makes the paragraph above a successful one?

It starts by identifying a clear, relevant reason (shown in bold)

It contains well selected, precise, factual knowledge, using specialist language

It links back to the question at the end (showing analysis), explaining why the reason led to opposition

Throughout the answer there are regular links back to the question (underlined). Along with the use of precise knowledge, this ensures the answer reaches grade 7 or 8 standard. Basically, it uses the word BECAUSE a lot!

7

At the end of each paragraph, make sure you link back to the

reason you identified at the start of that paragraph. Explain why the

reason led to opposition to the TOV. You cannot reach above a

grade 4 without doing this!

In the Q, you are given two bullet points (reasons) to write about. To reach above a grade

5 you need to add a third relevant reason of your own. If you don’t like the bullet points, you don’t have to use them, as long as you write about three

relevant reasons.

The best revision activity you can do now is to plan, or maybe even write, the other two paragraphs which make up an answer to this question. Remember, use the bullet points in the question, since the sample paragraph above meets the ‘information of your own’ requirement.


6

What were the crises of 1923?What were the crises of 1923?

CRISIS 1; The Occupation of the Ruhr

In 1923, Germany fell behind in its reparations payments.

The French were determined to make Germany pay up. Under the TOV, the French were allowed to invade Germany and seize raw materials as payment—if the Germans didn’t pay up (like bailiffs!)

So, in Jan 1923, this is what the French did. They marched into the Ruhr, Germany’s most important industrial region (see green area on map), and occupied it. They wanted to take Germany’s coal.

The Germans in the Ruhr responded with passive resistance. This meant refusing to work— the miners were on strike. The idea was that if no coal was being mined, the French couldn’t take it.

What problems were caused by the occupation of the Ruhr?

1 There was violence between French troops and German strikers. Over 140 Germans were killed in clashes with French troops. This stirred up old hatred and reminded people of the war. The right-wing (eg. Nazis) pointed to the French occupation as another weakness of the Weimar Republic. 2 The economy was further disrupted. The government had to pay the strikers to keep them on strike. But with no coal being mined and exported, the government didn’t have the money. So it printed money. This caused the value of the German mark to rapidly fall, and prices of ordinary goods to rapidly rise. This is called hyperinflation.

CRISIS 2: Hyperinflation How did it affect different people in different ways?

Workers were OK at first. Unemployment benefit rose, and those employed received higher and higher wages;

Rich businessmen, at first, could take over smaller companies which were going bankrupt;

Those who had debts could pay the money back at a fraction of the real cost;

The rich had land, possessions and foreign currency. Possessions could be bartered (swapped) for food and other essentials;

In the end, normal business and trade became impossible – businesses went bankrupt, causing much unemployment;

Old people living on fixed pensions/savings soon found these were worthless;

The middle classes saw their savings and small businesses destroyed—they were the biggest losers during hyperinflation.

A left-wing German cartoon from

1923. The caption reads ‘Bread!

Bread!’

Important Exam stuff! Explain why Explain why the Treaty of Versailles caused difficulties for Germany during the years 1920 to 1923.the Treaty of Versailles caused difficulties for Germany during the years 1920 to 1923. (12 marks)(12 marks)

You will be given two bullet points to write about. To reach above a grade 5, you will also

need to write about a third relevant reason of your own choice.

To get beyond a grade 4, you will need to link your points clearly to the Q. This means

making sure you talk about the impact of the terms of the TOV. In other words, don’t just

write about the terms of the treaty, like reparations. Explain why those reparations had a

wider impact upon Germany. Eg. you could explain that reparations led to the occupation of

the Ruhr (reason 1), which then led to hyperinflation (reason 2). Military terms & territorial

losses also lost support for the Republic, leading to the Kapp Putsch & Munich Putsch.


7

Explain why Germany was difficult to govern in the years 1918–23. You may use the following in your answer: • left

wing and right wing uprisings • the occupation of the Ruhr. You must also use information of your own. (12 marks)

Exam stuff!

Here’s a full mark, grade 8 answer:

One reason why Germany was difficult to govern was because of left wing and right wing uprisings. Though neither the Spartacist Rising nor the Kapp Putsch succeeded in overthrowing the Weimar Republic, both showed the extent of opposition to democracy in Germany. The Spartacist Rising of 1919 revealed the vulnerable nature of the Weimar government, since Ebert had to call on the Friekorps’ help to crush it, and the Freikorps themselves could hardly be trusted to remain loyal. Furthermore, the Freikorps murdered Communist leaders Luxemburg and Liebknecht, without Ebert’s permission. This demonstrated the power of the right wing in the early days of the Weimar Republic. In 1920, the Kapp Putsch initially succeeded in overthrowing the government, making it look easy. Even after Kapp’s new government fell from power, Ebert was powerless to punish the rebels for fear of the army siding with them. Therefore, uprisings made Germany difficult to govern because they exposed the vulnerability of the Weimar Republic and distracted the government from their day-to-day business of running the country.

Another reason why Germany was difficult to govern was because of the occupation of the Ruhr, 1923. This stirred up not so old feelings of rivalry and antagonism between the Germans and the French, and caused major financial problems. The occupation was humiliating for Germany, and was yet another stick with which the right-wing could beat the government. It also led to violence and disorder: 132 Germans were killed in clashes with the French. Most importantly, the government’s response to the occupation—passive resistance—virtually bankrupted Germany. By refusing to mine any coal, the government not only lost the revenue they would normally gain from coal exports, but were obliged to print money in order to pay the wages of the striking miners. This caused hyperinflation. Therefore, the occupation of the Ruhr made Germany difficult to govern because it stirred up international tensions, and the Weimar Republic’s handling of the crisis sacrificed Germany’s economic well being for the sake of national pride.

A final reason why Germany was difficult to govern was because of loopholes in, and problems with, the Weimar Constitution. Article 48 was a clear anomaly in the Weimar Constitution. Whilst the Weimar government was one of the most democratic in the world in its time, the existence of Article 48 cast a shadow over what was otherwise a particularly free-thinking system. Article 48 gave the President the power to enact laws by decree, rather than having to seek the agreement of the Reichstag. Whilst intended for national emergencies only, the power lay open to abuse as a weak President could be pressured by a strong Chancellor into using Article 48 too often. Proportional representation also helped to create difficulties in obtaining a parliamentary majority in the Reichstag. This made law making difficult, and in turn made Germany difficult to govern, as in a crisis, the President would increasingly have to fall back on Article 48, undermining the democratic process.


8

How did Stresemann restore stability to Germany between 1924 and 1929?How did Stresemann restore stability to Germany between 1924 and 1929?

BackgroundBackground

What were Stresemann’s policies and their impact?

In Aug 1923, Stresemann became Chancellor. He is still highly regarded by historians, who claim that his policies (actions) led the WR out of crisis to recovery. Between 1924-29 Germany became both economically, politically and internationally more stable. This period is usually called ‘The Golden Twenties’. But, underneath the surface, Germany was still struggling. Stresemann may have covered up the symptoms, but he didn’t cure the disease. There were bad times ahead for Germany, but, of course, no one saw them coming….

Yes,

actually -

I was a

genius.

OMG!

They’re all

connected!

What were the drawbacks of these policies?

Understanding the limitations of Stresemann’s policies is very important, especially if you get an interpretations Q about how

successful his policies were. Eg. Q3d: How far do you agree with Interpretation 2 about the extent of German recovery in the

years 1924-29? (16 marks + 4 SPAG) With this Q, you would need to make a judgement about how far Stresemann was

successful in helping Germany to recover from its problems/in restoring stability. Here are a few points to help you….

The Dawes Plan made Germany’s economy dangerously dependent upon the USA’s economy. If something were to happen

with the US economy, the loans could be withdrawn, and the German economy would come crashing down again. Not very

stable! (But that’d never happen, right?!)

The new currency restored confidence in Germany’s money, leading to greater spending and investment from foreign

businessmen, but it didn’t restore the savings of those who had lost them during hyperinflation

The right-wing resented Stresemann’s cooperation with the Allies (ending passive resistance, Dawes & Young Plans,

Locarno, LON, Kellogg-Briand). Germany was supposed to be getting revenge, not canoodling with the ‘enemy’!


9

So, which one of Stresemann’s policies was the most important in restoring stability?

None of them, really! They were all connected, and worked together to help restore stability to Germany after the various problems of 1918-23. Here’s how….

As the currency stabilised, foreign investors became more willing to invest their money in Germany….

Increased cooperation with foreign investors led to the Dawes Plan with the USA….

Increased communication with other countries led to Locarno and Kellogg-Briand…..

Which involved Germany proving that they were now peaceful, not war-seeking, leading to G’s entry into the League of Nations…..

Which led to the Allies being more willing to reduce some of the worst features of the Treaty of Versailles….

Which led to the reduction of reparations in the Young Plan….

Which (partly) led to greater support for the Weimar Republic/moderate parties like the SDs, and less votes for extremist parties like the Nazis and Spartacists!

Changes in society, 1924Changes in society, 1924--29 29

To what extent did the standard of living in Germany improve?


10

Totally Important Exam stuff! More than 50% of the total marks available on your Germany exam come from interpretations questions (Qs 3b, 3c and 3d.) An interpretation of history is a view of the past – an event, movement, individual – written at a later date. It could be the view of a historian, the view of a textbook author or the view of a website author. The writer has the benefit of hindsight (being able to see how things worked out long term) and is able to check a range of sources of evidence to shape their view of what took place.

In the exam, you want to be confident that you can read an interpretation and quickly work out what view it presents of a specific issue or topic. You will also need to be good at selecting facts from your own knowledge of a topic to support (back up) what an interpretation says.

Confidence grows with practice! Read interpretation 1, above.

What view does interpretation 1 have about changes in the standard of living? Try to sum up your ideas in just one sentence, in your own words;

What facts do you know about the standard of living between 1924 and 1929 which could support (back up) the view shown in interpretation 1? (Clue—see the previous page!)

Did the Weimar Republic bring genuine social change for women?

CHANGE CONTINUITY

Work WW1 had changed the nature of the workforce. By 1918, 75% of women were in work, often doing what had previously been seen as ’male jobs’.

In the 1920s, the booming retail and service sectors provided plenty of part time jobs in shops and offices.

By 1933 there were 3000 female doctors.

After the war, life returned to normal. By 1925, only 36% of women were in work (the same as pre-war levels).

Women were not treated equally in the workplace. On average, they were paid 33% less than men for doing equal work! They were normally expected to give up their job once they married. There were few women in high status professions. Eg. by 1933, there were only 36 female judges in Germany.

Leisure In the 1920s, there existed a breed of ‘new women’, who had grown up during the war, and who were unmarried, working women, used to greater independence. They expressed their independence by wearing their hair short, wearing make up, jewellery and more revealing clothes. They went out unaccompanied, smoke and drank. They seemed less interested in marriage and having a family!

Many Germans (mainly men) believed that the growing equality and independence of women threatened traditional society, and even threatened the role of men!

They were concerned that the birth rate was falling (Germany needed women to be mothers!) and the divorce rate was rising (Germany needed women to be wives!). By the 1920s, there were 60 divorces per 100,000 people.

Some women found the expectation that they should be independent and liberated a scary prospect.

Some people blamed the economic problems of the 1920s on working women upsetting the labour market.

Politics Women now had the right to vote and the right to stand for election. Female voter turnout in Weimar elections was 90%.

In 1932, almost 10% of Reichstag deputies were women.

The Weimar Constitution strengthened women’s rights. Women were given equal rights with men, in marriage and in work. During this period, German women had some of the most advanced rights of any country in Europe.

