WORKBOOK ANSWERS

Edexcel GCSE (9–1)

History Workbook
Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918–39
This Answers document provides suggestions for some of the possible answers that students
could give for the questions asked in the Workbook. They are not exhaustive and other
answers may be acceptable, but they are intended as a guide to give teachers and students
feedback.

The Weimar Republic,

1918–21
The origins of the Republic, 1918–19
1 Friedrich Ebert was the first president of the Weimar Republic. His role was to appoint the
chancellor, who had the main backing from the Reichstag, to dismiss and call elections
and to be the supreme commander of the army. Philipp Scheidemann was the first
chancellor. His role was to run the country by proposing new laws and debating them
within the Reichstag.

2 You could include any two of the following:

 More people were able to vote in elections, such as all men and women over
the age of 20.

 Proportional representation allowed fairer representation within the

Reichstag. Each party would receive a number of seats based on the share of votes
they gained in an election.

 There were two people in charge of Germany: the president and the
chancellor. The president ensured that the chancellor worked fairly and the chancellor
could be appointed by the president and replaced. The president equally had a limited
capacity in power, as he was elected every 7 years.

 The head of government needed the support of ministers within the

Reichstag to pass laws.
 The Weimar Republic, 1918–21

3 Article 48 gave the president the power to suspend the constitution in an emergency and
make laws without the support of the Reichstag.

Earliest Latest

Prince German Kaiser Elections A coalition A new

Max of naval Wilhelm held for a governme German
Baden mutiny II Constitue nt is Republic
helps form abdicates nt formed is
a new Assembly with declared
governme Friedrich
nt Ebert as
president

Key word Definition

Constitution A set of rules defining the way that a

state is governed
Coalition government A government formed of more than one
political party
Reichstag The German parliament
Electorate Those people eligible to vote in
elections
Chancellor The title given to the new leader of
Germany, who would propose laws and
represent the nation
Republic A form of government in which the
people vote for political
representatives in an election — a
president, not a monarch, is usually
the highest representative

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 The Weimar Republic, 1918–21

Statement True/False?

Men and women over the age of 18 could vote for False — the
Reichstag members. voting age was
20 for both men
and women
Presidential elections were held every 7 years. True
The president could use Article 48 to enact laws True
without the involvement of the Reichstag.
Reichstag elections were held every 6 years. False —
elections were
held every 4
years
The Reichsrat could propose laws. False — the
Reichsrat could
not propose
laws

7 For these exam-style questions we need to remember what the mark scheme is asking for
and how to access the top marks. Remember to balance your answer if you can: use the
stimulus points, plus one other point in your answer. The following is a suggested outline
(this planning technique can be applied to the exam-style answers throughout the
Workbook):

i What was Article 48?

ii How did it cause problems for democracy?

iii What was proportional representation?

iv How did this cause a problem for democracy?

v Add a conclusion as to why Weimar either caused or did not cause problems for
democracy.

The Weimar Constitution caused problems for democracy the moment it was created in
1919. As soon as the Kaiser was forced to abdicate, a new government was hastily
introduced, which then brought about an end to the First World War. One of the features
within the Weimar Constitution was Article 48. This allowed the president to enact
emergency powers without having to consult with parliament. It gave him the ability to pass
laws quickly in order to deal with an emergency situation. This was a problem for
democracy because it meant that any president could pass any law, and if the Reichstag
wanted to vote against it the president could suspend parliament and call new elections. A
further problem for democracy was that this did not include a definition of the term
‘emergency’. In February 1933 it would allow Adolf Hitler to begin arresting opposition
groups when the Reichstag was burned down.
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 The Weimar Republic, 1918–21

Another way that the Weimar Constitution caused problems for democracy was in the
creation of its electoral system. Proportional representation allowed all parties running for
seats in Germany to be fairly represented within the Reichstag. This meant that the more
extreme parties would also gain seats in the Reichstag during times of strength and
weakness for the country. Proportional representation should also have prevented one
party from dominating and winning outright. However, when the financial crisis created by
the Wall Street Crash hit Germany, votes for the more extreme parties, such as the
National Socialists, rose, giving the party access to power.

The Weimar Constitution could also be seen as not having caused problems for
democracy. In 1929, before the world’s economic crash, the constitution had seen off
threats from extreme left-wing and right-wing violence and also strengthened the position
of Germany within Europe. It had allowed moderate parties, such as the Social Democratic
Party, which was originally led by Philipp Scheidemann, to take the lead. It had also
created universal suffrage, which allowed all men and women an equal say in who should
run their country.

Ultimately, the German people would find that their constitution had let them down by
allowing radical movements like the National Socialists to use the very rules of the Weimar
Constitution to undermine its power in 1933.

8 What I can infer:

I can infer that Germany lost the war and the French made the Germans accept the
Armistice terms.

Details in the source that tell me this:

We can tell that this is the case because ‘Germany’ is defenceless, in that he is being
made to keep his mouth wide open.

What I can infer:

I can also infer that the French were the main cause of anger for Germany.

Details in the source that tell me this:

We can tell that this is the case because the French leader Ferdinand Foch is force-
feeding the terms as soup in the picture.

Early challenges to the Weimar Republic,

1919–23
9 One possible answer could be:

Term Rank Explanation

(1–5)

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 The Weimar Republic, 1918–21

All colonies handed 3 Germany’s position in the world was

over to the Allies reduced, causing anger and cutting off
(Great Britain and the country from resources.
France)
Reparations (money to 1 Generations of Germans would need
pay damages) to pay the huge debt, making them
angry and resentful towards the Allied
powers.
Army to not exceed 4 Germany would be defenceless in any
100,000 troops future conflicts and was treated
differently to the rest of Europe.
Germany to accept 2 The German people would have to
blame for initiating the accept full responsibility. This would
First World War affect the economy and the country’s
position in Europe, fuelling resentment
towards other countries.
No union with Austria 5 German territory was to be reduced. It
(known as Anschluss) was also banned from joining with
Austria and its resources, therefore
reducing its ability to make money.

10 Politicians forced the German army to surrender in 1918.

11 a

Most extreme Least extreme

Kapp Putsch, Spartacist Communist rising Munich

1920 (right- rising, 1919 in the Ruhr, 1920 Putsch, 1923
wing) (left-wing) (left-wing) (right-wing)

b In terms of the most extreme threat, the Kapp Putsch, the government retreated and
only a strike brought an end to the uprising. In terms of the least extreme threat, the
Munich Putsch, there was no real threat as there was limited support for the uprising. It
was therefore squashed with ease.

12 Gustav Stresemann became the new chancellor (for a brief period) in 1923 and negotiated
the loan of US money to help repay reparations. He introduced a new currency in order to
stabilise hyperinflation and return confidence in the economy. He also enabled Germany to
be seen as a country that could once again be trusted. Although he accepted the Treaty of
Versailles, Germany became a member of the League of Nations and was beginning to be
trusted again in foreign affairs.

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 The Weimar Republic, 1918–21

13 a Spartacist revolt, 1919: the Weimar Republic was mildly successful. The government
had to use the Freikorps to tackle the violence and the president even fled Berlin during
the fighting. Freikorps were ex-army soldiers, more like a private military force.

b Occupation of the Ruhr, 1923: there was little success, as foreign troops had invaded
and it led to hyperinflation when the government chose to support the workers and
continue to pay them.

c Hyperinflation, 1923: the Weimar Republic tackled this well. New currency and loans
from the USA restored confidence and led to a new ‘golden age’ within Germany.

14

Statement Cause, immediate

consequence or
long-term
consequence?

French and Belgian troops occupied the Cause

Rhineland in January 1923, leading to passive
resistance in the Ruhr.
Loans from the USA were negotiated, allowing Long-term
Germany to pay back its reparations and begin a consequence
new programme of house and road building.
The currency became worthless as more and Immediate
more of it was printed. Those with savings or on consequence
a fixed income were most affected and blamed
the government for the crisis.
German workers in the Ruhr went on strike over Cause
the invasion of their homeland.
The German government backed the strikers and Immediate
continued to pay their wages by printing money. consequence
However, the government had to start importing
coal to cover the shortfall in production.
Reparations were finally set at £6.6 billion in Cause
1921. It was difficult for the German government
to pay this amount.
As the cost of items went up and the Immediate
government started to print more money, people consequence
suffered as prices soared.
In the summer of 1923 the new chancellor, Long-term
Gustav Stresemann, introduced a new currency, consequence
accepted the terms of the Treaty of Versailles
and sent the workers back to producing goods.
This helped to stabilise the situation.

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15 What I can infer:

The fighting was unplanned and disorganised.

