Independent learning BookletGermany 1890-1945

Exam Guidance for AQA Germany, 1890–1945: democracy and dictatorship

There are six types of question on this paper:

(Interpretations) How do they differ about... (4 marks)

(Interpretations) Why might they have different interpretations? (4 marks)

(Interpretations) Which is more convincing? (8 marks)

Describe two successes/failures/features... (4 marks)

How did [ _ ] affect... (8 marks)

Which was more important for... (12 marks)

The first three questions are focused on two written historical interpretations. You should look on questions 1, 2, and 3 as making one big question worth 16 marks in total.

Interpretation A

Albert Speer went on to become the Nazi Minister for weapons. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison after the war and released in 1966. He considers the impact of the Depression on support for the Nazi party.

In a time when nothing in the democratic process seemed to work, Hitler's words sounded a loud call to many young men who by 1931 were convinced of the necessity for bold, new remedies for Germany’s deep troubles. The succession of patched-up coalition governments that governed neither long nor well and could find no answers at all to Germany's economic depression.

Albert Speer, writing in his book, Inside the Third Reichwritten in 1960.

Interpretation B

William Shirer was an American journalist who reported from Berlin between 1933-1940. He considers the impact of the First World War on support for the Nazis.

Adolf Hitler could not bear the disaster which befell his beloved Fatherland in November 1918. To him, as to almost all Germans, it was “monstrous” and undeserved. The German Army had not been defeated in the field. It had been stabbed in the back by the traitors at home. Thus emerged for Hitler, as for so many Germans, a fanatical belief in the legend of the “stab in the back” which, more than anything else, was to undermine the Weimar Republic and pave the way for Hitler’s ultimate triumph.

William L. Shirer, writing in his book, The Rise and fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany written in 1960.

1-How do they differ about... (4 marks)Example:

How does Interpretation B differ from Interpretation A about why the Nazis were able to replace the Weimar Republic? Explain your answer using Interpretations A and B.

Tips:

This type of question assesses your comparison and analysis of two interpretations based on their content, their nature, origin and purpose, and on your contextual knowledge of the topic.

The first four-mark question is asking you to describe the differences in the content of the two interpretations. What do they say that is different about the historical situation that they are covering?

Make sure that you don’t discuss why they differ, because that comes in the next question.

2-Why might they have different interpretations? (4 marks)Example:

Why might the authors of Interpretations A and B (see page one) have a different interpretation about why the Nazis were able to replace the Weimar Republic? Explain your answer using Interpretations A and B and your contextual knowledge.

Tips:

The second four-mark question is asking you to consider the origin and purpose of the two interpretations so you can try to explain why they put forward the different views that you have described in the first question.

You need to think about how the authors’ backgrounds would have affected the way that they viewed the particular historical situation they are describing. See if you can connect their backgrounds to the things that they are saying in the extract you are given.

3-Which is more convincing? (8 marks)Example:

Which interpretation (see page one) do you find more convincing about why the Nazis were able to replace the Weimar Republic? Explain your answer using Interpretations A and B and your contextual knowledge.

Tips:

The final eight-mark question about the two interpretations asks you to compare them again, but this time you are deciding which of the two is more convincing.

You need to discuss both of the interpretations; using your contextual knowledge to explain why you think it is convincing and explaining why one is more convincing than the other. You should also come to an overall judgement about which of the two is more convincing, with clear and detailed contextual knowledge to support it.

Make sure that you use plenty of your own knowledge in this question. You should consider the accuracy of the content within the interpretations and the balance of the views that are expressed.

4-Describe two successes/failures/features... (4 marks)Example:

Describe two of Gustav Stresemann’s successes in dealing with the problems faced by the Weimar Republic in 1923 .

Tips:

You need to identify two aspects that answer the question, but you also need to explain how the factors were successful in relation to the problems.

Make sure that you don’t write too much for this four-mark question. Two clear points with an explanation is all that is needed. You could easily write a whole essay on the topic, but that’s not what is required.

5-How did [ _ ] affect... (8 marks)Example:

In what ways was Germany affected by the ambitions of Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1890-1914? Explain your answer .

The question will ask you to explain how a group or development was affected by a key event or development.

You need to talk about more than one change that resulted from the feature, such as the lack of democratic political participation resulting from the autocracy of the Kaiser. You also need to extend the analysis of the ideas showing a more sophisticated understanding of change, such as a consideration of different groups in Germany and how they would have been affected differently by approaches.

Make sure that you use detailed accurate knowledge to support your ideas.

6-Which was more important for... (12 marks)Example :

Which of the following was the more important reason why the Nazi German state was described as totalitarian?

Nazi policies towards women.

Nazi control of media and propaganda.

Explain your answer with reference to both reasons.

This question requires knowledge, understanding and analysis of historical events. It will take the format of an essay requiring a judgement.