NONE!

How much change do you think there was in each area of life? Give each area a score out of 5, where 5 = the most change, and 0 = the most continuity.


11

Important Exam stuff!

Source A A German magazine

cover from 1925

The first question on your exam paper will be an inference question, like this one:

Give two things you can infer from source A about changes for women under the Weimar Republic. (4 marks)

How to write a top grade answer:

An inference is something which is suggested, but not actually said/written

You only need to write four sentences for your answer

Write down something which is suggested in source A about changes for women

Support it (back it up) with what you can see in source A

Then repeat.

In the exam, you will have to fill in your answer on a page which

looks like this:

Here is a top grade answer, scoring 4/4 or

grade 8:

Under the Weimar Republic, there emerged a new type of woman who was completely different to the women of the previous generation. (INF.)

The woman in the foreground is dressed differently, and is behaving differently, to the woman in the background. (SUPPORT)

Women under the Weimar Republic were liberated, and more confident than the women of the previous era. (INFERENCE)

The woman in the foreground is sat shyly, in traditional clothes which cover her whole body. The woman in background openly admires herself in her mirror, and wears more revealing clothes. (SUPP.)

What cultural changes were there under the Weimar Republic, and why did some people

oppose them?

Out of the tension of 1918-23 came some of the most innovative and exciting painting, architecture, literature, music, design, cinema, theatre and nightlife in Europe. Throughout the 1920s, Berlin challenged Paris as the cultural capital of Europe. How come?

• Artists, filmmakers, writers, musicians, designers, even nightclub owners had more freedom to express themselves – the rigid censorship that had existed under the Kaiser was lifted. Germany was now a democratic and liberal country – it belonged to her people, not the emperor

• The Weimar government gave financial grants to art galleries, theatres, orchestras, museums and libraries.


12

Not everyone liked these cultural changes.

(Adolf Hitler in 1921.)

Revision booster! Make your own card ‘game’*

Few people are fortunate enough to be able to successfully revise by just reading through notes. Most people

have to revise actively in order to be successful. This doesn’t mean reciting facts whilst doing star jumps

(unless that works for you). It means knowing a few revision tricks, trying them out, and finding what works

best for you. Here’s one idea:

1 Cut up a piece of paper or card into 9 squares.

2 On one side of each square, write the name of an event/fact eg. the Locarno Treaties. Focus on the ones

you’re having trouble remembering.

3 On the reverse side, write no more than 3 bullet points to show the details of that event/fact (eg. what it

was, when it happened, why it was important).

4 Lay them out on the table/floor/sofa, event side up. Pick one—can you recall the bullet points without

looking? Say them out loud. Then check. If you got it right, turn the card over. See how long it takes you to

turn over all 9 cards.

* doesn’t promise to be entertaining.


13

TOTALLY Important Exam stuff! As mentioned on page 10, more than 50% of the total marks available on your Germany exam come from interpretations questions (Qs 3b, 3c and 3d.) If you’re not sure what an interpretation is, see page 10.

Question 3b) Study interpretations 1 and 2. They give different views about the extent of German recovery in the

years 1924-29. What is the main difference between these views? Explain your answer, using details from both

interpretations. (4 marks)

Qs 3b, 3c and 3d will be focusing on 2 interpretations. The interpretations will be about the same topic, and that topic could be any from the Germany unit. On the next few pages, we’ll look at questions based on 2 interpretations about Germany’s recovery, 1924-29. On the right there’s a summary of what the questions will ask you to do:

Knowing what type of Qs to expect, and how to set out your answers, is just as important as knowing your facts.

Interpretation 1 From Weimar and Nazi Germany, F Reynoldson, 1996

Interpretation 2 From Weimar and Nazi Germany, E Wimlott, 1997

From 1924 to 1929 the Weimar Republic was much stronger than it had

been just after the war. Led by Stresemann in the Reichstag, the

different parties managed to work together. The extreme parties such as

the Nazis gained fewer seats in the elections. The German people were

better off and more contented. The Weimar Republic looked safe.

German prosperity was built on quicksand foundations. The Weimar

economy was dependent on high interest American loans, which usually

had to be repaid or renewed within three months. In times of depression,

US moneylenders could demand rapid repayment. Moreover,

unemployment never fell below 1.3 million. Although big business grew in

the 1920s, small firms struggled and many went bankrupt.

The underlined bits in interpretation 1 show a positive view of German recovery.

Interpretation 1 is saying that Germany recovered well from its political and economic problems.

The underlined bits in interpretation 2 show a negative view of German recovery.

Interpretation 2 is saying that Germany’s recovery was unstable, especially financially.

FULL

MA

RK A

NSW

ER


14

Common mistakes Solutions

Writing the same for questions 3b

and 3c. They are not asking you the

same thing!!

Check out the difference between the two Qs. Q3b is asking you HOW the

interpretations differ. Q3c is asking you WHY they differ. In other words, Q3b is asking

you to sum up what the views are. Q3c is asking you to give reasons why the authors

have formed different views about the same issue, thinking about the factors that

have shaped their views.

For Q3c, writing about the authors’

backgrounds, or the years in which

the interpretations were written.

Don’t focus on either of these things. They will not be relevant and will not help you to

explain why the interpretations are different!

Not supporting your answers to Qs

3b and 3c with details from the

interpretations.

Make sure you have used either quotes and/or examples from the interpretations to

support (back up) your answers to Qs 3b and 3c. With Q3c, if you choose ‘weight’ as

your reason, you will need to provide quotes from sources B and C and show how they

back up interpretations 1 and 2.

Question 3c) Suggest one reason why interpretations 1 and 2 give different views about the extent of Germany

recovery in the years 1924-1929. (4 marks)

Really, there are 3 possible reasons why interpretations of the past can differ. You only need to write about ONE.

FULL

MA

RK A

NSW

ER

In the exam, it’s best you do these questions in the order they appear on the exam paper, since Qs 3b and 3c prepare you for answering Q3d. By the time you get to Q3d, you’ll be super familiar with the interpretations!


15

Question 3d) How far do you agree with Interpretation 2 about the extent of German recovery in the years 1924-

29? Explain your answer, using both interpretations and your knowledge of the historical context. (16 marks + up to

4 marks for SPaG)

Interpretation 1 From Weimar and Nazi Germany, F Reynoldson, 1996

Interpretation 2 From Weimar and Nazi Germany, E Wimlott, 1997

From 1924 to 1929 the Weimar Republic was much stronger than it had

been just after the war. Led by Stresemann in the Reichstag, the

different parties managed to work together. The extreme parties such as

the Nazis gained fewer seats in the elections. The German people were

better off and more contented. The Weimar Republic looked safe.

German prosperity was built on quicksand foundations. The Weimar

economy was dependent on high interest American loans, which usually

had to be repaid or renewed within three months. In times of depression,

US moneylenders could demand rapid repayment. Moreover,

unemployment never fell below 1.3 million. Although big business grew in

the 1920s, small firms struggled and many went bankrupt.

Think of this question as being like a FOR and AGAINST essay…..

The examiner is looking to see if you can select facts

from your own knowledge of the topic to back up and argue against what the

interpretations say.

The more precise your knowledge is, the better. This means including names, dates, statistics and specialist terms.

Homelessness had been reduced by 60% by 1928. Real wages rose by 25% and working hours fell.

Stresemann was successful in improving relations with other countries. For example, the Locarno Treaties and Kellogg Briand Pact secured Germany’s borders and gained the trust

of other countries, which led to increased trade.

In the 1924 elections the Nazis won 32 seats, whereas the Social Democrats won 100. By 1928 the Nazis had only 12 seats.

Professionals such as lawyers and civil servants found it hard to find work. They didn’t qualify for unemployment benefit.

The Dawes Plan 1924 saw the US lend Germany $3 billion. These loans were withdrawn after the Wall Street Crash.

During hyperinflation in 1923, small businesses could not afford to pay rising wages. Many went bust. Even after the Rentenmark had been introduced, those who had lost savings did not get any compensation.

FULL MARK/GRADE 8 ANSWER

Interpretation 2 takes the view that Germany’s recovery during the 1920s was really just illusory. For example, it says that the economy was overly reliant on American loans which could be taken away if the USA’s economy ran into difficulties. The US loans it mentions were part of the Dawes Plan agreed in 1924. The US lent Germany $3 billion dollars to invest in Germany industry. The money would boost production,


16

create jobs and stimulate demand for goods. However, it all went wrong in 1929 when the Wall Street Crash led to the US government asking for immediate repayment of the loans. The money which had been propping up the German economy was withdrawn, plunging Germany into economic depression until 1933. Therefore, interpretation 2 is accurate when it says Germany’s recovery was built on “quicksand foundations”. Interpretation 2 also says that there was a considerable amount of unemployment, and that small business were struggling to stay afloat. This suggests that even if Germany looked wealthy on the surface, not everyone was benefitting from this prosperity. I know that whilst unemployment did fall overall during the 1920s, it remained high among those who worked in the professions, such as teachers, lawyers and civil servants. Many of the 1.3 million mentioned in interpretation 2 didn’t qualify for unemployment benefit, making life particularly tough. Furthermore, interpretation 2 refers to small firms struggling and going bankrupt. This was shown by the fact that many small businesses couldn’t cope with rising wages during hyperinflation, and even when the Rentenmark was introduced by Stresemann, it did little to restore the life savings and businesses lost by the middle classes.

Interpretation 1 challenges the view given in interpretation 2. It takes the view that Germany genuinely recovered in the 1920s, compared to how weak it had been in 1918. For example, it says that extremist parties won less votes. This is accurate. In the 1924 elections the Nazis won 32 seats, but the Social Democrats won 100. This trend continued: by 1928 the Nazis only had 12 seats. This meant that Stresemann was free to take action to improve Germany’s international reputation by signing the Locarno Treaties (1925) and the Kellogg Briand Pact (1928). These secured Germany’s borders and led to increased trust, cooperation and trade between Germany and other countries. This supports interpretation 1’s statement that “the Weimar Republic looked safe”. Germany even joined the League of Nations in 1926, despite the Treaty of Versailles having excluded them. This meant that Germany was no longer a pariah in Europe. Interpretation 1 says that “German people were better off and more contented”. This was certainly true, as the standard of living steadily improved in the 1920s. Real wages rose by 25% and working hours fell. By 1928, homelessness had been reduced by 60%.

Overall, it seems that interpretation 2 does provide a more realistic assessment of the extent of German recovery. Although Stresemann’s achievements helped to stabilise Germany in the short term, and there was greater cooperation between moderate parties in the Reichstag, not enough was done to build long lasting stability. The economy was propped up on American loans, meaning that the success of the German economy was tied to the fortunes of another nation. Even Stresemann admitted that Germany was “dancing on a volcano”. Its vulnerable position became all too clear after the Wall Street Crash of 1929.


17

What impact did the Great Depression have on the people of Germany and the What impact did the Great Depression have on the people of Germany and the

Weimar Republic?Weimar Republic? By 1929, Germany had experienced 5 years of stability. The loans from the USA (Dawes Plan) had helped to halt inflation, and lots of money had been

invested into German industry, boosting production and employment. This had created an upwards cycle of prosperity—if more people are employed, they can afford to buy more goods. This boosts production, which creates more jobs, and so on. The problem was, this prosperity depended upon the USA. When the US stock market collapsed in 1929, this had huge consequences for the German economy….

Doom and gloom! Gloom and doom!!

By 1932, 6

million, or 1 in 3

men, were

unemployed in

Germany.