Details in the source that tell me this:

We can see in the picture that men are lying dead in the street and others are running
towards houses, which suggests they did not know what they were doing.

What I can infer:

It was a dangerous time for civilians.

Details in the source that tell me this:

A civilian is wrestling with a man in the centre of the picture. It appears that there are no
other soldiers nearby and that the main fighting is happening in an urban area, suggesting
they want to take control of a city.

16 The Kapp Putsch was a right-wing coup involving the Freikorps and led by Wolfgang
Kapp. Its aim was to remove the Weimar government and establish itself as an
authoritarian leadership. It was a major threat to the Weimar Republic, as it was the only
revolt to temporarily overthrow the government. President Ebert had to flee Berlin,
undermining his position and emphasising the government’s weakness. The uprising was
only ended when Ebert called a general public strike. This shows either that the public
supported him or were so tired of revolution that they wanted some stability back in their
city. This uprising was therefore a significant threat, but it only lasted five days and was
defeated.

The Treaty of Versailles was somewhat of a threat to the Weimar Republic, in so far as it
tied the government’s hands. While it remained a part of the ending of the First World War,
the treaty forced reparations and war guilt on the German people, which would lead many
German citizens to hate it. However, under the leadership of Chancellor Stresemann the
Treaty of Versailles did not hold back prosperity and improvements to entertainment and
reconstruction. Therefore, although the treaty caused anger and would eventually lead to
support for the National Socialists post-1929, it was not as serious a threat to the Weimar
Republic as the Kapp Putsch, which showed how power could be seized by a small
military force.

The Dolchstoss theory (the belief that the Germany army did not lose the First World War
on the battlefield, but had been stabbed in the back by the leaders who signed the
Armistice) was prevalent among the veterans who made up the Freikorp, the main force of
the Kapp Putsch. However, it was not the only reason for the Kapp Putsch, and the fact
that the majority of citizens in Berlin agreed to strike in support of the Weimar government
suggests that the Dolchstoss theory was not so important to ordinary German citizens.

The Weimar Republic faced several threats, but it would be Wolfgang Kapp’s defeat of the
government that posed the greatest threat, as it temporarily removed President Ebert.
Stability was only restored through the actions of the public.

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 The Weimar Republic, 1918–21

Changes in society, 1924–29

17 a

Event Golden Why?

age
(Yes/No)?

The German actress Yes Dietrich was popular and seen

Marlene Dietrich in films across the world. She
became one of the helped to boost Germany’s
most popular film stars status.
in the world.
The Weimar Yes Writers and performers could
government relaxed express their own opinions,
censorship. which allowed criticism of the
government to rise. Ordinary
citizens also felt free to express
themselves.
US loans were called in No Germany could no longer afford
after the Wall Street to pay for its development and
Crash in 1929. the reparations, so it was left
with mass unemployment.
Up until 1930 the Yes A democratic party was winning
moderate Social in the elections and extreme
Democrats always won politics was in decline.
the most votes in the
Reichstag.
In literature, extreme No Freedom of speech gave more
radicals from both the people the opportunity to
left and right were able express themselves. However,
to publish their views. this allowed extremist views to
infiltrate society and undermine
the government.
Women over 20 could Yes Women were free to take part in
vote and became more government, making Germany
involved in politics. fairly represented.
In 1927, workers and Yes The welfare scheme ensured
organisations were that the unemployed were
required to pay into a supported. However, this did not
national scheme for help workers in 1929, since
unemployment welfare. there was mass unemployment.
The second reparations Yes This allowed the German
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 The Weimar Republic, 1918–21

negotiation, the Young government to put money back

Plan (1929), extended into rebuilding Germany. New
the period for roads, new jobs and new
repayment and reduced schemes encouraged economic
the debt by about 20%. growth.

b Germany was undergoing a golden age, as the government had managed to secure a
better position within Europe through various treaties and negotiations. An extension of the
reparations bill enabled Germany to keep spending on amenities without defaulting on the
cost of reparations. The benefits of this were that cultural achievements were encouraged
and people started to move on from the First World War. However, underneath these
promising developments lay elements of discontent. Some German people did not like the
fact that their government had so readily accepted the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.

18

Key word Example

Employment By 1933 there were 100,000 female teachers

and 3,000 new doctors.
Politics The Reichstag issued decrees that created
greater equality in education and in civil service
appointments.
Housing By 1929 the state was spending 33 times more
on housing than it had been in 1913.
Leisure Women could go out unescorted and drink and
smoke in public.
Art Otto Dix, a former soldier during the First World
War, created realistic depictions of the brutality
of war, and ordinary, everyday life in the
Weimar Republic.
Architecture The Bauhaus movement introduced an
innovative and modernist style that united
simplified forms with vivid colours and unusual
materials.
Literature The German historians Arthur Moeller van den
Bruck and Oswald Spengler were highly critical
of German democracy.
Cinema The filmmaker Fritz Lang helped to create a
new sense of the future with his 1927 film
Metropolis.

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 The Weimar Republic, 1918–21

19

Event Date Explanation

Locarno treaties 1925 Germany agreed to its borders with France

and Belgium.
Kellogg-Briand 1928 Along with other nations, Germany agreed to
Pact keep its army for self-defence only.
Stresemann 1926 The chancellor was awarded the prize for
awarded the working hard to improve relations between
Nobel Peace Germany and France.
Prize
League of 1926 Germany was finally accepted into the
Nations international organisation, proving that the
country was recognised as a ‘Great Power’.
Dawes Plan 1924 The Reichsbank was reorganised. Loans
arrived from the USA, reparations would
begin again and the Ruhr would be
evacuated.
Allied troops 1925 Belgian and French troops left the Ruhr after
evacuated from reparation payments restarted.
the Ruhr
Young Plan 1929 The US banker Owen Young proposed a new
way to spread the cost of the reparation
payments through his plan.
Wall Street 1929 The US stock market crash meant that the
Crash USA recalled their loans to Germany. The
crash plunged Germany and the rest of the
world into an economic depression.

20

a Due to the increased spending on housing, homelessness was reduced by 60% by

1928.

b By 1928 real wages had risen by 12%.

c Due to increases in state spending, by 1929 the state was now spending 33 times
more on housing than it had in 1913.

d There were 32 female deputies in the Reichstag in 1926.

e By 1933 there were more female teachers because of the Weimar Republic.

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21 For example:

22 By 1929 the Weimar Republic had removed censorship and allowed a great many
freedoms to develop. Women found a more equal role within politics and society. There
were more female deputies in the Reichstag and all women over the age of 20 could vote.
One of the most famous women of the time was Marlene Dietrich, who starred in several
major films, helping to make Germany the centre of a golden age in cinema — one that
could rival Hollywood. Other cultural developments included the creation of the Bauhaus
movement by Walter Gropius, which used basic geometric patterns to create furniture and
architecture for the future. The lingering psychological effects of the First World War were
seen in the artwork of the time. Artists like Otto Dix portrayed the horrors of a war which
had cost over 2 million German lives.

23 Source C is an excellent source to use for this enquiry, as it was written by a journalist who
was reporting in 1930, after the Wall Street Crash. The journalist praises the efforts made
since Versailles to make Germany strong. He or she suggests that although Germany has
had to shoulder a ‘terrific burden’, the country has succeeded much better than could have
been expected.

The problem with the source with regard to its usefulness is that it has been created for a
purpose, which is to support the government’s moves to accept the Treaty of Versailles.
We cannot see any alternative viewpoints from the time — perhaps this journalist is the
only one supporting the government in 1930? It is surprising, as it is likely that many

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 The Weimar Republic, 1918–21

journalists would be attacking Versailles, especially since the Wall Street Crash had begun
to cripple Germany’s economy and votes for extremist parties were already beginning to
rise. The context makes the source much more useful, as we can see that even with these
problems the journalist still speaks highly of how much progress Germany had made
regarding Versailles.

Source D, on the other hand, is a much more useful source for examining the question of
recovery, as it was written in 1997 by a historian reviewing the history of Germany as a
whole. The fact that it was created in 1997 makes it a much more reliably researched
account, which would have drawn on several sources of information. The author
acknowledges factors such as the removal of US loans, the growth in unemployment and
difficulties in the farming industry. We know that by 1930 there was a rise in extremism,
too, which supports the points made here on the assessment of Weimar’s recovery. For
example, the Nazi Party had won 107 seats in the Reichstag in 1930 compared with just
12 in 1928. These events are not addressed by Source C.

One problem with Source D is that its purpose is to create an overview of the period. It
therefore does not mention Versailles, which was the greatest threat to government
democracy at the time. However, Source D is the more useful source overall, due to the
time at which it was written and the fact that it gives a more general assessment of
Weimar’s problems by 1930.