Write an extended response following a sustained line of reasoning which is coherent, relevant, substantiated and logically structured.

You should discuss the two bullet points using accurate historical knowledge in relation to the idea in the question; you also need to use an extensive range of knowledge about German society.

You should make a clear, balanced judgement based on extensive knowledge of both factors and showing how they connected together. Make sure that you are very clear about the meaning of key words in the question, and make sure that what you write is relevant to those key words. So, here, you would want to be very clear about 'totalitarian' and keep referring to it in your writing.

Guidance on structuring answersUse a PEEL structure for your paragraphs:

P = Point

The first sentence of each paragraph should clearly state the point of the paragraph which in turn should be directly connected to the overall theme of the question. Be precise and clear about what you will be discussing.

E = Evidence

Provide evidence to support your point and the theme of the answer. Make the evidence specific, eg use key terms, dates and names. Be precise with the facts – don’t generalise.

E = Explain

Interpret the evidence and show how it agrees or disagrees with the question theme.

L = Link

When providing the link sentence at the end of your paragraph you are not only linking back to the rest of the paragraph and the main idea but you are also allowing for a transition to the next topic or paragraph.

Knowledge Questions-How many correct answers can you get?Germany 1890-1945 Knowledge Quiz. BASIC DEVELOPED COMPLEX1) What was the name of Germany’s last Emperor (Kaiser)? _____________________________________________

2) Why was socialism growing in influence by 1900? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3) Why did the Naval Laws, 1898-1912, cause problems within Germany? __________________________________

4) Why were there shortages of food, medicine and clothing during World War One, and what did this lead to? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

5) What was the electoral system used in Weimar Germany called, and why was this a problem? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6) What was Article 48? __________________________________________________________________________

7) How many different governments did Germany have between 1919 and 1932? _____________________________

8) Complete this table to outline the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.L (Land) Name three changes of territory,

including who the land went to.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A (Army) Name three military restrictions. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

M (Money) What was the reparations amount?

____________________________________________________

B (Blame) Which article of the Treaty was the War Guilt Clause?

____________________________________________________

What did Germany call the Treaty?

____________________________________________________

& (What else?)

What was set up by the Treaty? ____________________________________________________

9) In 1922, when Germany announced that it could not ______________________, troops from ___________ and ______________ marched into and took over the German industrial area of the ________. The German government then ordered workers in this area to _____________, and _______________________ in order to pay them. This meant that ________________________________ and prices were raised, leading the government to ________________________________ - causing hyperinflation.

10) Who were the Spartacists and why were they unsuccessful in taking over Berlin in 1919? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

11) Why did some people actually benefit from hyperinflation, despite most suffering from poverty and unemployment? ______________________________________________________________________________________________

12) Why did the 1920 Kapp Putsch fail after 100 hours? _________________________________________________

13) Why was the Munich Putsch a success for Hitler in the long-term? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

14) How did Gustav Stresemann help Germany recover from each of these problems?a) Hyperinflation

__________________________________________________________________________b) Invasion of the Ruhr

____________________________________________________________________c) Reparations were too high

________________________________________________________________d) Germany had lost its status as a great power

_________________________________________________

15) Why did some Germans hate the 1920s ‘Golden Age’ of Weimar culture in art, design, literature, nightlife and cinema? ______________________________________________________________________________________

16) How many Germans were unemployed by 1932 as a result of the Great Depression? _______________________17) Name four reasons why the Nazis grew in popularity after 1929.

a) ________________________________________ b) ________________________________________

c) ________________________________________ d) ________________________________________

18) Outline which Nazi policies appealed to each of these social groups.a) Farmers

______________________________________________________________________________b) Wealthy business owners

________________________________________________________________

c) Ex-soldiers ____________________________________________________________________________

19) The Nazis became the largest party in the Reichstag in _________. President Hindenburg refused to appoint Hitler as Chancellor because _____________________________________________. Ex-Chancellor ____________ convinced President Hindenburg to appoint Hitler as Chancellor because ___________________________________, but Hindenburg limited Hitler’s power by __________________________ and _______________________________.

20) Briefly answer these ten questions to explain how Hitler went from Chancellor to dictator.a) What happened on 27th Feb 1933, shortly before March’s election?

_______________________________b) What did the president then pass using Article 48?

____________________________________________c) What did this allow Hitler to do?

___________________________________________________________d) Why was Hitler disappointed with the March 1933 election results?

________________________________e) What was the Enabling Act?

______________________________________________________________f) Which other political party supported the Nazis by voting for the Enabling Act?

_______________________g) What did Hitler ban using the Enabling Act?

__________________________________________________h) Why did Hitler see Rohm as a threat to his leadership?

_________________________________________i) What was the Night of the Long Knives?

_____________________________________________________j) What gave Hitler ultimate power on 2nd Aug 1934?

_____________________________________________

21) What was the name of the first Nazi concentration camp, opened in 1933 for political prisoners? ______________

22) Answer these six questions on Nazi economic policy.a) What did all men aged 18-25 do in the National Labour Service (RAD)?