I’m worried that the workers will

turn to the Communist Party, and

there’ll be a Communist

Revolution. The middle classes

will lose all their property.

Did I leave

the iron on?

If only there was a

political party that offered

clear and simple solutions

to our problems. I’d vote

for them!

Farmers also lost out.

Food prices, which had

been falling since 1925,

continued to fall.

Many Germans are

living on the streets.

We can’t afford our

rent.

Remember! The Great Depression (1929-1933) was NOT the same as hyperinflation (1923). The main effect of

hyperinflation was rising prices and loss of savings, caused by there being too much money. The main effect of the

Depression was falling prices and loss of jobs, caused by there being not enough money. Lots of students get the

two mixed up. Don’t be one of them!

How did the Great Depression weaken the Weimar Republic between 1929 and 1933?

Unpopular Unpopular

economic policieseconomic policies

Taxes were raised and unemployment benefit was cut. This meant that German people had even less

money to spend on essentials like food. To be fair, other countries did the same.

Collapse of Collapse of

democracydemocracy

The Chancellor at the time (Bruning) didn’t have a majority in the Reichstag. He had to fall back on

asking the President to pass laws using Article 48. Not very democratic! In 1932, 66 presidential decrees

were issued, compared with just 5 in 1930.

Increased Increased

support for support for

extremist partiesextremist parties

Parties like the Communists and Nazis offered solutions to unemployment. The Communists said that

the Depression showed capitalism was flawed, and communism was the only answer. The Nazis pointed

the finger at the TOV, Communists and Jews, and promised to get rid of the ‘enemy within’ who were

destroying Germany. Both parties increased their number of votes, and violence on the streets

increased as the parties battled it out with renewed energy.


18

2 The rise of the Nazis: how was Hitler able to 2 The rise of the Nazis: how was Hitler able to become chancellor by January 1933become chancellor by January 1933??

This topic would make a good interpretations question! This is because some historians argue that the Depression was crucial in enabling Hitler to become Chancellor, whereas others argue that alternative factors, such as the role of the SA and Nazi propaganda, were more important. From the founding and early growth of the Nazi Party, to Hitler becoming Chancellor in January 1933, what were the steps to Hitler taking power?

STEP TO POWER 1 : BUILD UP THE PARTY I’mmmm comin’

up, so you

better get this

party started!

I got lots of

style, check my

gold diamond

rings...

The right wing German Workers’ Party was founded by Anton Drexler in 1919 in the German state of Bavaria—known for its right wing views.

Hitler joined the party that same year. In 1919, it had

Hitler with comrades, during WW1

around 50 members. Drexler soon spotted Hitler’s talents for public speaking and propaganda. Hitler personally designed the Nazi flag, with its symbol, the swastika. Red, white and black had been the colours of Germany’s flag under the Kaiser. Hitler’s speeches focused on his disgust at the TOV, his hatred of the Weimar Republic and the November Criminals, and the so called ‘enemy within’ - Communists and Jews.

By 1921 Hitler had become the leader of the party. Membership rapidly grew, largely because of the attention Hitler’s speeches attracted.

STEP TO POWER 2 : HAVE BOLD IDEAS In 1920, The German Workers’ Party was renamed ‘The National Socialist German Workers’ Party’. Hitler and Drexler wrote the 25 point programme—a political manifesto. Here are some of its key ideas:

STEP TO POWER 3 : GET YOUR OWN PRIVATE ARMY (THE SA)

Political meetings in Munich (capital of Bavaria) usually resulted in violence in the early 1920s. In 1921, a protection squad called the SA (Stormtroopers) were set up, led by Ernst Rohm. It was supposedly formed to protect speakers at Nazi meetings from left wing violence.

They were mostly young men, and many were ex-members of the Freikorps. The SA were often called ‘brownshirts’, because of their uniform.

Rather than protecting the Nazis, the SA were often sent to disrupt political meetings of the SDs and Communists. They would start fights, let the violence take hold, make a swift exit and then return later on to ‘break up’ the fight. This gave the impression that only the Nazis could keep order in dangerous times!

In 1923, the SA marched with Hitler through Munich in the Munich Putsch. After 1924, the SA were also used to intimidate voters into voting Nazi.


19

STEP TO POWER 4 : CREATE A STIR AND MAXIMISE THE PUBLICITY—THE MUNICH PUTSCH In 1923, the Nazi Party was pretty much a regional party, with most of its support based in Munich. However, with the Weimar Republic at an all time low (see page 6), Hitler decided that the time had come to launch himself and the Party onto the national scene. If the Nazis could overthrow the regional government in Munich (the capital of the German state of Bavaria), then they could march on to Berlin and take over the national government—the Weimar Republic.

Hitler knew that he would have to win the support of 4 important men in order to take over the Bavarian government, and then make an attack on the Weimar Government in Berlin….

All of these men had never fully supported the Weimar Republic. The advantage of having Ludendorff on side was that he was extremely popular with the right wing, and might help secure the support of the regular German army—the Reichswehr—which Hitler would need if he was going to take over the German government.

What were the causes of the Munich Putsch of November 1923?

1. Hitler hated the Weimar Republic. He detested the terms of the TOV, and wanted them removed. In 1923, the Hitler and German right wing felt humiliated by the occupation of the Ruhr and hyperinflation. Hitler was confident that the German people would support him over the WR.

2. Hitler was also confident that he could gain the support of von Kahr and the Bavarian army. He already had Ludendorff’s support.

3. Hitler could use the SA as armed support.

What happened during the Munich Putsch?

What’s with the focus on the Munich Putsch?What’s with the focus on the Munich Putsch?

It’s a very important stage in the development of the Nazi Party, and a popular choice for exam questions.

Exam stuff! Explain why the Nazis attempted the Munich Putsch. You may use the following in your answer: • hatred

for democracy • occupation of the Ruhr. You must also use information of your own. (12 marks)

(For bullet 1, write about Hitler’s aims; bullet 2, write about the timing of the putsch. For reason 3, the support he had.)

Now use the

advice on

page 5 to help

you plan an

answer to this

question.

Exam

question

practice is a

crucial part of

revision!


20

How was Hitler’s trial and imprisonment after the putsch important for the Nazis?

Although the Putsch was a spectacular failure for the Nazis, what mattered was that it was spectacular! Hitler was able to bounce back by taking advantage of the publicity it created…..

Hitler the Hitler the action man!action man!

Hitler’s attempt at taking over the government made him look like a man of action, and a man of his word. This helped to keep the restless SA on side (they were eager for revolution) and gave him an advantage over other right-wing leaders like Kahr.

Nationwide Nationwide publicitypublicity

Hitler used his trial as an opportunity to get nationwide publicity for him and the Nazis—via the German press. At his trial (for the crime of treason, in Feb 1924) Hitler gave speeches criticising the November Criminals, the Treaty of Versailles, the Communists and Jews who had ‘betrayed’ Germany, and the ‘weak and feeble’ Weimar Government. In this way, he used his trial to put across his political views, as his speeches were reported in German newspapers.

Soft Soft sentencesentence

Although Hitler was found guilty of treason, the judges were sympathetic and treated him leniently (see page 2), sentencing him to a minimum 5 years in prison—which actually turned out to be a luxury castle, where Hitler was allowed as many visitors as he liked! He only served 9 months of his 5 year sentence.

Mein Kampf Mein Kampf & a change & a change in tacticsin tactics

Being in prison gave Hitler time to reflect on his plan for getting power. He wrote Mein Kampf, a book which outlined his political ideas, earning further publicity. He also made the decision to change tactics once he got out of prison, by entering the Nazis into elections instead of trying to gain power through force.

STEP TO POWER 5 : RE-ORGANISE THE PARTY

The Nazi Party was banned immediately after the Putsch. However, while Hitler was in prison, the Nazis entered Reichstag elections for the first time, in 1924, under a different name. In the afterglow of the trial, they won 32 seats. However, just seven months later, there was another election. The Nazis did disastrously, their seats reduced to just 14. Clearly, getting power through votes was going to take a different kind of party. After his release from prison in Dec 1924, Hitler began to reorganise the Party to make it more successful in elections. Here are some of the things Hitler did:

KNOWLEDGE booster! The term ‘Nazi’ is short for National

Socialist German Workers’ Party. By

1926 there was a split in the Nazi

Party. Some Party members

(Strasser & Goebbels) pushed for

more socialist policies (good for

workers; not so good for business

owners). They emphasized the

socialist part of National Socialism.

Hitler was against this and stressed

a strong German state, emphasising

the nationalist part of National

Socialism. Hitler wanted to keep the

support of big business. He likened

the socialist wing of the party to the

communists (enemies). Goebbels

subsequently deserted Strasser’s

side. The conference left Hitler in

clear control of the party. He had

weakened the socialist wing, giving

him more freedom to adopt policies

gaining the support of big business.


21

STEP TO POWER 6 : USE PROPAGANDA (THE ROLE OF GOEBBELS)

THE NAZIS DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION, 1929THE NAZIS DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION, 1929--3333

The years 1923-29 are often known as the ‘lean years’ for the Nazi Party. Despite the publicity surrounding the Munich Putsch and Hitler’s attempts to reorganise the Party to boost its election results, the Nazis failed to gain many seats. In the 1928 elections the Nazis won only 12 seats in the Reichstag (down from 32 seats in 1924). Of course, 1923-29 were the Stresemann years, when employment was high, businesses were doing well, and Germany seemed to be recovering from the war and its effects.

The events of 1929 transformed the fortunes of Hitler and the Nazis, making the Nazis the largest party in the Reichstag by 1932. The Depression was a gift to Hitler and the Nazis. So, how did they take advantage of the situation?

Goebbels was the Head of Propaganda in the Nazi Party. He understood how to use the media and manipulate mass audiences in order to win votes for the Nazis.

Goebbels used every trick in the book to get the Nazi message across. A variety of methods were used, giving the appearance that the Nazis were everywhere.

Goebbels also ensured that the Nazi message was kept simple and was frequently repeated. Propaganda was also used to put down rivals—for example, propaganda whipped up fear and hatred of the Communists.

Josef Goebbels, on his lunch

break. Remember!!

Don’t get confused

between the use of

propaganda to get

power and the use

of propaganda to

keep power (after

1933). Before 1933,

Hitler didn’t have

control over the

media. He wasn’t

able to censor

books and

newspapers, or

control radio

stations.

STEP TO POWER 7 : GET FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Hitler received money from leading industrialists like Bosch (yes, the dishwasher people!) They hoped that Hitler would destroy the Communists and limit the power of the trade unions. Of course, Hitler’s war aims also attracted support from industries involved in the manufacture of arms and war materials.

swashtika!

An anti-Hitler

poster. The

caption says:

The meaning of

the Hitler salute.

Motto: millions

stand behind

me!


22

STEP TO POWER 8 : BE FLEXIBLE AND VAGUE

If the Nazis found that an idea was losing them support, they changed it. For example, one of the Nazis’ ideas had always been the nationalisation of industry (this means the government taking over large businesses so the state can feed off the profits). When the Nazis found out how alarmed industrialists were, they quickly dropped the idea!

The Nazis realised that it doesn’t really matter what you promise, as long as you have the trust of voters. So, they went for vague promises: ‘The Nazis will make Germany great again!’ Many Germans were actually very unsure of what the Nazis stood for.

Ca

sua

l Hit

ler,

fo

r in

crea

sed

flex

ibili

ty!

STEP TO POWER 9 : HITLER THE SUPERMAN!