24 The Young Plan was created as a means of reducing the amount Germany had to pay
back over time. It helped to restore German people’s confidence in their economy and
Germany’s position within the international community, and it enabled the economy to
recover over time. The result would be that Germany would finish paying off its reparations
(set at 132 billion marks) in 1988. The plan was important because the USA had offered
Germany an olive branch. Not only did the Young Plan help Germany to pay reparations to
France and Belgium, but it also helped the country to continue to develop its own
economy. It enabled Germany to continue to fund its roads and building projects, as well
as postponing some of the payments if needed.

However, a disadvantage of the Young Plan was that it upheld the hated reparations
clause of the Treaty of Versailles. It also meant that, in theory, Germany would still be
making repayments 70 years after the end of the war.

The Locarno treaties of 1925 had also allowed the recovery of the German economy
because they created international trust in Germany. Foreign Minister Gustav Stresemann
signed the treaties, which guaranteed the western borders with Belgium and France
created at the end of the First World War. By setting the border, Germany was allowed into
the League of Nations, which was a huge step along the road to being welcomed back to
the international community. It helped the German economy by opening up the country to
better working prospects with its former enemies.

The Dawes Plan of 1924 was arguably the most important factor allowing the German
economy to recover by 1929. It was a negotiated set of loans from the US government,
which helped get money flowing back into Germany. The money was used to pay workers
and allowed the government to begin rebuilding towns and cities. However, the loans
would need to be repaid, and if the USA found it necessary to recall the loans early
Germany would potentially be back to square one. Therefore, although the Dawes Plan
helped the German economy to recover, it came with financial uncertainty, which would be
tested when the Wall Street Crash occurred in October 1929.

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 Hitler’s rise to power, 1919–33

Hitler’s rise to power,

1919–33
Early development of the Nazi Party, 1920–
28
1

Earliest

Hitler joins the Hitler introduces The Munich Hitler serves

German the Putsch time in
Workers’ Party Sturmabteilung Landsberg Prison
(SA), otherwise
known as the
Brownshirts

Latest

Mein Kampf is The Bamberg The Nazis win 12 The Wall Street
published Conference seats in the Crash and the
Reichstag death of Gustav
Stresemann

2 a

The answer to 2a in blue is from the original imprint (2018) of this Workbook; the answer in red is from
the 2022 reprint, which does not include questions 2b and 2c.
vi All citizens have equal rights and duties

Most
appealin
g

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 Hitler’s rise to power, 1919–33

feature

viii Pensions to be improved

ii The scrapping of the Treaty of Versailles

ix Improved education so that all Germans could find

employment

iv The right to vote in elections given only to German

citizens

v Citizens entitled to a job and a decent standard of living

— if this could not be achieved, foreign nationals were to be
deported

vii The government to nationalise all businesses that were

formed into corporations

i The union of all Germans into a Greater Germany

iii Citizenship of the state to be granted to people of

German blood only — no Jew was to be a citizen of the nation

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 Hitler’s rise to power, 1919–33

x Religious freedom for all –— providing the views

expressed did not threaten or offend the German people
Least
appealin
g
feature

i These parts of the programme relate to giving people better opportunities for
employment and would appeal to lots of people who had lost work as a result of
the end of the war and later the hyperinflation problems of 1923.

ii Points i and ii are designed to specifically target the Treaty of Versailles, which
had made many Germans angry at their humiliation from the ending of the First
World War. One talks about unifying lost German land and colonies, while the
other directly mentions destroying the Treaty of Versailles. No other parties were
bold enough to attack the terms of the treaty so bluntly in their political
manifestos, which made the Nazi Programme stand out in 1920.

iii The third point shows how the Nazi Party were clearly trying to define what a
citizen was to create a so-called pure German society. It separates Jewish people
out, which shows that the Nazis had this in mind if they were to come to power.

iv By 1928, votes for the Nazi party were very small due to the fact that the Weimar
Republic had recovered from hyperinflation and there was no longer a need to be
concerned about employment, citizenship or destroying the terms of the Treaty of
Versailles.

b Most citizens in 1925 would not have been greatly concerned with citizenship or the
religious issues within Germany. They would more likely have been interested in equal
rights, now that they had finally got them. The Treaty of Versailles was a great cause of
anger and resentment, but as things were improving in Germany in 1925, the scrapping of
the treaty was perhaps no longer people’s top concern.

c Most appealing to least appealing: ii, v, viii, iii, vii, ix, i, vi, x, iv

Statement True/False?

Adolf Hitler spent 5 years living True

on the streets and earned a
living by selling his own hand-
painted postcards.

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 Hitler’s rise to power, 1919–33

Hitler fled to Munich to avoid True

joining the Austrian army in
1913.
During the First World War Hitler False — Hitler was wounded in a gas
was shot, but by 1918 he was fit attack and was in hospital when the
and well and serving on the front end of the war was announced
line.
Adolf Hitler set up the German False — Anton Drexler set up the
Workers’ Party in 1920. German Workers’ Party in 1919
Hitler wrote the party’s False — Hitler and Drexler wrote the
manifesto in February 1922. manifesto in February 1920

4 The Brownshirts’ role was to defend Nazi ideas using violence.

Statement Cause, immediate

consequence or long-term
consequence?

During his trial, Hitler gained national Immediate consequence

recognition for his debating ability. This
won him support from nationalists outside
of Bavaria.
During his time in prison Hitler was able to Long-term consequence
gather support and backing from leading
industrialists, who would later fund the
Nazi campaign.
Benito Mussolini had led a seizure of Cause
power in Italy in 1922, using his private
army (the Blackshirts) to march on the
capital.
Hitler realised that a coup would not allow Long-term consequence
the party to gain control of Germany. He
therefore changed the party’s focus to
winning elections.
The growth in support for the Nazi Party Immediate consequence
across southern Germany made the party
more popular and therefore more powerful.

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 Hitler’s rise to power, 1919–33

Hitler believed that leading members of Cause

the Bavarian government opposed the
Weimar Republic.
Hitler was arrested and put on trial. He Immediate consequence
was found guilty and sent to prison to
serve 5 years, but only served 9 months.
The Nazi Party went into decline. Immediate consequence

Measure How did it help the Nazi Party to win

elections?

The party was restructured to The measure distributed

include branches called Gaue. responsibility beyond Munich to
various branches across Germany.
This gave the Nazis a more
organised approach and allowed the
party to move out of Bavaria into
major cities, gaining more publicity.
In order to fulfil the Führerprinzip This allowed Hitler to control the
only Hitler’s closest associates ideas of these branches and ensure
would help run the party from his key principles were being
Munich. delivered.
At the Bamberg Conference in This was an opportunity for Hitler to
1926 Hitler appointed Gregor assert control over the party and
Strasser as propaganda leader assign rivals into important
and Josef Goebbels as Gauleiter positions while moving others out.
for Berlin. Goebbels was a rival who was won
over by this move.
Hitler replaced Ernst Röhm with This move ensured the removal of
Ernst von Salomon as the leader opposition to Hitler and control over
of the SA. the SA.
Propaganda would be used to Propaganda helped to get the Nazis’
reinforce the Nazi Party message across to the German
manifesto. voter and persuade them on how to
vote in the 1928 elections. It also
helped to increase party
membership, which grew from
27,000 members in 1925 to 100,000
by 1928.

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 Hitler’s rise to power, 1919–33

Hitler changed his target This allowed Hitler to target a wider

audience in order to attract the audience and draw in more votes,
rural voter, at a time when the especially from those angry about
farming industry was their economic conditions.
experiencing economic
problems.

7 Source E is a painting from 1933, the year that Hitler became chancellor, showing the
torch-lit parade of the SA down the main street of Berlin. It depicts the SA as strong-
looking, heroic men in uniform. There are flames in the background and the group holds
up the Nazi Party flag.

Source E is useful as a good example of Nazi propaganda, capturing a glorified image of

the SA as tough, proud patriots. However, the element of bias in the picture, which seems
to celebrate the coming of the Nazi Party to power, also limits its usefulness as a source,
because it represents a partisan, one-sided point of view.

Source F is slightly more useful than Source E as it derives from an individual who was in
Berlin at the time of the Nazi agitations. The account appears to come from a diary, which
makes the source more useful as it reflects individual opinions that were probably not
intended for an audience. It reports the actions of the SA in 1930 during the opening of the
Reichstag. The author describes the SA as ‘riff-raff’ and implies they are not particularly
tough or brave, as they ‘made off yelling as soon as the police began to use truncheons.’

This source offers more information for an enquiry into the actions of the SA because it
seems not to have been produced for propaganda purposes, unlike Source E, and offers
an account of how the SA behaved in Berlin at that time.

