Download Germany (Nazis) - Bearsden Academy

HIGHER HISTORY
Bearsden Academy
GERMANY
Rise of the Nazi Party and their maintenance of power 1918-1945
1
Rise of the Nazis and their maintenance of power Timeline
1871
Jan 18th – German Empire declared in Palace of Versailles
Wilhelm I is made Kaiser of Germany, Bismarck is made Chancellor.
1883-89
Socialist Laws passed, including old age pensions and sickness and
accident insurance
1888
Death of Kaiser Wilhelm I. Wilhelm II (Grandson of Queen Victoria) becomes
Kaiser of Germany. He disagrees with Bismarck’s policies.
1890
Bismarck forced to resign as chancellor
1914
First World War begins
1918
First World War ends. Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicates. Weimar Republic declared
1919
June 28th Treaty of Versailles signed
Jan – German Workers’ Party (to become the Nazi party) formed
Sept – Adolf Hitler, sent by German army to spy on the German Workers’
Party, likes their ideas and joins instead.
1920
German Workers’ Party becomes the National Socialist German Workers'
Party (NSDP) called the Nazi Party for short.
1921
July – Hitler becomes leader of the NSDP
Nov – the SA (Sturm Abteilung) were formed. Known as Stormtroopers these
were the party militia. They were also known as brownshirts because of the
brown shirts that formed part of their uniform.
1922
Invasion of the Ruhr by French and Belgian soldiers – German govt orders
Ruhr workers to go on strike in response. Result = catastrophic for German
economy
1923
Hyperinflation Crisis (as a result of invasion of Ruhr) – Govt. printed money to
pay striking Ruhr workers. Value of money decreased and prices increased
dramatically as a result. Many people starved and the German citizens
blamed the govt.
8th Nov – Munich (Beer Hall) Putsch - Hitler and the NSDP attempt to
overthrow the Bavarian government failed. The leaders were arrested and
charged with treason.
1924
Hitler's trial for his part in the Munich Putsch began. He was sentenced
to
5 years in prison but only served 10 months. During his time in prison Hitler
wrote Mein Kampf.
1925
SS (Schutzstaffel) formed. The SS, who wore black shirts to distinguish them
from the SA, initially formed Hitler's personal bodyguard, but later became
the party militia.
1926
Hitler Youth, League of German Worker Youth formed.
2
1927
Aug 20th – The first annual party conference to be held at Nuremburg.
Known as the Nuremburg Rally all subsequent annual meetings were held at
Nuremburg.
1929
Great Depression - The world depression saw many Germans face
unemployment and poverty. Support for the Nazi party increased
dramatically.
1930
The Nazi party gained 18.3% of the vote in the Reichstag elections to
become the second largest party.
1932
The Nazi party gained 37.4% of the vote in the Reichstag elections to
become the largest party.
1933
30th Jan - Hitler appointed Chancellor of Germany by President Hindenburg
27th Feb - The Reichstag Fire. As a result the Communist Party (KPD) was
banned. This gave the Nazis a clear majority in government.
5th March - Hitler ordered a new election at which the Nazi party gained
44% of the General election vote.
23rd March - Enabling Act gave Hitler power to make laws without consulting
the Reichstag for a period of four years
26th April - The Gestapo, Nazi secret police, were formed
2nd May – Trade Unions banned
10th May - 25,000 'un-German' books burned in an “Action against the UnGerman Spirit”. The move was encouraged by Joseph Goebbels, Head of
Propaganda
14th July - All political parties except the Nazis were banned
1934
30th June - The Night of the Long Knives - 150 leaders of the Stormtroopers
(SA) were executed by the SS.
2nd Aug - President Hindenburg died. Hitler combined the post of President
and Chancellor and called himself Fuhrer.
1935
March - Hitler publicly announced that the German Army was to be
expanded. Conscription was introduced.
Sept - Nuremburg Laws defined German citizenship. Relationships between
Jews and Aryans were banned.
1936
March - Re-occupation of the Rhineland. In contravention of the terms of
the Versailles Treaty, Hitler sent German troops to re-occupy the Rhineland.
Dec - Law concerning the Hitler Youth made membership of the Hitler Youth
compulsory for all boys
1938
March 14th - Anschluss with Austria. Hitler made a triumphant entry into
Vienna
1938
Nov - Kristallnacht - Jewish shops and synagogues were destroyed.
Following the event the Jewish population was fined for the destruction.
1939-45
Second World War
1945
30th April – Hitler commits suicide
3
Information
By 1900, Germany's economy matched Britain's, allowing colonial expansion and a naval
race. Germany led the Central Powers in the First World War (1914--1918) against France,
Great Britain, Russia and (by 1917) the United States. Defeated and partly occupied,
Germany was forced to pay war reparations by the Treaty of Versailles and was stripped
of its colonies as well as Polish areas and Alsace-Lorraine. The German Revolution of 1918-19 deposed the emperor and the kings, leading to the establishment of the Weimar
Republic; an unstable parliamentary democracy.
The Weimar Republic was in control from 1919 until 1933,
during which time they led a war-ravaged country with
a fragile economy. The economy was severely knocked
in 1923 with hyperinflation where prices rocketed and
wages could not keep up. Many starved. Support for the
Nazi party grew during this time, and Hitler attempted his