Throughout election campaigns there was an unblinking focus on Hitler—the strong leader whom Germany wanted and needed. Posters and rallies

built him up into a superman. On posters, his physical appearance was adapted. In reality, he wore spectacles to read, but he refused to be seen

wearing them in public and so his speeches were typed in large print! Hitler was the Nazis’ trump card. The campaigns focused around his personality and skills, and the opposition had no one to match him.

Sho

uld

ha

ve g

on

e to

Sp

ecsa

vers

.

STEP TO POWER 10 : MAKE PROMISES TO VOTERS

Out of all of the ‘steps to power’, you should definitely revise steps 3,

4, 6 and 10. These are most likely to be useful in the interpretations

question 3d. They may even come up elsewhere in the exam paper.

Besides the usual points about the Treaty of Versailles and the November Criminals, the Nazis replayed 3 key promises to German voters:

If anyone doubted that the Weimar Republic and/or the Communists were at fault, then Hitler had another scapegoat lined up: the Jews. He blamed Germany’s problems on the Jews, saying:

They were Communists;

They had helped to cause the Depression and mass unemployment;

They had weakened the German army in WW1, leading to Germany’s defeat;

They were preparing to launch a revolution in Germany, which would mean that all private property and wealth would be seized by the state (this was particularly effective with middle class voters).

Revision booster!Revision booster!


23

THE FINAL STEP : THE ROLE OF POLITICAL INTRIGUE

‘Political intrigue’ means dodgy, secretive deals between rival politicians who are usually out to stab each other in the back. Once the Nazis had become the leader of the largest party in the Reichstag (in the July 1932 elections), political intrigue played a very important role in making Hitler Chancellor. It’s a complicated story, so here’s the simple version:

1. Chancellor Bruning was not very popular in the Reichstag. He was nicknamed ‘the hunger Chancellor’ due to his failure to tackle unemployment and poverty. In May 1932, Bruning resigned. Hindenburg needed to appoint a new Chancellor.

2. President Hindenburg did not want to offer Hitler the job of Chancellor. He had to give it to someone—Germany was being run pretty much through Article 48, because the Reichstag couldn’t agree on any laws. In 1932, 66 presidential decrees were issued, compared with just 5 in 1930.

3. There were two other men for the job, but neither had the support of a majority in the Reichstag. When they tried to form coalitions between parties in order to make a majority, they failed.

4. One of these two men (Von Papen), in a bid to outdo the other one (von Schleicher), persuaded Hindenburg to make Hitler the Chancellor, with himself (Papen) the vice-Chancellor. He thought this would be a good way to keep an eye on Hitler and control him. Hindenburg agreed to this plan, because he thought it would restore stability to Germany.

Hurry up and

die, will you?

Kind of want

your job!

Hitler accepts the job of

Chancellor from President

Hindenburg, Jan 1933

Exam stuff! Question 3a on your exam paper will be a question about source utility (or usefulness). You will be given two

contemporary sources (from the time of the event) and you will have to explain how useful each source is as evidence

for a specific enquiry. Below are two sources which have been annotated to show points which could make up your

answer to the Q, which is: How useful are sources B and C for an enquiry into the role of Hitler in increasing support

for the Nazis in the years 1929-32? Explain your answer, using Sources B and C and your knowledge of the historical

context (8 marks). Smiley face points are about how the source is useful; sad face points are about how it is less useful.

Source B: From the diary of a German schoolteacher, 1932, writing about a meeting in Hamburg at which Hitler spoke

Source C: A portrait of Hitler, painted in 1933.

Diaries are usually more

honest as they are not written with an audience in mind.

In 1932, 6 million men were

unemployed due to the Great Depression. Hitler

promised to set up public work schemes, and to guarantee farmers high prices, if elected. In this sense, he appeared to be a saviour of the German people. This led to the Nazis gaining 37% of the vote in 1932.

This portrait has been made for propaganda purposes. It focuses on Hitler’s positive qualities, presenting a strong and proud image, suggesting the Nazis’ success was all down to his leadership of the Nazis. It was painted in 1933, and probably after Hitler became Chancellor, so it is more likely to show Hitler as being responsible for the Nazis’ growing support base.

Source C doesn’t tell us about other factors which led to

increasing support for the Nazis, giving a one sided view of Hitler's role. It doesn’t tell us about the collapse of democracy during 1932, as Chancellor Bruning failed to deal with unemployment & poverty. The raising of taxes and reduction of unemployment benefits played into the hands of extremist parties like the Nazis.


24

3 how did Hitler remove his opposition, 19333 how did Hitler remove his opposition, 1933--3434??

By the end of January 1933, Hitler was Chancellor. But it wasn’t enough. He still had the President above him, and

he was answerable to the Reichstag. He also couldn’t guarantee that he had the support of the army. Until Hitler

had dealt with these key sources of opposition, he would be unable run Germany along Nazi lines.

Here’s a summary what’s coming up….

Exam TIP! Questions about Questions about

The Reichstag The Reichstag

Fire, The Enabling Fire, The Enabling

Act and the Night Act and the Night

of the Long Knives of the Long Knives

are very popular. are very popular.

Be ready for a Be ready for a

question about question about

one or more of one or more of

these events!these events!

How did Hitler take advantage of the Reichstag

Fire (Feb 1933) to weaken his opposition ?

How many points should you aim for in a source utility question?

4


25

issue of who started the fire. It’s

interesting, but not relevant! Instead,

focus on how Hitler and the Nazis took

advantage of the fire to remove their

opposition and strengthen Hitler’s power.

Exam stuff! Here’s an exam question about this topic:

Explain why Hitler was able to use the Explain why Hitler was able to use the

Reichstag Fire to weaken opposition to the Reichstag Fire to weaken opposition to the

Nazis. Nazis.

Don’t get bogged down

You may use the following in your answer: • the Communist Party • civil rights You must also use information of your own. (12 marks)

Notice how this question does not ask you to explain what happened/who started the fire. Instead, it is asking you

to focus on the reasons why Hitler was able to take advantage of the fire.

Here’s an example of a full mark answer :Here’s an example of a full mark answer :

One reason why Hitler could use the fire to weaken his opponents was because he could blame it on the Communist Party. After the Dutch communist Van Der Lubbe was found inside the building, Hitler claimed that the fire was part of a much wider communist plot to overthrow the government. This made many Germans, especially the middle classes, afraid. By creating this climate of fear, and by portraying the Communists as traitors and terrorists, Hitler was able to present himself as a saviour of the German nation. At the same time, the Communists’ reputation was ruined. This weakened opposition to the Nazis because it discouraged voters from voting Communist in the March 1933 election. A second reason why Hitler could use the fire to weaken his opposition was because he could justify suspending people’s civil rights. After the fire, Hitler persuaded Hindenburg to use Article 48 to pass the Law for the Protection of the People and the State. This law suspended civil rights, allowing Hitler to lock up 4000 communists and other opponents without trial, and ban communist party meetings. In the short term this weakened opposition because it damaged the communists’ chances in the March 1933 elections, increasing Hitler’s chances of gaining a majority. A third reason why Hitler could use the fire to weaken his opposition was because it allowed him to ban Communists from the Reichstag. The Law for the Protection and the People and the State meant that Communists were unable to attend the Reichstag and vote against the Enabling Act in March 1933, which gave Hitler powers to make laws without the Reichstag or president. This weakened opposition because it brought an end to democracy in Germany and silenced rival parties. It laid the foundations of Hitler’s dictatorship.

This answer would achieve a grade 8 because:

It has explained three relevant reasons (the 2 bullet points + a 3rd reason)

It contains well selected, precise, factual knowledge, using specialist language

It links back to the question at the end of each paragraph (showing analysis), explaining why the reason weakened opposition to the Nazis

NO! You just can’t get above a grade 5 on this type of question. Just remember this golden rule...STICK TO

THE TIMINGS! (see next page) If you hang around finishing off a question, and miss out later questions as a

result, you are guaranteed to lose more marks. NOT FINISHED A QUESTION? ALWAYS LEAVE A SPACE

AND MOVE ON! DON’T HANG AROUND.

8 What if I can’t think of a third reason to add to the bullet points? Am I gonna fail?

Exam TIP!


26

question timings marks Q1 Give two things you can infer about... (using source A) 5 mins 4

Q2 Explain why... (2 reasons are provided; try to write about a 3rd of your own)

15 mins 12

Q3a How useful are Sources B and C for an enquiry into….? 15 mins 8

Q3b What is the main difference between the views? (Interpretations 1 & 2)

5 mins 4

Q3c Suggest one reason why Interpretations 1 and 2 give different views about….

5 mins 4

Q3d How far do you agree with Interpretation 2 about….? 30 mins 16 + 4 SPaG

TOTAL— with 5 minutes leeway/checking time 1 hr 15 mins 52

How did the Enabling Act (March 1933) remove Hitler’s opposition with the

Reichstag?

COMMON MISTAKES! Can you work out why these are wrong?Can you work out why these are wrong?

The Enabling Act was the same as Article 48.

The Enabling Act was passed by Hindenburg using Article 48.

The Enabling Act suspended civil liberties.

The Enabling Act gave Hitler a majority in the Reichstag.

Your Germany exam will be 1 hour 20 minutes long. If you finish with time to spare, you haven’t written

enough! The table below shows what type of questions to expect, and how long to spend on each one.


27

REVISION BOOSTER! Which of these statements BEST sums up the effect of the Enabling Act on Hitler’s power?

1.Hitler now had a majority so he could pass whatever laws he wanted.

2.There was no longer any Reichstag or President so Hitler could pass any laws he wanted.

3.The constitution had been altered to by-pass the President and the Reichstag, so Hitler could pass any laws he wanted.

4.Hitler was now a dictator. He was answerable to no one and could pass any laws he wanted.

5.Hitler had complete power to pass any laws, but he had to be careful to keep voters on his side so he would stay in power.

Warning: only one of the statements is correct! To help you work out which one, see the boxes below.

One effect of the Enabling Act was...

The Reichstag no longer had any role in law- making.

Hitler could now make laws without the Reichstag

No longer any need for the Nazis to focus on gaining a majority

Rival political parties silenced, Hitler could rule as a dictator

Another effect of the Enabling Act was...

Turned Germany from a multi-party democracy into a one-party dictatorship

Once silenced, rival parties would be made illegal – G would be a one party state

Hitler could alter the constitution as he wished, permanently getting rid of civil liberties and the role of President. He could put his own policies into effect without any opposition.

The end of trade unions and political parties

With the new Enabling Act, Hitler was now in a position where he could eliminate other sources of opposition.

1.The end of trade union

• In May 1933 Hitler banned trade unions. They were now illegal. This meant that strikes were now also illegal.

2. The banning of all other political parties

• In July 1933 the Nazi Party was declared to be the only legal party in Germany. All other parties were banned.

• This made Germany a one party state.

• A trade union is an organisation which looks out for and defends the rights of workers – their wages, their hours of work and the conditions of work. Trade unions can organise strikes if they think a group of workers are being unfairly treated.


28

How did the Night of Long Knives (June 1934) remove

Hitler’s opposition and secure him the support of the

German army?

What was the Night of the Long Knives?

• It’s when the SS killed the leading members of the SA (not the other way round!), including Ernst Rohm, Karl Ernst and Edmund Hennes.

• This secured Hitler the backing of the German army (the Reichswehr)

• Other, political opponents were murdered too – eg. von Schleicher and Gregor Strasser (a Nazi with strong socialist views)

• Around 400 were killed in total

Rohm was a threat The SA were an embarrassment

The SA were pushing their socialist views

Hitler needed the army’s

support

•Rohm (leader of SA) wanted to

merge the SA and the army.