8 a One of the main differences between these two interpretations is the way in which the
individuals are shown to both support and hamper Hitler during the Munich Putsch. In
Interpretation 1 Kahr is portrayed as betraying the group by ‘rallying forces against the
coup’, whereas in Interpretation 2 it claims that his ‘hands were dirty’, implying that he had
more to do with the coup in Munich and that Hitler didn’t act alone.

The language of Interpretation 1 makes it seem that the Putsch was unlikely to succeed
from the start (‘it was not even close to success’). Interpretation 2 does not support this
view, as it states that the forces had received ‘training and preparation’.

b One reason for this difference is down to the focus of the historians who wrote these
interpretations. The author of Interpretation 1 focuses on Hitler’s actions. Hitler is made to
look foolish, rather than an organised coup leader. For example, Overy remarks that he
‘limped away’ and that he ‘hesitated’. However, the author of Interpretation 2 provides a
more overall assessment of the involvement of other participants in the Putsch. Kershaw
describes how Kahr and Lossow were ‘implicated’ in the events. There is very little in the
way of reference to Hitler’s involvement.

c I disagree with the assessment made in Interpretation 2 about the importance of the
Munich Putsch, as the focus of the enquiry is more to do with the involvement of others in
the Putsch, rather than the part it would play in representing Hitler. Even though
Interpretation 1 makes Hitler seem more foolish and disorganised, these events seem
more realistic in terms of what we know happened during the Putsch attempt. We know
that things did not go to plan and that Hitler was at the front of the group when the local
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military force opened fire on the Nazis. Equally, Interpretation 2 does not mention how
Hitler coerced the three leaders into supporting the Nazis by taking control of a meeting
held in the Beerhall.

The alternative view is that the three Bavarian leaders were more to blame for the Munich
Putsch, as they had agreed with Hitler, albeit at gunpoint, to support the Nazis’ aims.
Interpretation 1 makes the point that the Putsch was a fiasco and this is definitely
supported by the fact that both Lossow and Seisser were allowed to leave the Beerhall,
during which time they immediately changed their minds about supporting the Nazis and
instead organised the local troops and police. Interpretation 1 describes the police cordon,
hinting at precision in their timing and suggesting that the two Bavarian leaders were
successful in their attempts to organise the retaliation. I therefore think that this makes
Interpretation 1 a more accurate representation of events.

Overall, even though the two interpretations are looking at slightly different features of the
Putsch, the more persuasive viewpoint is the one that suggests that the Bavarian leaders
were not in full support of Hitler and that they did not have their ‘hands dirty’, but instead
that Hitler’s attempts to coerce them had failed.

The growth in support for the Nazis, 1929–32

9

Chancellor Dates in office Explanation

Heinrich Brüning March 1930–May Lost support from

1932 Hindenburg. Criticised by the
public for not spending
enough public money and
resigned.
Franz von Papen June 1932– Failed to gather support from
November 1932 other parties and was
removed from office.
Kurt von December 1932– Was unable to unify the
Schleicher January 1933 parties and was side-stepped
by a deal organised between
Hitler and von Papen.

10 People had lost faith in the government due to the economic problems caused by the Wall
Street Crash. The Weimar Republic was held together by the use of Article 48 and the
power of the president. Hitler’s Nazi Party was growing in strength within the Reichstag
and making it difficult for coalitions to form.

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 Hitler’s rise to power, 1919–33

11

Citizen Factor(s) Explanation

The owner of a large Fear of The communists backed

business who is communism, workers’ rights and trade
afraid of the growth economic crisis unions. This would have
in trade unions and concerned those running
increase in workers’ big businesses, as
demands stronger unions might
force them to raise wages
and reduce working hours,
cutting profits.
An unemployed Failed Factory workers needed
factory worker who government, employment. If the Nazis
is struggling to pay economic crisis could offer that, they
the rent and provide would be attractive, and
for their family due the previous government
to a lack of would seem to have failed
government support by comparison. This
situation would not have
arisen without the Wall
Street Crash.
A young student who Nazi Party The young were
has joined the Nazi manifesto, indoctrinated through
Party in the hope of propaganda propaganda to believe in
securing a job the promises of the Nazi
Party. The party manifesto
also made offers that
previous political parties
had not, such as the
scrapping of the Treaty of
Versailles.
A woman afraid of Fear of The communists were
the gangs of workers communism, portrayed as a threat as
patrolling the streets economic crisis they encouraged the
in support of the anger of the workers.
communists Some people may have
felt at risk from violence
from the left.
A farmer who is Failed The farmer would feel
disgruntled by the government, betrayed by the

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 Hitler’s rise to power, 1919–33

reduction in pension economic crisis government due to the

payments and the reduction in their
fall in food prices pensions and a fall in food
prices. The economic
crisis was at the root of
the problem.

12

Event Chronological
order (1–10)

Heinrich Brüning had to rely on President 3

Hindenburg and Article 48 because he did not
receive a majority in the Reichstag.
Franz von Papen was the next chancellor. He 5
called an election in July 1932. The Nazis won 230
seats, making them, for the first time, the largest
party in the Reichstag.
Von Papen of the Centre Party refused to resign 6
and Hitler demanded the job of chancellor for
himself.
When von Papen failed to secure another majority 8
and with Hitler still requesting the job of
chancellor, Hindenburg turned to the defence
minister, Kurt von Schleicher, to create a cross-
party alliance.
Chancellor Hermann Müller failed to deal with the 1
economic crisis after the Wall Street Crash, and
Heinrich Brüning replaced him. A general election

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 Hitler’s rise to power, 1919–33

was called in September 1930, with Brüning

hopeful of a win that would allow him to rule
without Hindenburg’s help.
To block Schleicher and try to maintain power, von 9
Papen turned to Hitler to make a political deal. He
would be vice-chancellor to Hitler’s chancellor.
The Nazis won 107 seats, making them the second- 2
largest party after the Social Democrats with 143
seats.
Several German banks collapsed due to the 4
financial crisis caused by Brüning’s lack of
spending. In May the following year, Brüning
resigned as chancellor.
Hindenburg refused to make Hitler chancellor. In 7
November, von Papen called another election, in
which the Nazis won 196 seats.
Hindenburg agreed to support this deal, as Hitler 10
had the backing of large industrialists, landholders
and the army. In January 1933, Adolf Hitler became
chancellor of Germany.

13 A central theme of Nazi ideology was the reversal of the Treaty of Versailles. This is seen
in the party’s efforts to blame the government and support the hard-working German
workers. Another propaganda message of the early posters was that Hitler was portrayed
as a saviour. He is seen holding the German flag or suggesting that ‘the sun will rise for
Germany’.

14

Role Adolf Hitler or Joseph Goebbels?

He created a simple message, Joseph Goebbels

which could be repeated in
various media formats.
He helped to create the 25-Point Adolf Hitler
Programme to offer something

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 Hitler’s rise to power, 1919–33

different to voters.
He ensured that there were mass Joseph Goebbels
rallies in five cities during the
1932 presidential election.
His speeches attracted many Adolf Hitler
people and helped increased
membership of the party.
He was elected to the Reichstag Joseph Goebbels
in 1928.
He presented a charismatic Adolf Hitler
philosophy that all could
understand, combined with a
vision of making Germany the
strongest nation in the world.
He was appointed Minister for Joseph Goebbels
Propaganda and Popular
Enlightenment in 1933.

15 a One difference between Interpretations 3 and 4 is that Interpretation 3 suggests that

Hitler’s hold on power was dependent on a ‘fragile’ set of circumstances and only ‘success
could guarantee its vitality’. Interpretation 4 suggests that the German people had been
unhappy with the government and that Hitler and the Nazi Party gave the people a sense
of ‘hope’, which is why they supported him. The difference is in the interpretations of the
level of support offered to Hitler. The first interpretation suggests that he did not have
widespread support and that he relied on continuing successes to guarantee ongoing
popularity. The second interpretation presents us with the claim that because of Hitler’s
promises to make Germany strong again, people flocked to him.

b The interpretations differ because the two historians are writing with a different focus.
With regard to Interpretation 3 the writer is talking specifically about Hitler’s creation of a
‘myth’ to convince people to support him, whereas Interpretation 4 talks about the entire
history of the rise and fall of the Nazis and therefore has a different focus.

c For this question, think about applying the following steps:

i Agree with viewpoint and use contextual knowledge

ii Alternative viewpoint and use contextual knowledge

iii Judgement on which interpretation is the strongest and why

Interpretation 4 offers some degree of truth. Hitler did use tactics such as promises of
more work and making Germany strong again. He did provide Germans with work and
attacked the Treaty of Versailles. However, the interpretation also suggests that millions
flocked to him. To some degree this is true, as Hitler managed to gain power mainly
through electoral success. In the June 1932 election, the Nazis won 230 seats, which
showed a huge level of support for their cause. However, in November 1932 the number
had reduced to 196, showing that people were either tired of elections or that their support
was fickle and reliant upon kept promises.