____________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

b) What were autobahns? __________________________________________________________________

c) How did Hitler create jobs and also reward his wealthier supporters? ______________________________

d) How else did Hitler reduce unemployment amongst men aged 18-25? _____________________________

e) What percentage of Germans were unemployed by 1939? ______________________________________

f) Why is this figure unreliable? ______________________________________________________________

23) What did Economic Minister Shacht do to help support Hitler’s plans, and why didn’t this please Hitler? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

24) When Goering took over as Economic Minister in 1936, what did his Four Year Plan aim to do? _______________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

25) Which two schemes did the German Labour Front (DAF) run, and what did each of them do?a)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

b) _____________________________________________________________________________________

26) How did workers lose their rights in the Nazi-run economy? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

27) List five ways in which the German public suffered during ‘Total War’. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

28) In schools and in youth movements, boys were prepared for a career in the _____________ and were taught Nazi versions of ________________. For example, they would learn about how unfair the __________________________ was. Problems in Maths and Science included calculations about how much money Germany would save if it got rid of _______________________. Time spent doing ______ trebled. Girls were taught how to be good ____________ and __________________. A new subject called ______________________ was introduced to indoctrinate students in incorrect Nazi racial beliefs. Teachers had to be __________, and _________ were not allowed to attend school.

29) What were the names of the youth organisations for boys and girls? ______________ & ____________________

30) What were the ‘Three C’s’ that women were supposed to focus on? _____________________________________

31) How were women ‘persuaded’ to give up work, but why wasn’t this ultimately successful? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

32) Explain two ways in which women were persuaded to have more children. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

33) What was the name of the 1933 agreement between the Nazis and the Catholic Church, and how did Hitler break this? _________________________________________________________________________________________

34) What did Hitler do to the Protestant churches? _____________________________________________________

35) What did some Protestants do in response to this, and why weren’t they successful? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

36) What is the term for discrimination against Jewish people? ____________________________________________

37) What percentage of the German population in 1933 was Jewish? ______________________________________

38) What did the Nuremberg Laws of 1935 do? ________________________________________________________

39) What happened on Kristallnacht in November 1938, and what was the outcome of this? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

40) Who were the Einsatzgruppen? _________________________________________________________________

41) Why did the treatment of Jewish people change in 1941? _____________________________________________

42) How many European Jews were murdered in the Holocaust? __________________________________________

43) Name two death camps and one concentration camp. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

44) Name one instance of armed Jewish resistance to the Holocaust. ______________________________________

45) Who were the Gestapo? _______________________________________________________________________

46) Why could there not be legal justice in Nazi Germany? _______________________________________________

47) Name three forms of Nazi propaganda. ___________________________________________________________

48) How did Goebbels try to keep up morale during World War Two? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

49) Who were these opposition youth groups and what did they do to oppose the Nazi regime?a) Edelweiss Pirates

______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

b) White Rose Movement __________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

50) What were the reasons for the July Bomb Plot, and why was it ultimately unsuccessful? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Key terms/ words/people do you know what they mean or what they did?

1-Spartacist revolt- 1919

2-Young Plan 1929-

3-Occupation of the Ruhr- 1923

4-Autarky

5-New Plan 1934-1936

6-Four Year plan 1936-1939

7-Goerring

8-Dawes Plan 1924

9-Enabling law March 1933

10-Kapp Putsch-1921

11-Beauty of Labour

12-Rationing

13-Schacht

14-Munich Putsch-1923

15-Emergency law Feb 1933

16-Kinde,Kirche,Kinde

17-Strength through joy

18-Locarno Treaty 1925

19-League of Nations 1926

20-Hitler Youth

21-Eugenics

22-Confessional Church

23-Concordat

24-Euthanasia

25-Chamber of Culture

26-Passive resistance

27-German Labour Front (DAF)

28-Assassinations

29-Public Work Schemes

30-National Labour Service (RAD)

31-Stresemann

32-Rentenmark

33-The Final solution

34-Political Intrigue

35-Nazi Teachers League

36- Proportional Representation

37-Marriage Loan

38-Gestapo

39-Concentration camps

40-Wall Street Crash 1929

41-informers

42-Death Camps

43-Versailles Treaty

44-Propaganda

45-Night of Long Knives-June 1934

46-Kristallnacht- 1938

47-Nuremberg Laws 1935

48-Weltpolitik

49-Socialists

50-Edelweiss Pirates

51-Whote Rose Group

52-Industrialisation

53-Sterilization

54-Hyperinflation 1923

55-Franz Papen

56-Kurt Von Schleicher

57-Article 48

58—Hindenburg