•This would have put him in charge

of more than 3 million men.

•This would have enabled Rohm to

challenge Hitler’s authority.

Rohm threatened the ambitions of

other leading Nazis too. Himmler,

leader of the SS, wanted the SS to

break apart from the SA. Goering

wanted to lead to armed forces.

Himmler (a leading Nazi) had given

Hitler information that Rohm was

planning to seize power.

•The SA were thuggish

street brawlers.

•They beat up political

rivals, such as Communists,

and started fights at rival

parties’ election meetings.

•Hitler, as Chancellor,

needed to project a more

responsible, respectable

image.

Some leading Nazis, such

as Frick and Goering, felt

that the activities of the SA

might cause a backlash

against Hitler.

•Rohm and the SA were

calling for a ‘second

revolution’.

•They wanted the Nazi Party

to follow a more socialist

agenda – giving the workers

more rights.

•Hitler wanted to suppress

socialism within the party – it

threatened the sponsorship

the Nazis received from big

business. (The owners of

businesses wouldn’t want to

have to pay out higher

wages, or allow their workers

to go on strike.)

•Hitler knew that if

he didn’t have the

army’s support, the

army could

overthrow him in a

coup.

•Hitler also needed

the army’s support to

fulfil his rearmament

and war aims.

•The army generals

hated Rohm and the

SA—seeing them as

amateurs.

You need to be able to explain 3 out of a possible 4 reasons why it happened…..

Exam STUFF! Exam question: Explain why Hitler acted against the SA on the Night of the Long Knives (30 June 1934). You may use the

following in your answer: • Rohm • a second revolution. You must also use information of your

own. (12 marks) Sample paragraph:

One reason why Hitler acted against the SA was because he believed that its leader, Rohm, was a rival for his power over the Nazi Party. Rohm wanted to join the SA and the German army together; this would make Rohm the most powerful man in Germany, putting him in charge of over 3 million men. Other leading Nazis also saw Rohm as a threat. Himmler wanted the SS to break away from the SA, to become a separate organisation, which Rohm would resist. Goering wanted to be head of the army, but Rohm’s plans for the army stood in the way of Goering’s ambition. Therefore, Hitler got the SS to kill Rohm and his supporters, Ernst and Hennes, in order to neutralise the threat posed by Rohm, leaving the SA leaderless.

Remember to link

back to the question

(the analysis part) at

the end of each

paragraph.


29

Exam STUFF: the source utility question! Question 3a on your exam paper will be a question about source utility (or usefulness). You will be given two

contemporary sources (from the time of the event) and you will have to explain how useful each source is as evidence

for a specific enquiry.

Question 3a) How useful are sources B and C for an enquiry into the concerns Hitler had about the SA? Explain

your answer, using Sources B and C and your own knowledge of the historical context. (8 marks)

You are not expected to

cover all of these points in

your answer to Q3a, and

you don’t need to!

There are three things you

should aim to do in your

answer:

1. Write about both sources

B and C.

2. Use your own knowledge

to comment on the

accuracy of source B.

Then repeat for source C.

3. Explain how the nature

OR origins OR purpose of

source B affects its

usefulness. Then repeat

for source C.


30

Diaries These give a day-to-day eyewitness view, but only one person’s view. They may be more honest if they were not

written for publication. If written for publication diaries can have an ulterior motive.

Memoirs

(autobio-

graphy)

These are the views of someone who experienced an event and writing an account of their experiences enables

them to be detached and reflect on it. Be careful about generalised statements about memory loss...people tend

to remember important events! Like diaries, memoirs can often be a justification of the writer’s own actions, so

can be very one-sided.

Posters These reflect views of the time, often of the government/a political party, but are one-sided and generally for

propaganda purposes.

Photos These can give accurate details but are often selective and taken for a purpose. Can give a distorted view, such

as the view of the photographer or whoever hired the photographer. They only capture one moment in time—a

snapshot. We do not know what may have gone on before or after the photo was taken, or beyond the frame of

the photograph.

Cartoons These can reflect a popular view of the time of a person or event – an ‘in joke’. However, cartoons only provide

one exaggerated, even distorted, view of the event.

Biography These are often well researched. However, biographers are often strongly in favour of or against their subject.

How can the NATURE (type) of a source affect its usefulness?

How can the ORIGINS of a source affect its usefulness?

Who

produced the

source?

Is there the name of an individual or an organisation? What do you know about who produced the source? How

could this have shaped the view(s) shown in the source?

When? What are the advantages and disadvantages of eyewitness accounts? Remember eyewitnesses can get things

wrong or have a limited or distorted view of events. Try to avoid generalised statements such as ‘eyewitness

accounts are always more useful/reliable than those written later’: someone writing later could have had more

opportunity to check the facts, and is likely to be more objective (less one-sided).

Where?

Under what

conditions?

Was the source produced in a free society in which the person could give their own views? Was the person

forced to follow the government view? If a source has been produced under censorship conditions, it may still

be useful as an example of a censored view of the time.

How can the PURPOSE of a source affect its usefulness?

Speeches The speaker is trying to convince the audience to do something/to think the same way as them.

Newspapers These aim to inform, but are also made to sell. This means they can exaggerate/sensationalise news stories.

Posters For propaganda purposes – to get you to support or oppose a certain view.

Photographs To give you a particular – often narrow and even distorted – view of an event in order to get your support or

turn you against something/someone.

Cartoons These will usually try to turn you against a person or event by ridicule, mockery and exaggeration.

Films Unless they are public information films/newsreels, these are designed to entertain and attract audiences.

Accuracy can therefore be compromised.

Make sure you develop any NOP points you make in your answer by relating your point to

what can be seen (or not seen) in the source. Eg. It is not enough to just say Source B is less

useful because it is from a speech by Hitler, so it aims to turn people against the Communists.

Develop this by making it clear how this one-sidedness is shown in the source For example,

source B says…..


31

Source B: From a report by Wilhelm Frick, Minister of the Interior, October 1933

Source C: Comments made by Ernst Rohm to Kurt Ludecke in January 1934.

Ludecke raised funds for the Nazi Party by arranging sponsorship deals with

leading industrialists. He was a close friend of Rohm.

“Acts of violence”: we know that Hitler was increasingly embarrassed by the terror tactics/intimidation employed by the SA, and their behaviour on the streets (eg. brawls with communists)

Origins & Purpose: we know that Frick and other leading Nazis such as Himmler and Goering opposed

Rohm’s growing power within the Party, and wanted to discredit the SA. This report has been written in order to show that the SA have been acting illegally, providing an

excuse for a crack-down on the SA.

Origins: This source was made in Oct 1933. Having become Chancellor in January, this

tells us that Hitler was now keen to project a more respectable image. Hitler was not yet all

powerful in Germany, so he needed the actions of the SA/Nazis to appear legal (“Their actions were

illegal”).

It doesn’t tell us about the wider concerns Hitler had about the SA eg. the rivalry which Rohm presented to

Hitler with his plans to merge the army and the SA, or the socialist ideas of the SA and its leaders which threatened to alienate the Party’s leading sponsors

Nature: a conversation between Rohm and a close friend. It is more likely that Rohm would

be honest about his intentions and feelings when speaking with a close, trusted friend

I have 3 million men”: The SA had 3 million members, and Rohm’s comments about having friends in the army hints at his plan to merge the army and the SA

(which would put him in charge of 3.1 million). This would make him a rival for Hitler’s power. “Our revolution”: Rohm wanted a second, socialist revolution, to guarantee greater rights for workers. Hitler wanted to crush the socialist part of the Party.

Origins and Purpose: Ludecke may have attributed these comments to Rohm in order to condemn Rohm,

since Rohm’s plans for a socialist revolution would have made maintaining sponsorship deals difficult. Thus source C might exaggerate the threat posed by Rohm.

Rohm says that has “friends in the Reichswehr” but we know that army officers were

resentful of the SA and didn’t like its leaders, whom they saw as a threat, albeit an amateurish,

undisciplined one.

In the exam….. Feel free to annotate the sources like this, if it helps you plan out your answer.

You only have about 15 minutes to answer this question, including planning time!

Focus on writing four points in total—2 for each source. If you can’t write four points, then write 2 points for 1 source, and 1 point for the other source.

Try to ensure you have used your own knowledge to comment on how useful the sources are.

Try to ensure you have included one NOP point per source (see page 30 for shortcut ideas!)


32

A full mark, grade 8 answer:

In some ways source B is useful for an enquiry into the concerns Hitler had about the SA. For example, it mentions the SA’s “acts of violence”. We know that the SA were being violent. There are examples of the SA attending the political meetings of rival parties, such as the Communists, just to start fights. The SA would even attack Communists and Social Democrats in the streets. This was damaging Hitler’s reputation because these acts were illegal.

However, source B’s usefulness is limited by its provenance because it is written by Wilhelm Frick. Frick did not support Rohm or his ideals and was therefore biased against Rohm. We know that Frick and other leading Nazis were looking for an excuse to crack down on the growing power of the SA and Rohm. Source B has obviously been written to deliberately discredit the SA. For example, it says “new acts of violence...have been reported again and again”.

In some ways source C is useful for an enquiry into the concerns Hitler had about the SA. For example, source C, comments made by Ernst Rohm, refers to a social revolution, “our revolution”. We know that Rohm had socialist views which opposed Hitler’s views. Hitler wanted the support of big business for many reasons, including the manufacture of weapons in the war that Hitler was working towards. This meant that the idea of a ‘social revolution’, which put the interests of workers above those of business owners, was dangerous.

Source C’s usefulness is limited, however, by its origins. It was written by Ludecke, who arranged sponsorship deals for the Nazi Party. He could, therefore, have been trying to discredit Rohm in order to continue to make deals with big business. It’s possible that source C exaggerates the threat posed by Rohm.

How did Hitler control the legal system?

By controlling the law courts, Hitler could ensure that punishments were harsh enough to deter people from acting against the Nazis.

Hitler knew that he could keep opposition to a minimum by making sure that courts were biased in favour of the Nazi Party.

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwip9IKAvZXUAhWBF8AKHel8AzgQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.trumtuvung.com%2Fbo-tu-vung-luyen-thi-sat%2Fpage-2&psig=AFQjCNHwG8qxsYPe0Yl8sH2so9sNFjuFmg&ust=14961601290


33

FINAL NOTE: HINDENBURG’S DEATH

In August 1934, President Hindenburg died. Hitler combined the posts of President and Chancellor. He was now Head of State and Commander of the Army. Every soldier had to swear an oath of personal loyalty to Hitler. The army were already used to being disciplined and obedient—to break this oath would be a serious crime.

between scaring Germans into not opposing the Nazi state, and giving them positive reasons to support the Nazi state. This was achieved on the one hand by the creation of a police state, and, on the other, by the creation of a propaganda state. These were symbiotic, meaning that they worked together to keep the Nazis in power. If the propaganda didn’t convince Germans that they should be pro-Nazi, then the police state would force them into being pro-Nazi (or, at least, into not actively resisting the Nazis). Meanwhile, the atrocities committed by the police state would be covered up with/justified by propaganda. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that there are limits to what both could achieve. When it came to winning over the hearts and minds of ordinary Germans, neither propaganda nor the police state could be 100% effective, for the simple reason that no one can read another’s mind.