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The alternative view offered is that Hitler’s rise to power was based upon political deals
and opportunities that arose, which Hitler used to his advantage. Interpretation 3 suggests
that Hitler’s ability to take power was due to ‘conjunctural factors’. This is a more plausible
explanation, as his electoral success could only take him so far. He needed to gain the
position of chancellor through a political deal and through the manipulation of others, like
von Papen and Hindenburg. Alongside this, Hitler was able to use the Wall Street Crash
and the subsequent economic depression to his advantage by making both the Versailles
settlement and the Jews scapegoats for the crisis.

Overall, Interpretation 4 has very little accuracy, as it only claims that people supported
Hitler because of his promises, whereas his real advantage came from the events and his
manipulation of them.

How Hitler became chancellor of Germany,

1932–33
16 The Reichstag Fire on 27 February 1933 allowed Hitler to use emergency powers under
Article 48.

17 Heinrich Brüning: had to rely on Hindenburg and Article 48, as the Centre Party lost seats
to extremists due to the Wall Street Crash.

Franz von Papen: could not secure a majority within the Reichstag and could not maintain
a coalition.

Kurt von Schleicher: undermined by the political deal between von Papen and Hitler and
because of landowners’ and industrialists’ fears that communist elements might gain
power under Schleicher.

18 The Nazis played on the German people’s resentment of the Treaty of Versailles for
crippling the economy, which boosted votes for them between 1930 and 1933.

The Wall Street Crash led people to distrust the government and support a party offering
them ‘the alternative’ in terms of giving them jobs, defeating the communists and making
the country strong.

19 The US stock market crash, which crippled international economies.

20 For example:

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 Hitler’s rise to power, 1919–33

21 For example:

22 The Nazis rose to power in January 1933 due to the role played by their own SA, the
leadership of Adolf Hitler and financial help from leading industrialists. First, the support
given by famous industrialists was reasonably important. Without their backing early on in
the rise of the National Socialists, Hitler would not have been able to create a party
programme or fund the building of a headquarters in Berlin. People like Fritz Thyssen were
interested in assisting parties that would allow capitalism to flourish. The Nazi Party was
opposed to communism, which led to Thyssen to back it. Thyssen would also encourage
other industrialists to support the Nazis in their rise to power.

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 Hitler’s rise to power, 1919–33

Second, the role of the SA included the use of violence and intimidation against the
enemies of National Socialism and ensuring that the general public voted in favour of the
Nazi Party during elections. They played an important role in the Nazi Party’s rise to power
by January 1933. However, the SA was also seen as a liability and its members as thugs,
as it was formed from members of the old Freikorps. Hitler himself tried to quieten them
down and would eventually remove them as a threat during the Night of the Long Knives in
1934.

Finally, the Nazis were able to rise to power in January 1933 due to the leadership of Adolf
Hitler. He was able to present his party as the only one demanding the overturning of the
Treaty of Versailles and offering workers and the poor hope of employment during a time
of deep financial instability. Hitler was also able to manoeuvre himself into a powerful
position using his oratory to win support from other parties, like the political deal he
managed to secure from Franz von Papen. Overall, it would be Hitler’s leadership that
allowed him to capitalise on the funding he received and to reign in the power of the SA.

23 Source G, which shows a large crowd of poor, unhappy citizens with the message ‘Our
last hope: HITLER’, was created in 1932, at the time of the Nazis’ strongest electoral
results, as shown in Source H. Source G is moderately useful for an enquiry into Hitler’s
rise to power as it portrays the image that the Nazi Party wanted to present to the
electorate — that Hitler personally could restore prosperity to Germany and its people.
This would have a strong appeal to people whose economy had suffered first through war
reparations and then from the results of the Wall Street Crash. However, its usefulness as
a source is limited because it is one-sided, and we cannot tell from the image alone what
effect it had on how people voted.

Source H is more useful, as the statistics are not biased and simply show the election
results. They show that the Nazi Party won 230 seats and was the largest party within the
Reichstag. However, the source does not explain the reasons behind Hitler’s rise to power.
Also, if the November 1932 election results were set alongside, they would show a fall in
the number of Nazi Party seats and therefore give a diminished picture of Nazi success.

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 Nazi control and dictatorship, 1933–39

Nazi control and

dictatorship, 1933–39
The creation of a dictatorship, 1933–34
1 One way that Hitler dealt with opposition was to arrest political opponents after the
Reichstag fire and place them in concentration camps like Dachau. Other measures
included the banning of trade unions in May 1933 and of other political parties in July 1933
as a result of the Enabling Act.

2 During and following the Night of the Long Knives the leaders of the SA, including Ernst
Röhm, were executed. The remainder of the SA was merged with the SS and the army.
This successfully removed the SA as a threat and secured the army’s support.

Statement True/False?

In January 1933, Hitler’s position as chancellor was not True

strong, as the Nazis did not have a majority in the
Reichstag.
Herman van der Lubbe was a French Communist who False — it
was found at the scene of the Reichstag fire. was Marinus
van der
Lubbe, who
was a Dutch
communist
Following the fire, Hitler persuaded Hindenburg to sign False —
the Decree for the Enablement of Protection, Hindenburg
suspending civil rights. signed the
Decree for
the
Protection of
People and
State
The Nazi Party won 288 seats in the March 1933 True
election.
Despite increasing their vote share, the Nazis still did False – a
not win a majority. Therefore a coalition government coalition was
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 Nazi control and dictatorship, 1933–39

was formed with the Centre Party. formed with

the National
Party (DNVP)

Event Chronological order (1–

7)

Night of the Long Knives 6

Enabling Act 4

Hitler becomes chancellor 1

Trade unions banned

5 The Nazi Party wins 288 seats in the general 3

election
Reichstag fire 2

President Hindenburg’s death 7

5 The creation of the Enabling Act allowed Hitler to suspend the Weimar Constitution and
create laws as and when he saw fit. This enabled him to remove opposition, infiltrate the
police and begin rearming the country to take back land lost via Versailles, therefore
starting the Second World War.

Statement Cause, immediate consequence or

long-term consequence?

The SA was removed as a threat Immediate consequence

and the army offered its support
to Hitler.
On 30 June 1934, Ernst Röhm Immediate consequence
and the main leaders of the SA
were invited to a meeting. There
they were executed by members

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 Nazi control and dictatorship, 1933–39

of the SS (Röhm on 1 July).

Hitler gained confidence due to Long-term consequence
the lack of opposition to him
consolidating power. A law was
passed on 3 July 1934, which
stated that Hitler’s actions were
legal.
The SA was made up of working- Cause
class men and led by Ernst
Röhm, who believed in creating
a socialist revolution.
Heinrich Himmler wanted Cause
Hitler’s personal bodyguard, the
SS, to break away from the SA
and lead the armed forces.
Ernst Röhm wanted to Cause
incorporate the army into the SA
in order to increase his power
and limit an attack on the SA.
Opponents of Hitler, including Immediate consequence
the former chancellor Kurt von
Schleicher and the politician
Gregor Strasser, were killed.
In August 1934, with the death Long-term consequence
of President Hindenburg, the
army swore an oath of loyalty to
Hitler and he combined the posts
of chancellor and president to
become Führer.

7 a The difference between the interpretations is the level of blame attributed to van der
Lubbe in causing the Reichstag fire. Interpretation 5 claims that van der Lubbe was
responsible, since if he did indeed have links to the Nazi Party, they ‘would have shot him’,
thereby denying the police, courts and public the opportunity to question him.
Interpretation 6 claims that one man could not have caused the fire but that there were
‘several culprits’. This presents the basis for the argument that the Nazis were to blame for
the fire, and that the party could have used the fire as an excuse to arrest the communists
and enact Article 48.

b The two interpretations offer different views of the impact of the Reichstag Fire partly
because of the time at which they were written. Interpretation 5 was written in 1963, during
the Cold War. At this point a Communist government was in control of East Germany and
there were few accessible records for historians. In the west, communism was seen as the
enemy during this period. Perhaps the author has this in mind when he states that van der
Lubbe must have acted alone, as the Nazis allowed him to stand trial. Tobias is free to say
in 1963 that the Nazis ‘would have shot him’ if he had been associated with them.

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 Nazi control and dictatorship, 1933–39

However, Interpretation 6 claims that the police had already been tipped off that
‘Communists reportedly plan to carry out systematic raids’, which suggests that the Nazis
had told Diels to expect something big to occur. We know that the police arrived on the
scene very quickly, which also suggests that this was the case. The fact that Interpretation
6 was written 38 years later than Interpretation 5 and after the Cold War, suggests that
further evidence has come to light and that historians have been able to weigh up how the
fire was caused and who was to blame.

c Interpretation 6 is an accurate account. It was created in the 21st century with access
to plenty of historical records. The writer uses evidence from Rudolf Diels, who was there
at the time, to draw his conclusions. The view presented is that the scale of damage in the
building had to have been caused by multiple people, and not just van der Lubbe. The fire
also assisted the Nazi Party, in so far as it could use the event as an excuse to tighten
Hitler’s grip on power. The communists were arrested and other political parties banned. It
seems more plausible to suggest that the event was used to allow Hitler to exercise Article
48.

The other point of view is that van der Lubbe acted alone and that he genuinely aimed to
destroy the Reichstag in an act of desperation. Interpretation 5 highlights that by not
executing van der Lubbe straight away, the Nazis were able to prove their ‘innocence’.
However, the problem with this interpretation is that it is based on speculation that van der
Lubbe would have been executed if he had been working for the Nazis.

Overall, Interpretation 6 is very accurate — the time at which it was written plus access to
historical evidence suggests that it holds up against the historical events. It is more
realistic to conclude that several people started the fire and that van der Lubbe was the
scapegoat.

The police state and control

8

Key word Definition

Aryan The word used to describe the Nazi

ideal racial type
Gestapo The secret state police, used to
monitor and apprehend opponents of
the state
SD An intelligence organisation
designed to seek out potential
threats to the state
SS Hitler’s personal bodyguard and a
powerful security and surveillance
agency of the Nazi regime

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 Nazi control and dictatorship, 1933–39

Gleichschaltung The process of controlling all

aspects of German society, from
education and the courts to the arts
Concordat An agreement made between Hitler
and the Pope not to interfere with
the Catholic Church
German Faith Movement Set up to replace Christian values
with pagan ideas and values
Edelweiss Pirates

A resistance group of young people who listened to swing music and wrote anti-Nazi slogans
on walls

Branch of authorityDate it was set upPerson in chargeSD1931Heinrich Himmler, with

Reinhard Heydrich to organise the departmentSS1925Led by Heinrich Himmler after
1929Gestapo1933Herman Göring, and in 1936 came under control of the SS and
HimmlerConcentration camps1933The SS and the SD ran the camps but the Gestapo had
the only authority to arrest, interrogate and send people to the camps

10 Some judges were removed and those that remained had to become members of the
National Socialist League for the Maintenance of Law (NRSM). In October 1933, lawyers
had to become members of the German Lawyers Front and by 1936 they had to wear
swastikas and the Nazi eagle on their robes. The Minister of the Interior would check
sentences and Hitler had the option to intervene if he felt the judgement had been too soft.

11

Christian Church German Faith Movement

Based on the teachings of the Only 5% of the German population

Bible. supported it.
Supported the Centre Party. Saw Hitler as a god-like figure.
Owed its allegiance to the Pope. The sun was an important symbol,
as it represented a cross and links
Taught love and forgiveness as
to ancient civilisations.
values.
Believed in racial superiority.

12

13

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 Nazi control and dictatorship, 1933–39

Statement

The SD originally ran the concentration camps. False — the SS

originally ran the
Tr concentration
ue camps
/
Fa
ls
e?

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 Nazi control and dictatorship, 1933–39

The first concentration camp was built at False — it was

Sachsenhausen in 1933. built at Dachau in
1933

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 Nazi control and dictatorship, 1933–39

The German Lawyers Front was established in October 1936.

Fa Pope Pius XI signed a Concordat with Hitler in July True

ls 1933.
e
—
it
w
as
es
ta
bli
sh
ed
in
O
ct
ob
er
19
33
The Church’s new national bishop was called Ludwig Müller.

Tr Antisemitic signs were still present during the False — they were
ue 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. not present
Germany won fewer medals than any other nation at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.

False — Germany won more medals than any other nation at the 1936 Olympic Games

14 Source I is very useful for an enquiry into the consolidation of power, as it is a first-hand
account, written in 1933 by someone who witnessed the beating of a man at the hands of
the Gestapo. It is useful as a source, since it reveals an example of typical brutality, but its
reliability is shaky, as it offers only one example and in that example the man was spared.
It does give information about the types of people brought in for questioning and it
discusses the methods used, so this does help with an enquiry into the methods used to
consolidate Hitler’s power. The reality is that events like this did happen in Germany and
people were interrogated without access to legal protection, as the Nazis had infiltrated the
police force and the courts. We have little evidence of the intended audience for this
source, but it was probably a statement taken for a report. Therefore we must be careful in
our assessment of its reliability, as some elements of the account could have been altered
to make the witness seem more humane.

Source J is useful as a piece of factual documentation. It was a decree, meaning that it

was a law the Nazi regime created in 1936 with the intention of laying out the role of the
chief of police. Its purpose was to formally lay out the amalgamation of an office within the
Reich administration that would liaise with the police force. The document is useful in
showing us how the Nazis infiltrated the police. However, in terms of its relevance for an
enquiry into the consolidation of Hitler’s power it is only written from one perspective and
does not show how people were affected by such a decree. During this time, law courts
and judges had to swear an oath of loyalty to the Führer, meaning that all aspects of
German life came under the control of the Nazis. This document adds to that historical

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 Nazi control and dictatorship, 1933–39

context, but it is not as useful as the written testimony from an individual who witnessed
actual police interrogations.

15 What I can infer:

The Gestapo created a sense of fear among the population, in that if you resisted the
Nazis you would be found out and punished.

Details in the source that tell me this:

We know this because the source reveals how the mother bought a flag out of fear that
she might go to jail if she was caught without one.

What I can infer:

We can also infer that the Gestapo relied upon the population to inform upon one another,
and to reinforce required behaviour.

Details in the source that tell me this:

We can tell this because the source states ‘people were always coming and saying “Why
haven’t you hung out a flag?”’. This shows that peer pressure was enough to make
someone adhere to expected behaviours in Germany at that time.

Opposition, resistance and conformity

16 a

Least successfulMost successful

White Rose Edelweiss Protestant 1938 army Catholic

Pirates Church generals’ Church
plot

b The White Rose League was the most successful form of resistance, as the members
actively confronted the regime by handing out leaflets. Its primary leaders were executed
as a result. The Edelweiss Pirates were equally important as the group was a constant
irritant and continued to act underground after it was banned. It also survived the Nazi
regime. The Protestant Church was large and although some members, such as Martin
Niemöller, resisted and were sent to concentration camps as a result, others went
underground. The army generals and the Catholic Church both potentially had a great deal
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 Nazi control and dictatorship, 1933–39

of influence over what happened in Germany, but due to fear or lack of support they were
unable to achieve much in the way of opposition to the regime.

In conclusion, the White Rose League was the most successful, since its members
actively confronted the regime publicly and boldly, whereas the Catholic Church and army,
which potentially had far more power and influence, proved unable to confront the Nazis
so openly.

17 a Edelweiss Pirates = Swing, graffiti, working-class, outlandish clothes

b Swing Youth = Middle-class, music, long hair, colourful

c The most successful resistance movement was the White Rose League because its
members publicly confronted the Nazis, whereas other movements and organisations,
including the potentially influential army and Catholic Church, were afraid to openly
challenge the regime.

18

Measures

The Nazis censored the Catholic 5

press and harassed priests.
C
hr
on
ol
og
ic
al
or
de
r
(1
–
6)

1,600 newspapers and magazines were closed down.

2 The Nazis removed the cross and 6

crucifix from Catholic schools.
Students in Berlin burnt 20,000 books written by Jews, communists and anti-Nazi university
professors.

1 Hitler removed the generals who 3

had criticised his foreign aims.
70% of German families now owned a radio. The Nazi message was now transmitted directly
into their homes.

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 Nazi control and dictatorship, 1933–39

19

Statement

There were three attempts to assassinate Hitler True

before 1939.
Tr
ue
/
Fa
ls
e?

Swing boys often grew their hair long and girls wore brightly coloured make-up.

Tr Pastor Martin Niemöller was a German Catholic False — he was a

ue who opposed the Nazi regime. German Protestant
who was imprisoned
until 1945
Army leaders set aside plans to overthrow Hitler after the Führer successfully conquered
Poland.