4 The NAZI DICTATORSHIP: HOW DID HITLER RUN 4 The NAZI DICTATORSHIP: HOW DID HITLER RUN

GERMANYGERMANY?? A key element in maintaining the Nazi dictatorship was striking a balance

The Nazi Police State The Nazi Police State The Nazi police state was a structure of

organisations and their leaders. The task of

the police state was to expose and eliminate

all forms of opposition and ‘undesirables’.

There were 5 key components:

The SS

The SD (Security Service)

The concentration camps

The Gestapo (secret police)

Informers/block wardens

Himmler (left) was in charge of the police

state.

Judge Roland Freisler presiding over the People’s Court.

Freisler was well known for bullying defendants, shouting over

their attempts to speak and verbally abusing them. About 90% of the defendants whose cases were heard by Freisler received the death penalty.

Freisler and the People’s Court


34

Josef Goebbels was the Reich

Minister for Propaganda

The Nazi Propaganda State The Nazi Propaganda State


35

You should know 3 examples of how Goebbels used propaganda & censorship to control the thoughts, beliefs and opinions of the German people…..

There are two aspects to Nazi propaganda –

1 The propaganda which the Nazis used before 1933, to GAIN power;

2 The propaganda that the Nazis used to KEEP power in Germany after 1933.

Make sure you don’t get them mixed up! Check any dates given in questions very carefully.

The 1936 Berlin Olympics The 1936 Berlin Olympics Everything about the 1936 Berlin Olympics was designed to impress the outside world. With the media of 49

countries present at the games, this was an ideal opportunity for the Nazis to show the world that Germany was a

modern, civilised and well ordered society, and that Aryans were superior. Overall, the Olympics was a great public

relations success.

Jesse Owens

Hitler’s plan to highlight the superiority of the Aryan race through the success

of German athletes was thwarted by the success of black US athlete Jesse

Owens. Owens won the 100m, 200m, long jump and the 4x100m relay. He

broke 11 Olympic records and was very popular with the German crowd. It is

said that Hitler refused to present medals to the black US athletes (who won

7 gold medals between them).

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiY-pSQlpbUAhVqBcAKHb_oCYUQjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FJesse_Owens&psig=AFQjCNH1FxS6kAg4cNBJ0Hl5nT5UHC9hjg&ust=1496183955258777


36

Nazi youth policyNazi youth policy

After the Final Solution, Nazi youth policy was arguably the darkest aspect of the Third Reich. The young were of particular importance to the Nazis. They were the future of the Third Reich. Hitler and Goebbels knew that young minds were impressionable, and could therefore be shaped to suit the Nazi ideal. The 3 greatest influences on young Germans were their families, their schools and youth movements. The Nazis tried to control all three.

Hitler Youth and the League of German MaidensHitler Youth and the League of German Maidens

Boys joined the ‘Young Folk’ at the age of 10. Before that, they could join the ‘Little Fellows’. From 14-18 they became members of the Hitler Youth;

Girls joined the ‘Young Girls’ at the age of 10. From 14-18 they became members of the League of German Maidens.

From 1936, membership of either was compulsory. All other youth organisations were banned.

By 1939, there were 7 million members (82% of all youth…...clearly, some children evaded joining).

So, although boys and girls had different roles (according to the Nazis), the circle in the centre shows that the core

activities done by the Hitler Youth and the LOGM would have been the same. (By the way, the caption on each

poster says Youth serves the Fuhrer. All 10 year olds in the Hitler Youth.)

Starting to get overwhelmed? Take a 20 minute break in a different room. If necessary,

calm yourself down by focusing on your breathing. When you go back to it, remember

that effective revision happens when you—

Switch subjects every hour or so. Do 4 hours of history over 4 days, not 1 day;

Test yourself/get someone else to test you.

Make quick bullet pointed plans for exam questions in this booklet.


37

Exam TIP!

Question 1 on your exam paper will be a source (inference) question. These questions are easy if you

don’t overcomplicate them!! Here’s an example—

QUESTION:

Give two things you can infer from source A about Nazi policies towards young people in Germany? (4 marks)

Advice on how to answer question 1 (see also page 11)

Don’t use your own knowledge

Give TWO supported inferences. This means supporting each inference with a direct quote from the source.

Here’s a sample full mark answer….

(i) What I can infer: The Nazis thought children should be fit and healthy.

Details in the source that tell me this: It says “programme of camping, sporting activities and marches”.

(ii) What I can infer: At first, joining youth organisations was voluntary, but it later became mandatory.

Details in the source that tell me this: It says “at first, membership of these organisations was not compulsory”.

Nazi EducationNazi Education


38

How and why did some young people oppose the Nazi regime?How and why did some young people oppose the Nazi regime? Some young Germans were opposed to the Hitler Youth. They objected to the level of control which the Nazi state

exerted over young people’s lives, and resented that there was no freedom of choice. Alternative youth groups

grew up in defiance of the official Nazi groups. The best known were the Edelweiss Pirates and the Swing Youth.


39

More Exam STUFF!

Here’s a reminder of what to expect with Q3, which is broken down into 4 parts. (To see a list of all question types on the paper, turn to page 26.) Question 3 is worth 36 marks, out of a total of 52 across the whole paper.

Knowing what type of Qs to expect, and how to set out your answers, is just as important as knowing your facts.

As a special treat, we’re going to run through a complete Q3 about the Hitler Youth!!

Question 3a) How useful are sources B and C for an enquiry into the attitudes of young people towards the Hitler

Youth movement? Explain your answer, using Sources B and C and your own knowledge of the historical context.

(8 marks)

Source B: From a private letter, written by a Hitler Youth member to a friend in Germany in 1936.

(See page 29 for a reminder about how to tackle the utility question.)

“There is little enthusiasm…. Drill starts right after breakfast.” This tells us that some young people did

resent the regimentation of the Hitler Youth. They found it restrictive and stifling. HY’s key objective was to prepare boys to be soldiers. This meant a lot of military style activities and sport to develop physical fitness. There were also activities designed to develop those qualities thought to be desirable in future soldiers (bravery, courage, teamwork), such as jumping over hot coals.

Nature and origins: it is a private letter, not intended for any wider audience, so it is likely to be more honest. The honesty of the letter is also boosted by the fact that Hitler Youth leaders would often

censor letters, therefore the author was putting themselves at risk by writing such negative thoughts.

The negative attitude of

the source reflects the fact that some

young people preferred to join the Edelweiss

Pirates or Swing Youth to escape the monotony

of the HY.


40

Source C: From a book about the Hitler Youth, published in 1954. A Hitler Youth leader is remembering what the Hitler Youth

was like in the mid-1930s.

*Jungvolk – this was a section of the Hitler Youth for boys between the ages of 10 and 14.

“And then there were the trips.”: For working class children, summer camps

were perhaps the only opportunity they would have had to go on holiday.

“I remember how deeply moved I was…”: This reflects our knowledge that children were indoctrinated through the

Hitler Youth into being loyal Nazis who were willing to die for the Fatherland. They were shown pro-Nazi, anti-Communist films such as Hitlerjunge Quex, and engaged in mock battles and chariot racing to develop aggression and comradeship.

Origins: written by a Hitler Youth leader. Could have had a more positive view compared to

younger members, due to sense of authority, and not having to engage in military drill/rigorous exercise.

Origins: published post-Nazi dictatorship, so no fear of censorship. This means it is an honest view.

A sample, grade 8 answer

Source B is useful in telling us that not all young people liked the Hitler Youth. For example, it says “there is little enthusiasm”. I know this is accurate, because, by 1939, there were 7 million members of the organisation. This was only 80% of all young Germans, despite membership having become compulsory in 1936. Some young people rebelled by joining Swing Youth groups, or the Edelweiss Pirates. The Pirates numbered around 2000 by 1939.

The nature of source B also makes it useful. Source B is a private letter. This makes it useful because I know that letters were often censored by Hitler Youth leaders, which adds to the honesty of the source as by writing such a negative account, the author could have got into trouble.

Source C is useful because it demonstrates how children were indoctrinated by the Hitler Youth, explaining the very positive attitude shown in source C. Source C writes about “comradeship”, and being “deeply moved” by the spirit of the organisation. Children were indoctrinated into being loyal Nazis who were willing to die for the Fatherland. They were shown pro-Nazi, anti-Communist films such as Hitlerjunge Quex, and engaged in mock battles and chariot racing to develop aggression and comradeship.

However, the origins of source C make it less useful, since it has been written by a Hitler Youth leader. It is likely that he remembers the power and authority he had, and the respect he received in his role. He probably didn’t have to do military drill or rigorous exercise. This could have shaped the overwhelmingly positive view of the Hitler Youth taken by the author of source C.

How to answer the source utility question!

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwj88uClqJfUAhXrB8AKHSCZA3IQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fobjectshowfanonpedia.wikia.com%2Fwiki%2FLightbulb&psig=AFQjCNHETV0vARil4vUu7j9ceVXirGUPxg&ust=1496223122646928


41

The underlined bits in interpretation 2 show a negative view of the Hitler Youth.

Study Interpretations 1 and 2. They give different views about the attitudes of young people towards the Hitler

Youth movement.

Question 3b) What is the main difference between these views? Explain your answer, using details from both


Interpretation 1: From Germany 1918–45 by J Cloake, published

in 1997.

Interpretation 2: From Germany 1858–1990: Hope, Terror and

Revival by A Kitson, published in 2001.

The underlined bits in interpretation 1 show a positive view of the Hitler Youth.

Interpretation 1 is saying that many young people enjoyed Hitler Youth activities and the sense of teamwork.

Interpretation 2 is saying that young people resented the discipline of the HY, and the military nature of activities.

Many young people were attracted by the exciting and interesting

activities of the youth movements. There were many outdoor

events such as camping and hiking as well as sports. Some enjoyed

the military aspects of the youth movements, the uniforms, the

marching and the discipline. Other young people liked the music

that was a frequent part of cultural activities or the military parades.

There was great comradeship among the Hitler Youth.

The movement became less popular towards the late 1930s as the

activities became increasingly focused on preparations for war and

the discipline became more strict when membership became

compulsory. There was a growing resentment at the way Hitler

Youth leaders acted as if they were better than members who were

barely younger than they were. Some youngsters began to kick

against the restrictions of the Hitler Youth.

A grade 8 sample answer….

In this example (and the one on page 13) the difference is that one interpretation is positive and the other is negative.

There may be other differences between the two interpretations you get in the exam, though. For example, one may

write about change, and the other about continuity. Or if both interpretations are about the causes of an event, then

perhaps they emphasize different causes.


42

Question 3c) Suggest one reason why interpretations 1 and 2 give different views about the attitudes of young

people towards the Hitler Youth movement. You may use Sources B and C to help explain your answer. (4 marks)

Remember, there are 3 possible reasons why interpretations of the past can differ– weight, focus and partiality. To see an explanation of these, turn to page 14. You only need to write about ONE reason.

Here are three alternative answers to Q3c. All of them are valid, even though they give different explanations. All of them are grade 8…..

One reason why the interpretations differ is because the authors have given weight to different sources. The author of interpretation 1 has looked at sources such as source C, which reflect positive attitudes towards Hitler Youth, highlighting the attractions of the movement. The author of interpretation 2, however, has based their view on negative accounts such as source B, which stress the less popular activities of Hitler Youth.

For example, source C says “what I liked...was the comradeship…..and then there were the trip!...Is there anything nicer?” This provides support for interpretation 1, which says “there was great comradeship” and “many young people were attracted by...outdoor events such as camping”. Source B says “It’s army life...we would like to have athletics...instead we have military exercises”. This provides some support for interpretation 2, which says “activities became increasingly focused on preparations for war”, and reports that there was a ”growing resentment” among members.

One reason why the interpretations differ is because the authors have a different focus. Interpretation 1 focuses on the activities carried out at Hitler Youth meetings and camps, whereas interpretation 2 focuses on the treatment of members by the leaders of Hitler Youth.

For example, interpretation 1 says “many young people were attracted by the exciting and interesting activities”, and gives examples of activities such as camping, hiking and military parades. Interpretation 2 says “there was a growing resentment at the way Hitler Youth leaders acted”. It also mentions the strict discipline.

One reason why the interpretations differ is because they are partial extracts. Interpretation 1 focuses on the earlier, pre-1936 days of the movement. It highlights what attracted young Germans to volunteer to join the Hitler Youth. Interpretation 2 is more about the later years of the movement, after it had become compulsory to join Hitler Youth. Therefore, it stresses the negative attitudes of young people who had been coerced into signing up. Interpretation 2 also picks up on the increasingly military nature of Hitler Youth in the years leading up to WW2.

For example, interpretation 1 says “many young people were attracted by the exciting and interesting activities”. Interpretation 2, however, says that Hitler Youth “became less popular towards the late 1930s”. It says that activities were “increasingly focused on preparations for war”.


43

Interpretation 2: From Germany 1858–1990: Hope, Terror and

Revival by A Kitson, published in 2001.

Many young people were attracted by the exciting and

interesting activities of the youth movements. There were

many outdoor events such as camping and hiking as well as

sports. Some enjoyed the military aspects of the youth

movements, the uniforms, the marching and the discipline.

Other young people liked the music that was a frequent part of

cultural activities or the military parades. There was great

comradeship among the Hitler Youth.

The movement became less popular towards the late 1930s as the

activities became increasingly focused on preparations for war and

the discipline became more strict when membership became

compulsory. There was a growing resentment at the way Hitler

Youth leaders acted as if they were better than members who were

barely younger than they were. Some youngsters began to kick

against the restrictions of the Hitler Youth.

Question 3d) How far do you agree with Interpretation 2 about the attitudes of young people towards the Hitler

Youth movement? Explain your answer, using both interpretations and your knowledge of the historical context.

(16 marks + up to 4 marks for SPaG)

Think of this question as being like a FOR and AGAINST essay…..

The examiner is looking to see if you can select facts

from your own knowledge of the topic to back up and argue against what the

interpretations say.

The more precise your knowledge is, the better. This means including names, dates, statistics and specialist terms.

Interpretation 1: From Germany 1918–45 by J Cloake, published

in 1997.

HY’s key objective was to prepare boys to be soldiers. This involved military style activities and sport to develop physical fitness, and activities designed to develop those qualities thought to be desirable in future soldiers (bravery, courage, teamwork), such as mock battles and jumping out of first floor windows.

For working class children, summer camps were perhaps the only opportunity they would have had to go on holiday.

“Cultural activities” were designed to indoctrinate the young, eg. reading Der Sturmer, watching films like The Eternal Jew and studying fact-files about the ‘injustices’ of the Treaty of Versailles.

Some young people formed groups such as the Edelweiss Pirates and Swing Youth, to resist Nazi indoctrination and rebel against the restrictions of the regime. They listened to American jazz and swing—”racially inferior” music—and told anti-Nazi jokes. The Pirates even beat up members of Hitler Youth – some areas in major cities were no-go areas for the HY.

Membership became compulsory in 1936. By 1939 there were approx. 7 million members, but many escaped joining. As membership became more widespread there would have been less committed members. The original, popular activities which had initially attracted voluntary membership were replaced with military preparations.

Many young people resented the way in which the Nazis banned other youth organisations in 1933 (Church ones which had formerly been protected by the Concordat were also banned in 1936).


44

FULL MARK/GRADE 8 ANSWER

Interpretation 2 takes the view that there was a negative attitude among young people towards the Hitler Youth. It says that the movement became less popular. To some extent this is valid. As interpretation 2 points out, membership of the HY became compulsory in 1936. This meant that there would be less committed and enthusiastic members. At the same time, the Nazis banned other youth organisations, such as Church run groups which had formerly been protected by the Concordat. This would have led to a growing feeling of resentment, which is mentioned in interpretation 2. By 1939, there were 7 million members, but this constituted only 80% of young people, so it is clear that many young people escaped joining. Interpretation 2 says that another reason for HY being unpopular was that activities became increasingly focused on preparations for war. This certainly would have been likely after 1935, when Germany started to rearm. Interpretation 2 states that some young people began to “kick against the restrictions of Hitler Youth”. Indeed, some young people formed groups such as the Edelweiss Pirates and Swing Youth, to resist Nazi indoctrination. They listened to American jazz and swing—”racially inferior” music—and told anti-Nazi jokes. The Pirates even beat up members of Hitler Youth. Some areas in major cities were no-go areas for the HY.

Interpretation 1 challenges the view given in interpretation 2. It takes the view that young people’s attitudes towards the Hitler Youth were positive. It says that “some enjoyed the military aspects” of Hitler Youth. It is true that HY’s key objective was to prepare boys to be soldiers. This involved sport to develop physical fitness, rifle shooting practice, and activities designed to develop those qualities thought to be desirable in future soldiers, such as bravery, courage and teamwork, through mock battles and jumping out of first-floor windows. Interpretation 1 also highlights the opportunity to go camping with the Hitler Youth. For many working class children, this would have been their only chance of a holiday, so this would have led to many young people having a positive view of HY. Interpretation 1 mentions that children enjoyed “cultural activities”. HY meetings were an opportunity for the Nazi Party to indoctrinate young Germans. Children had group readings of ‘Der Sturmer’, watched films like ‘The Eternal Jew’ and studied fact-files about the ‘injustices’ of the Treaty of Versailles and the history of the Nazi Party.

Overall, interpretation 2 provides a more convincing assessment of the attitudes of young Germans towards the Hitler Youth movement. The Hitler Youth came to be an increasingly regimented, harsh and controlling environment, especially after membership became compulsory in 1936. Its primary function was to prepare boys for the military, both physically and mentally. Whilst some children would have liked this, it was not for everyone, as shown by the fact that 20% of young people declined to join the Hitler Youth, even when required to by the state. Although it could be argued that membership of alternative groups such as a Edelweiss Pirates remained negligible (they numbered 2000 by 1939), it is clear that there were many young people who resented the lack of freedom given to them by the Nazis, even if they were not prepared to openly defy expectations.


45

Nazi policy towards womenNazi policy towards women

What were Nazi policies towards women (appearance, jobs, expectations)?

How did this compare to expectations of women/women’s lives during the Weimar Republic years?

How and why did Nazi policy towards women change from 1937?

What impact did Nazi policies have?

How successful were they?

The Nazis had a much more traditional view of what German women should be like…..The Nazis had a much more traditional view of what German women should be like….. The Nazis believed men and women had different roles. A man’s role was as a worker or soldier. A

woman’s place was in the home, having children and caring for her family.

The Nazis were worried by the decline in the birth rate –

1900: over 2 million live births per year

1933: under 1 million live births per year

Contraception and working women were causing this decline. If Germany was to become a great power again, it needed to increase its population.

You will need to know what life was like for women under the Weimar Republic

so that you can explain how the lives of women changed under the Nazi

dictatorship).

The i

deal

Nazi

woma

nTh

e ide

al Na

zi wo

man


46

How and why did the Nazis How and why did the Nazis change their policies towards change their policies towards women from 1937 onwards?women from 1937 onwards?

Germany was rearming. Men were joining the army. Women were needed in armaments factories.

Marriage loans were abolished.

Women had to serve a compulsory ‘duty year’ after entering employment.

The Nazis still didn’t give up on their other aim – for women to produce more children!


47

Exam STUFF!

Try coming up with your own useful and not so useful points for the sources/question above. If you’re unsure, you can check the advice

for source utility questions on page 29.

The Nazis and the ChurchesThe Nazis and the Churches

For the Nazis, the Churches were a problem. How could Germans be loyal to both God and their Fuhrer? However, when

it came to

managing the

Churches, Hitler

had to tread

carefully. Whilst

there were

some

arguments for

destroying

Churches, there

were other

arguments

against

destroying

them. Can you

work out which

bubbles are

which?

How useful are sources B and C for an enquiry into the attitudes of Germans

towards Nazi policies towards women? Explain your answer, using Sources B

and C and your own knowledge of the historical context. (8 marks)

Source B: from an interview with Gertrud Draber in 2001, in

which she remembers what it was like to be a young woman in

Nazi Germany

Source C: a poster produced by the Social Democratic Party,

published in 1930. It shows women as slaves of the Nazi state. It

says ‘Women! This is what it will be like in the Third Reich!’


48

Case study: the role of pastor niemoller in opposing the Nazis

In 1933, Niemoller and other Protestant pastors (ministers) set up the Pastors’ Emergency League (PEL). They opposed the merging of Protestant Churches into a single, national Reich Church.

In 1934, the PEL set up the Confessional Church. This meant that there were now two Protestant Churches in Germany—the Reich Church, who accepted Nazi interference in the running of their Church, and the Confessional Church, which opposed Nazi interference.

About 2000 pastors remained in the German Reich Church (also known as the German Christian Church), but about 6000 joined the Confessional Church, in opposition to Nazi policy. Some pastors spoke out against the Nazis. About 800 were arrested and sent to concentration camps, including Niemoller.

It should be noted that Niemoller had mixed feelings about Nazism. Whilst he opposed Nazi interference in the running of the Church, he didn’t oppose measures taken against Jews.


49

Can you complete the answer by adding in a second inference, supported with a quote from the source?

The Jews were a key target

for persecution by the Nazis.

By 1945, approximately 6

million Jews had been

murdered by the Nazis.

However, the Nazis didn’t

just persecute Jews; many

other minorities, some of

which are shown on the left,

were also targeted by the

Nazis.

Besides which minorities

were persecuted, you need

to know:

For what reasons were

Jews and other minorities

persecuted?

How were they

persecuted?

What impact did

persecution have on the

lives of Jews?

Exam STUFF!

Source A: from a book about the history of Germany, 1858-1990, published in

Give two things you can infer from source A about Nazi attitudes towards the Churches in Germany. (4 marks)

(i) What I can infer: The Nazis were afraid to take on the power of the Churches, due to the outcry this could cause from the German people.

Details in the source that tell me this: It says “The Nazis never quite had the courage to destroy the Churches ….and risk the opposition”.

(ii) What I can infer: ?.

Details in the source that tell me this: ?

Here’s the start of an answer….

The persecution of minoritiesThe persecution of minorities

*Slavs: a term referring to Eastern Europeans, including Poles and Russians.


50

For what reasons were Jews and other minorities persecuted?

Explain why Hitler carried out a policy of persecution

of the Jews and other minority groups in the years 1933-39. You may use the

following in your answer: • Social Darwinism • Germany’s defeat in WW1. You

must also use information of your own. (12 marks)

Exam STUFF!

One reason why there was a policy of persecution was because

Hitler believed that Jews were to blame for Germany’s past

problems. For example, Hitler said that Jewish soldiers had

weakened the Germany army during WW1, leading to Germany’s

defeat. Hitler also blamed ‘greedy’ Jewish moneylenders for the

hyperinflation of 1923 and the Great Depression. Jews were

scapegoated for these problems because Hitler believed that Jews

were out to undermine Germany. Therefore, Hitler persecuted them because it was convenient

– people wanted someone to blame for Germany’s past problems – and because persecuting

them would remove the ‘enemy within’ who were ‘sabotaging’ Germany.