Sophie Scholl was a member of the Red Rose Movement.False — army leaders set aside plans
to overthrow Hitler after the Führer successfully conquered Czechoslovakia

Fa The Edelweiss Pirates were not considered a True

ls threat before 1939.
e
—
it
w
as
th
e
W
hi
te
R
os
e
M
ov
e
m
en
t

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 Nazi control and dictatorship, 1933–39

20 The most successful measure the Nazis employed in order to control the German
population was fear because it would be fear that enabled the Nazis to limit resistance to
the regime. Propaganda could sway young people’s opinions, but those who had grown up
under the democratic Weimar Republic may have been more open to questioning the Nazi
Party’s methods. However, the fear of being reported to the Gestapo was enough to keep
most people in line.

21 Coercion through fear and propaganda

Observe the population with the Gestapo

Newspapers controlled

The German Faith Movement

Rallies

Obedience from the army

Literature was strictly censored

22 Source L is highly useful as an account because it was written by a survivor of a

concentration camp, and so we see the events through the eyes of someone who went
through them. The details mentioned in the source accord with what we now know
occurred in the camps. From 1933, the camps were used to house political prisoners. By
1938 they were expanded to house more occupants and with war just around the corner it
is likely that they would have been as full as the source describes. However, as the
survivor is recounting his story in 1988 it is possible that he may only have reported those
memories that particularly stood out, and that others were discounted. The source also
focuses on the barracks and does not give us an overall view of camp life. The source’s
intended audience was likely to have been a wide readership, as the book focuses on the
writer’s personal experiences.

Source M is only mildly useful for this enquiry, since it is a photograph of the type of work
that was carried out in concentration camps. The problem with the source is that the camp
guards were the only people who had the ability to take photos of the camps. Therefore,
the photograph probably had the purpose of portraying camp life as less harsh than it
actually was. The workers appear to be wearing their own clothes and working on projects.
We know that this wasn’t the reality of camp life since prisoners had their heads shaved
and were made to wear prison uniforms. In essence, they had their identities and
individualities removed. This source is therefore not as useful in depicting an accurate
image of life within the camp system.

23 What I can infer:

The power of opposition was rather weak.

Details in the source that tell me this:

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 Nazi control and dictatorship, 1933–39

The fact that the source is a mere leaflet suggests that the opposition had little power. The
content of the leaflet also suggests that the opposition was only able to employ minor
methods of resistance, such as sabotaging meetings and festivals.

What I can infer:

That the opposition was looking for support from the wider population.

Details in the source that tell me this:

The source states that ‘everyone has the right to…freedom’, and then asks ‘Why do you
not rise up?’, which suggests that the present regime has scared the population into
submission. The source also refers to ‘the smooth operation of the war machine’,
suggesting that the regime is easily able to create war and terror.

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Life in Nazi Germany,
1933–39
Nazi policies towards women and the young
1

Women in the 1920sWomen under the Nazi regimea There were 100,000
women teachers and 3,000 female doctors.
d Women could wear short skirts and make-up, and cut their hair short.
f One-tenth of the members of the Reichstag were women.
i Women went out unescorted and drank and smoked in public.
k Those women who worked in the civil service earned the same wages as
men.b Women were encouraged to be healthy and wear their hair in a bun.
c Divorce was permitted if a husband or wife was unable to have children.
e The government issued young couples with loans to help them marry, so
long as the woman gave up her job.
g The number of women working increased from 11.6 million to 14.6 million
between 1933 and 1939 because of male conscription into the armed
services and the need for workers in industry as Germany sought to
increase its military strength.
h Medals were awarded on Hitler’s mother’s birthday to women with large
families.
j Women’s organisations were established to promote household tasks and motherhood
skills.

2 Blonde, strong, fertile, mother, wife

4 a The Hitler Youth was set up properly in 1933 (but originally in 1922).

b Members joined at age 14.

c Activities included military training, listening to talks on Nazi political thinking, history
and fitness.

5 a The League of German Girls was set up in 1930.

b Members joined at age 14.

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 c Activities included preparing for motherhood, domestic science, physical exercise,
parades and marches.

6 One method used to indoctrinate children was through propaganda in school resources
such as textbooks, which presented the Nazi regime in a positive light. The textbooks also
attacked the weakness of previous governments and blamed the Jews for the First World
War.

The Hitler Youth indoctrinated boys by teaching them how to fight, and by encouraging
them to honour dead comrades and celebrate war through ceremonies and the awarding
of blades and insignia. The girls’ organisation focused on traditional female tasks and
domestic skills, such as needlework and cooking.

Statement True/False?

All school lessons began and ended with the True

students saluting and saying ‘Heil Hitler’.
Youth organisations like the Edelweiss Pirates False — the
were ignored. organisations
were banned by
1939
Most German women accepted the changes in False
society and returned to being homemakers.
Divorce was allowed and it contributed to a rise in True
the divorce rate by 1939.
The Little Fellows was the youngest version of the True
Hitler Youth.
The three Ks stood for children, church and home. False — the three
Ks stood for
children, church
and kitchen

8 a The two interpretations differ over the way the economic recovery of Germany
occurred. Interpretation 7 claims that Hitler was intent on putting Germany on a path
towards war from the start, as the historian claims that talks about building a dam in Upper
Silesia were to take a back seat and that all state-funded projects were to be considered in
terms of ‘the defence of Germany’. Interpretation 8 places more emphasis on the
accomplishments of state-funded schemes, such as the Autobahnen and ‘the nation’s
infrastructure’, in getting Germans working again.

b The interpretations are different because the historians hold such contrasting
perspectives on Hitler’s motives. The writer of Interpretation 7 states that Hitler’s primary
motive was warfare and the defence of a greater Germany. Hence he writes about the
implications that state-funded schemes would have for a war economy. The writer of

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 Interpretation 8 pays closer attention to the period in which Hitler came to power and
focuses on the state-funded schemes to get Germans back into work. He also refers to the
war economy, but with less emphasis, due to the fact that the two interpretations are
referencing different agendas and periods in Germany’s history.

c I agree with Interpretation 8, as it refers to the creation of public works, such as the
Autobahnen and the building of the ‘nation’s infrastructure’, leading to economic recovery.
This does seem accurate, as Hitler was able to create full employment in Germany.
However, the problem with this viewpoint is that it fails to fully acknowledge how that
achievement was accomplished. For example, by 1938 women had been removed from
the workforce and Jewish shops and businesses transferred to German businessmen.
Rather than going into new jobs, workers were needed to fill the gaps that the exclusion of
women and Jews created. Figures from the time also suggest that the government’s
economic measures had succeeded, as unemployment had fallen from 6 million in
January 1933 to 302,000 by January 1939.

The alternative viewpoint is that it was not the creation of the Autobahnen or other public
works that rejuvenated the German economy, but the creation of a war economy. In
Interpretation 7 the historian states that Hitler said in a cabinet meeting that over the next 5
years any work should be ‘devoted to…the defence capacity of the German people.’ This
suggests that a military build-up was required to achieve economic growth. We can back
this up with the fact that conscription was introduced in 1935. Not only would this have
reduced unemployment, the party would also have achieved its aim of strengthening the
armed forces.

Overall, Interpretation 7 offers the more logical argument for the improvement of the
German economy, due to our understanding that Hitler’s main aim was to make Germany
stronger. For example, the building of motorways made it easier for the military to move
around the country, as well as creating construction jobs. Therefore, although there is
some truth to Interpretation 8, it is more reasonable to conclude that Hitler was gearing
Germany up for war, which in turn brought significant economic improvements.

Employment and living standards

9

Key word Definition

Rearmament Process of building up military weapons.

Reich Labour An organisation set up to provide young men with manual
Service labouring jobs.
Conscription Compulsory enlistment of men into the armed forces.
Strength An organisation set up by the German Labour Front to
through Joy provide leisure activities for workers.
Eintopf The name of a one-pot dish comprising meat and
vegetables.

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 German Labour The National Socialist trade union organisation which
Front replaced all independent trade unions.

10

Least useful Most useful

Invisible Strength Reich Labour Job Rearmamen

unemployment through Joy Service creation t
schemes

11

Better off Not better off

a Beauty of Labour was set up to c The Volkswagen car scheme

improve working conditions. It encouraged workers to put
installed better lighting in the money aside to purchase a car.
workplace and improved noise levels By 1939 not a single person
for workers. had taken delivery of a vehicle.
b Average weekly wages increased d Food items were in short
from 86 marks in 1932 to 109 marks in supply and the cost of living
1938. increased because the
government reduced
f Strength through Joy improved
agricultural output in order to
leisure time for German workers by
protect farmers.
providing sports activities, trips,
holidays and cruises. More than 10 e Trade unions were banned
million people took up the offer of and workers were prohibited
these new holidays. from negotiating better pay or
reduced hours.