Another reason Hitler persecuted the Jews was because of the theory of Social Darwinism. This

applied Darwin’s theory of natural selection to races of humans. Hitler saw Aryans as the

‘fittest’ of the species and saw Jews and other minorities as the inferior ‘subhumans’ who

would naturally die out in time. Hitler wished to create a pure Aryan state out of Germany.

Therefore, Hitler persecuted minorities because he thought that

sterilising and eventually exterminating Jews, Gypsies and other

minorities would give nature a helping hand. This way,

Hitler could create an Aryan ‘master race’ more quickly.

Make sure you link Back to the question to get above a GRADE 4. Can you bring this answer above a grade 5 by writing about a third

reason?


51

How did the Nazis deal with so calledHow did the Nazis deal with so called ‘‘burdens on the Volkburdens on the Volk’’ ((German communityGerman community)’)’??

Propaganda A propaganda campaign stirred up resentment towards minorities who were a ‘burden’ on the Volk.

Sterilisation In 1933, the Nazis passed a Sterilisation Law. It allowed the Nazis to sterilise people with certain illnesses such

as ‘simple-mindedness’ and alcoholism. These terms were interpreted very freely. During the Nazis’ time in

power, up to 350,000 men and women were compulsorily sterilised. Concentration

camps By 1936, the ‘work shy’, tramps, beggars, alcoholics, prostitutes, homosexuals and juvenile delinquents were

being sent to CCs. In 1938, a round-up netted around 11,000 beggars, tramps and Gypsies, most of whom

were sent to Buchenwald CC. Many Germans welcomed this removal of ‘awkward customers’.

Euthanasia In 1939 the Nazis secretly began to exterminate the mentally ill in a euthanasia programme. 6000 disabled

babies, children and teenagers were murdered by starvation or lethal injections.

What measures were taken against Jews?

In particular, you need

to know about these

two developments.

Note that the picture

next to the

‘Nuremberg Laws’ title

is of a bench in a

German public park. It

says ‘for Aryans only’.


52

Explain why there were changes to the lives of Jewish people in Nazi

Germany in the years 1933-39. You may use the following in your answer:

• the Nuremberg Laws 1935 • Kristallnacht 1938.

You must also use information of your own. (12 marks)

A full mark, grade 8 answer:

One reason why the lives of German Jews changed was because of the Nuremberg Laws

of 1935. The Nuremberg Laws of 1935 removed civil rights and citizenship from

Jewish people. Jews were treated as outcasts in society are were not considered to be

part of the Volk. The Law for the Protection of German Blood & Honour banned

marriage between Jews and Aryans as well as sexual relationships between them. This

led to changes in the lives of German Jews because they were now subjects, not citizens.

They lost the right to vote and were seen as un-German. In fact, they were termed

‘subhuman’.

Another reason why the lives of Jewish people changed was because of the Night of the

Broken Glass, or Kristallnacht, in 1938. This was a wave of anti-Semitic rioting in

Germany. Over 800 Jewish shop windows were smashed and 100 Jews were killed. In

the aftermath, 20,000 Jews were sent to concentration camps, and those remaining

behind were ordered to pay for the damage. This led to changes in the lives of German

Jews because the non-Jewish German people had begun to violently turn against Jews,

taken in by Hitler’s anti-Semitic views and propaganda. The Jews were persecuted

increasingly during the 1930s, and the events of Kristallnacht made it very clear to

Germany’s Jewish community that they were no longer welcome.

A final reason why the lives of Jewish people changed was because of the Nazi

government’s determination to financially ruin the German Jewish community. In

1933, the SA launched a boycott of Jewish shops and businesses. They painted ‘Jude’

and the Star of David on Jewish shop windows. Non-Jewish Germans were told that

they were traitors if they failed to cooperate with the boycott. In 1938, a law was

passed saying that all Jews had to register their possessions, including their businesses

and properties. This made it easier for the state to confiscate them. This led to changes

in the lives of German Jews because they were stripped of their careers, possessions and

livelihoods. They were not allowed to share in their country’s wealth.

Exam STUFF!

Common mistakes when answering questions about Nazi policy towards the JewsCommon mistakes when answering questions about Nazi policy towards the Jews

1. Writing about the Final Solution, eg. death camps, Jews being killed/gassed in concentration camps, the sterilisation of Jews and Jewish prisoners being experimented upon. All of these things happened AFTER 1939, during WW2. your syllabus only goes up to 1939. Therefore, if you write about events after 1939, you will not gain any marks for it.

2. Writing about ghettos – these were not built in Germany (only in countries occupied by the Nazis during WW2). Your syllabus only covers Germany, not the nations it occupied during WW2, because it doesn’t cover WW2 either! Ghettos are beyond the period AND beyond Germany!!

Why did this get full marks?

The student starts each paragraph by identifying a clear, relevant reason (underlined). 3 reasons are explained.

The answer contains well selected, precise, factual knowledge, using specialist language

It links back to the question at the end (showing analysis), explaining why each reason led to changes in the lives of Jewish people in Nazi Germany (underlined)


53

More Exam STUFF!

Study Interpretations 1 and 2. They give different views about the events of Kristallnacht in 1938.

Question 3b) What is the main difference between these views? Explain your answer, using details from both interpretations. (4 marks)

Question 3c) Suggest one reason why interpretations 1 and 2 give different views about the events of Kristallnacht. (4 marks)

Interpretation 1: from The Third Reich in Power, by

R.J. Evans, published 2006.

Interpretation 2: from Life in Germany, by Steve

Waugh, published 2009.

The extent of support for the Nazi regimeThe extent of support for the Nazi regime Generally within Germany during the period 1933-39, there was a high level of conformity, or acceptance, of Hitler and the Nazis and their policies. Why?

Censorship and propaganda—Goebbels ensured that criticism of the Nazis was banned, and that the media was used to spread positive messages about the Nazis.

Economic success—between 1933 and 1939, Hitler reduced unemployment from 6 million to 300,000.

Foreign policy successes—Germany’s international standing grew, and aspects of the Treaty of Versailles were overturned. Eg. the Saar was returned to Germany in 1935, and conscription was re-introduced to build up the army after 1935. However, there were several areas of opposition to the Nazis, shown below.


54

The Nazi EconomyThe Nazi Economy You need to know about these three subYou need to know about these three sub--topics….topics….

The Standard of LivingThe Standard of Living

The diagram on the next page shows whether or not Germans were better off under the Nazis. Here are some extra notes to help explain the diagram….

STRENGTH THROUGH JOY (KdF) STRENGTH THROUGH JOY (KdF) This organisation was set up to replace

trade unions. It promised to improve the leisure time of workers by offering concert and theatre trips, museum visits, holidays and cruises. However, the reality was that

few workers could afford the more expensive activities such as cruises.


55

THE BEAUTY OF LABOUR THE BEAUTY OF LABOUR This was a department of the KdF which aimed to

improve working conditions. It organised the building of canteens and sports facilities, and installed better lighting in the workplace. However, it caused a lot of resentment among workers as they found that they had to carry out improvements themselves in

their spare time and without pay!

THE VOLKSWAGEN SCHEME THE VOLKSWAGEN SCHEME In 1938 the Labour Front

(see below) organised a scheme which gave workers the opportunity to save up for a car. They paid 5 marks a week into savings fund. The idea was that they would eventually save up enough to purchase a car. However, by the time war broke out in 1939 not a single customer had received a car. None of the money was refunded.

FOOD PRICES AND CONSUMPTION FOOD PRICES AND CONSUMPTION The

consumption of most foods decreased because food items were in short supply. All basic groceries, except fish, cost

more in 1939 than they did in 1933. Therefore, the cost of living increased. Why was food in short supply? Partly because it was

government policy to reduce agricultural production, in order to keep prices high for the farmers’ benefit (the Nazis had made them an election

promise in 1932). Another reason why food was in short supply was because the Nazis were determined to reduce imports. If Germany was going to go to war, it needed to be self sufficient. It couldn’t depend on other nations for food! Thus,

consumption of imported foods like tropical fruit, fell.


56

Reason 1: REAL WAGES* DECREASED, WHICH MEANT A LOWER STANDARD OF LIVING

• Average weekly wages rose from 86 marks in 1932 to 109 marks per week in 1938…….

• But weekly hours of work also increased from 43 to 47 during this period

Food prices of most basic groceries rose, due to the Nazi policy of keeping farmers’ profits high

*’Real wages’ = how much your wages will actually buy, once the cost of living has been taken into account

Reason 2: GOVERNMENT CONTROL OF THE ECONOMY MEANT LESS RIGHTS FOR WORKERS

• Trade unions banned/strikes were made illegal. The organisations and schemes set up to compensate workers for their loss of rights were a sham …….

• Beauty of Labour involved overtime

• Strength Through Joy unaffordable

VW car scheme was a con

Reason 3: UNEMPLOYMENT WAS REDUCED FROM 6 MILLION TO 300,000 BETWEEN 1933 AND 1939, WHICH WAS GOOD FOR SOME

Can you plan out the knowledge/facts you would use to develop this reason?

Exam STUFF!

Explain why the standard of living for people in Germany changed in the years 1933-39. You may use the following

in your answer: • wages • trade unions. You must also use information of your own (12 marks)


57

Last bit of Exam STUFF! Study Interpretations 1 and 2. They give different views about the standard of living of German workers in Nazi Germany.

Question 3b) What is the main difference between these views? Explain your answer, using details from both interpretations. (4 marks)

Question 3c) Suggest one reason why interpretations 1 and 2 give different views about the standard of living of German workers. (4 marks)

Question 3d) How far do you agree with Interpretation 2 about the standard of living of German workers? Explain your answer, using both interpretations and your knowledge of the historical context. (16 marks + up to 4 marks for SPaG)

Interpretation 1: from Life in

Germany, by Steve Waugh,

published in 2009.

Interpretation 2: from Weimar

and Nazi Germany, by J Hite

and C Hinton, published 2000.


58

Exam question writing frames

Q1 Give two things you can infer from source A about…

(4 marks)

Aim to provide two supported inferences

Do not use your own knowledge in this question

In the exam, you will be given a template to fill in

Q2 Explain why………..You may use the following in your answer: • ________ • __________. You must also use information of your own (12 marks)

You are given two bullet points to write about.

Your 1st and 2nd reason could be the bullet points which are given in the Q (but don’t have to be). At least one of your 3 reasons must be one you have thought of yourself.

Q3a How useful are sources B and C for an enquiry into ____________? Explain your answer, using Sources B and C and your own knowledge of the historical context. (8 marks)

See page 26 for how much time to spend on each type of question.

4 points (2 per source) are enough for full marks, as long as you are using your own knowledge and you are

commenting on what the sources say/show (the content) as well as their nature OR origins OR purpose. It doesn’t

matter whether your points are positive or negative, and you don’t need a conclusion or judgement at the end of

your answer.

For more advice and guidance, see page 29.

Q3b Study Interpretations 1 and 2. They give different views about __________________________

What is the main difference between these views? Explain your answer, using details from both



59

Question 3c Suggest one reason why interpretations 1 and 2 give different views about

__________________. You may use Sources B and C to help explain your answer. (4 marks)

For Q3c, there are 3 possible reasons. See page 42

for further guidance.

Question 3d) How far do you agree with Interpretation 2 about ________? Explain your answer, using

both interpretations and your knowledge of the historical context. (16 marks + up to 4 marks for SPaG)

See pages 16 and 44 for sample answers.

Documents

GCSE HISTORY GERMANY 1918--1939 REVISION1939 REVISION