12 Working conditions were improved and leisure schemes were implemented in order to
increase workers’ morale. However, women were removed from the workplace and
working hours increased, from 43 hours per week in 1933 to 47 hours per week in 1939.
Therefore, it was a false vision of what had been promised.

13 Strength through Joy = Organisation offering workers leisure activities

Reich Labour Service = Provided men with manual jobs

14

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15 What I can infer:

The first point to be made is that the Nazis promoted the Aryan stereotype in their
advertisements.

Details in the source that tell me this:

We can see that both individuals have blonde hair and are fair-skinned, supporting the
Nazis’ vision of the ideal German male and female.

What I can infer:

Workers were afforded the opportunity to own a car.

Details in the source that tell me this:

The poster is advertising the KdF, the Strength through Joy movement which was
designed to improve workers’ lives. The car is the reward for hard work.

16 Not everybody was better off under the Nazis. During the Weimar Republic women were
given an equal status and allowed to seek positions within the government. However,
under the Nazi regime women were forced from their jobs into more traditional roles as
mothers and wives. It was this that increased employment opportunities for men, as they
filled these open positions. There was also systematic discrimination against Jews in the
workplace, particularly in the professions. For example, in 1933 legislation was introduced
to prevent Jews working in the Civil Service and to curtail ‘Jewish activity’ in the medical
and legal professions.

The Strength through Joy programme was intended to reward German workers for their
hard work. It was created for two purposes: first, to keep people busy, giving them less
time and opportunity for political resistance, and secondly, to encourage loyalty to the
regime in return for benefits such as subsidised holidays, theatre trips and a scheme that
allowed people to pay into a fund to buy a Volkswagen car. The German people had been
denied access to such luxuries for many years. However, the Volkswagen scheme proved
to be a false promise: people didn’t receive their cars, because the shift to wartime
production meant that military equipment was a higher priority than civilian vehicles.

The Beauty of Labour campaign worked alongside the Strength through Joy programme
and was designed to improve conditions for factory workers. It improved air quality,
changing rooms, cleanliness and noise levels. These practical steps were intended to
improve productivity in the factories and increase support for the state. This was probably
the most effective measure the Nazis took to improve working life for German people.

The persecution of minorities

17 a

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 Measure Chronological
order (1–6)

Kristallnacht 6
Jewish books were burnt 2
The Nuremberg Laws 3
The SA organised a boycott of Jewish shops and 1
businesses
There was a deliberate lull in the anti-Jewish 4
campaign due to the Olympic Games
Jews had a red letter ‘J’ added to their passports 5

b The Nazis took gradual steps against the Jews in order to test the public’s response.
The boycott was a small step on the road to isolating Jews from society, but it didn’t have
a far-reaching effect. When young people began voluntarily burning Jewish books in May
1933, the measures became more serious. The Nuremberg Laws effectively changed the
legal rights of Jews and meant that they were no longer protected by German law. German
friends then started to distance themselves. Jews were also forced out of their jobs and
banned from representing the country in the armed forces. Kristallnacht, in November
1938, was a concerted act of violent persecution of the Jews. Since very few people went
to the aid of the Jews that evening, the event allowed the Nazis to increasingly step up
their antisemitic measures until the start of the war in 1939.

18

Key word Definition

Master race Nazi ideological belief which stated that the German
people were a superior race
Subhuman A lower order of human being — the Nazis used this
term as a label for those they considered
‘degenerates’
Euthanasia Killing by means of assisted suicide
Sterilisation A surgical procedure used to prevent somebody from
having children
Volksgemeinsc German phrase meaning people’s community
haft
Persecution The persistent ill treatment of a group of people
based on their race or religion, or political oppression

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 over a long period of time
Discrimination To treat somebody differently based on race, religion
or political belief
Boycott Refuse to buy goods from a shop or other business as
a form of protest or punishment
Kristallnacht Night of Broken Glass
Slavs A term the Nazis used to describe Eastern Europeans
including Russian and Polish peoples

19

Statement Cause, immediate

consequence or long-
term consequence?

Goebbels portrayed the attacks on Jewish Immediate

shops, business and synagogues as a consequence
spontaneous act of vengeance by Germans.
100 Jews were killed and 20,000 sent to Immediate
concentration camps after the event. Goebbels consequence
organised anti-Jewish demonstrations, which
soon involved attacks on Jewish shops, homes
and synagogues.
The attacks began on the night of 9–10 Immediate
November. So many shop windows were consequence
shattered that the event became known as the
Night of Broken Glass (Kristallnacht).
Persecution continued into 1939. Jews were Long-term
evicted from their homes and jewels and consequence
precious metals were confiscated.
The Anschluss with Austria made more Cause
Germans keen to remove ‘non-Germans’ from
their country.
After the Olympic Games were over Cause
persecution quickly increased within Germany.
191 synagogues and 185 businesses were Immediate
destroyed. consequence
The Nazis banned Jews from owning or Long-term
managing a business. consequence
Herschel Grynszpan, a young Polish Jew, shot Cause
the German diplomat Ernst vom Rath in Paris.

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20 a The Nazis secretly began to execute the mentally ill through the use of lethal
injections and then gas vans in 1939. The Catholic Church led a campaign to halt the
practice, but it continued behind closed doors.

b Hitler and the Nazis created the idea of the ‘master race’, a pure, Aryan, German
state. It was to be achieved by eliminating those deemed racially inferior and through
selective breeding.

21 Non-Aryan, dangerous, burden, work-shy, illegal

22

Action Year

Opponents of the Nazis were first sent to concentration 1933

camps.
The mentally ill were secretly killed during the euthanasia 1939
programme.
The Nazis banned all marriages between gypsies and 1935
Germans.
Jewish shops and businesses were destroyed and Jews 1938
were made to pay for the damage.
Jewish children were expelled from German schools. 1938
An organised boycott of Jewish shops and businesses took 1933
place for one day.
Jews were no longer drafted into the German army. From
1935
The Nuremberg Laws eliminated Jews’ status as German 1935
citizens.

23 a Although both interpretations address measures brought against the Jews,

Interpretation 9 is concerned with Hitler’s aims to limit Jewish involvement in society and
eventually force them out of society economically speaking. However, Interpretation 10
mentions that ordinary citizens had little concern for the anti-Jewish measures and that
they were more concerned with unemployment. The main difference, therefore, is that
Interpretation 9 explains the steps used to isolate the Jews from German society via the
Nuremberg Laws, while Interpretation 10 examines the German peoples’ reactions to the
measures.

b One difference between the interpretations is that the first historian is examining the
reasons for Hitler creating the anti-Jewish measures. For example, he mentions
‘calculated steps’. However, the second historian is more concerned with how the German
people responded to the measures. For example, he states that they were more

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 concerned about the ‘massive reduction in unemployment’. It is therefore unfair to say that
Interpretation 10 ignores the reasons for the creation of the Nuremberg Laws, when its
purpose is different to Interpretation 9.

c I somewhat disagree with Interpretation 10 because even though people did not
appear to respond to antisemitic measures, such as the boycott on Jewish shops in April
1933, many people were too afraid to act. The boycott only lasted one day and some
German citizens still bought goods from Jewish establishments. This seems to prove that
the German citizens would not have immediately accepted full-scale exclusion of the Jews
from society.

You could agree with Interpretation 10 that many people were not overly concerned by the
state’s antisemitic measures. As they were relatively minor and implemented piece by
piece, for example boycotts, closure of businesses, banning Jewish doctors from treating
anyone other than Jewish patients, ordinary citizens did not notice the level of
discrimination taking place. Furthermore, exposure to antisemitic propaganda may have
encouraged them to believe that some of the measures were necessary to make Germany
strong again.

The alternative interpretation is a stronger view of the measures the Nazis took against the
Jews. Interpretation 9 states that Hitler did not want ‘to turn the Jews into a public burden’
and so each step had to be calculated. This therefore suggests that there was a plan to
remove the Jews from society and that it would have to be implemented carefully. We
know that Kristallnacht happened in November 1938 and as a consequence, over 7,000
Jewish businesses and synagogues were fined 1 billion Reichsmarks to pay for the
destruction. Hitler’s plan to remove the Jews from society eventually succeeded with the
creation of the concentration camps and establishment of the Nuremberg Laws.

Interpretation 10 fails to mention the impact of the Nuremberg Laws and downplays the
level of resistance to the antisemitic measures. However, it does provide us with the view
that the German people had perhaps believed the antisemitic propaganda presented to
them and that their more immediate concerns were over employment. Therefore, I largely
disagree with the accuracy of Interpretation 10.

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