own coup; the Munich Putsch. This failed, and Germany
entered into negotiations with the U.S. and acquired
loans from them. As a result they entered a period of
economic recovery during the years of Gustav
Stresemann. This, however, was short lived.
In 1929 the Wall Street Crash occurred in the
United States, This had a knock on effect, on
nearly every country in the world. This led to a
world-wide depression. This was known as the
Great Depression.
At the beginning of the 1930s, Adolf Hitler’s Nazi
Party exploited widespread and deep-seated
discontent in Germany to attract popular and
political support. There was resentment at the crippling territorial, military and economic
terms of the Versailles Treaty, which Hitler blamed on treacherous politicians and promised
to overturn. The democratic post-World War I Weimar Republic was marked by a weak
coalition government and political crisis, in answer to which the Nazi party offered strong
leadership and national rebirth. From 1929 onwards, the worldwide economic depression
provoked social unrest and mass unemployment, to which Hitler offered scapegoats such
as the Jews.
Hitler pledged civil peace, radical economic policies, and the restoration of national
pride and unity. Nazi rhetoric was virulently nationalist and anti-Semitic. The ‘subversive’
Jews were portrayed as responsible for all of Germany’s ills.
4
In the federal elections of 1930 (which followed the Wall
Street Crash), the Nazi Party won 107 seats in the Reichstag
(the German Parliament), becoming the second-largest
party. The following year, it more than doubled its seats. In
January 1933, President von Hindenburg appointed Hitler
chancellor, believing that the Nazis could be controlled
from within the cabinet. Hitler set about consolidating his
power, destroying Weimar democracy and establishing a
dictatorship. On 27 February, the Reichstag burned; Dutch
communist Marianus van der Lubbe was found inside,
arrested and charged with arson. With the Communist
Party discredited and banned, the Nazis passed the
Reichstag Fire Decree, which dramatically curtailed civil
liberties.
In March 1933, the Nazis used intimidation and manipulation to pass the Enabling Act,
which allowed them to pass laws which did not need to be voted on in the Reichstag.
Over the next year, the Nazis eliminated all remaining political opposition, banning the
Social Democrats, and forcing the other parties to disband. In July 1933, Germany was
declared a one-party state. In the ‘Night of the Long Knives’ of June 1934, Hitler ordered
the Gestapo and the SS to eliminate rivals
within the Nazi Party. In 1935, the Nuremburg
Laws marked the beginning of an
institutionalised
anti-Semitic
persecution
which would culminate in the barbarism of
the ‘Final Solution’.
Hitler’s first moves to overturn the Versailles
settlement began with the rearmament of
Germany, and in 1936 he ordered the
remilitarisation of the Rhineland. Hitler
became bolder as he realised that Britain
and France were unwilling and unable to challenge German expansionism. Between
1936 and 1939, he provided military aid to Franco’s fascist forces in the Spanish Civil War,
despite having signed the ‘Non-Intervention Agreement’. In March 1938, German troops
marched into Austria; the Anschluss was forbidden under Versailles. Anglo-French
commitment to appeasement and ‘peace for our time’ meant that when Hitler provoked
the ‘Sudeten Crisis’, demanding that the Sudetenland be ceded to Germany, Britain and
France agreed to his demands at September 1938’s Munich conference. Germany’s
territorial expansion eastwards was motivated by Hitler’s desire to unite German–speaking
peoples, and also by the concept of Lebensraum: the idea of providing Aryan Germans
with ‘living space’.
5
It the end of the year, anti-Jewish pogroms erupted
across Germany and Austria. Kristallnacht – a stateorchestrated attack on Jewish property – resulted in the
murder of 91 Jews. Twenty thousand more were arrested
and transported to concentration camps.
In March 1939, Germany seized the remainder of
Czechoslovakia; in August Hitler signed the Nazi-Soviet
Pact of non-aggression with the USSR. The next step
would be the invasion of Poland and the coming of
World War II. After forming a pact with the Soviet Union in
1939, Hitler and Stalin
divided
Eastern
Europe. After a "phoney war" in spring 1940 the German
blitzkrieg swept Scandinavia, the Low Countries and
France, giving Germany control of nearly all of Western
Europe. Only Britain stood opposed. Hitler invaded the
Soviet Union in June 1941, a reach too far.
The systematic genocide program known as The Holocaust killed six million Jews in
Germany and German-occupied areas, as well as five million Poles, Romanies, Slavs,
Soviets, and others. In 1941, however, the German invasion of the Soviet Union faltered,
and after the United States entered the war, Britain became the base for massive AngloAmerican bombings of German cities. Germany fought the war on multiple fronts through
1942--1943. Following the Allied invasion of Normandy (June 1944), the German army was
pushed back on all fronts until the final collapse in May 1945.
6
Topic 5
Why did the Nazis achieve power in
Germany in 1933?
Learning intentions:
To evaluate the reasons for the Nazis coming to power in Germany in 1933 and come to a
conclusion about the most important reason
Essay Factors:






Weaknesses of Weimar Republic
Resentment towards the Treaty of Versailles
Social and Economic difficulties
The appeal of the Nazis after 1928
The role of Hitler
Weaknesses and mistakes of opponents
7
Information
How did a cultured nation in the heart of Europe allow Adolf Hitler and his extremist party
to attain power in 1933? The answer lies in historical, economic and political factors as
well as the personality of Adolf Hitler. Germany in the early 1930s was a country existing in
the shadow of a humiliating peace treaty, sick of an indecisive democracy and crippled
by severe economic depression.
The Nazi takeover of power was not inevitable; the party took advantage of
circumstance. However, they also offered a persuasive vision to a nation that longed for
order and prosperity, and they employed a number of effective tactics to this effect.
Even when Hitler was invited to become chancellor, he was underestimated. “We’ve
hired him” the former chancellor Franz Von Papen was heard to remark. He would soon
regret this flippancy.
In 1920, the Nazi party programme was issued. Their beliefs included:

Nationalism: a strong Germany in which all ‘true’ Germans would live.

Anti-Semitism: hatred of the Jews and a belief that they caused all of Germany’s
problems. Hitler’s Germany had no place for the Jews.

Anti-Communism: attacks on the communists for their socialist beliefs that everyone
was equal. At the same time, Hitler believed in state control of the economy.
The core beliefs of the Nazis changed little in the years between 1920 and 1933. What
changed was the attitude and lives of the German people. In extreme (economic) times
the people of Germany turned to an extreme solution.
8
1. Weaknesses of the Weimar
Government
Birth of the Weimar Republic
The Kaiser flees to Holland
War ends 11/11/1918
Ebert- the new President
Task:
Use the information on pages 130 - 134 to complete these tasks and questions:
1. Complete the storyboard showing the collapse of the Kaiser’s regime and the birth
of the ‘Weimar’ Republic. (Storyboard template will be on separate handout sheet)
2. Why does Finlay McKichan argue that the Weimar Republic was ‘a Republic
nobody wanted’?
3. Why did Generals Hindenburg and Ludendorff argue for a ‘revolution from above’
(change driven by those at the top of society) after the Allied victories in August
1918?
4. What were the main changes to the way that Germany was governed?
5. Why was political change also negative?
9
The birth of the Weimar Republic: create a storyboard with a picture that represents each description
1. Summer 1918- The German army is heavily
defeated. German generals realise the war is
lost
2. October - Prince Max of Baden becomes
Chancellor of Germany at the head of a
liberal government (Generals idea)
3. 9th November - The Kaiser abdicates (gives
up his throne). Ebert, head of the Social
Democrats becomes Chancellor.
4. 11th November - Armistice comes into
effect. Fighting stops on the Western Front.
5. January 1919 - Coalition government is
formed as no party can win enough seats to
govern alone.
6. Germany signs the Treaty of Versailles. The
Treaty is very unpopular as is the new
government for signing it.
10
Revolution from below!
Task two: Use the information on pages 132 to 134 to complete these questions.
1. What developments forced the new government to make an agreement with the
army?
2. Explain Hiden’s quote about the collapse of Weimar democracy.
3. List two reasons why the socialists could not ‘provide dynamic leadership’.
4. Why did the army agree to help Ebert?
5. In what way did the German revolution differ from the Russian one and what was
the reaction of the workers’ and soldiers’ councils?
6. Take the sub heading Key problems of the Republic. Copy the bullet points on
page 34.
7. What were the consequences of the brutal suppression of the Spartacist uprising for
a) the different socialist groups and b) the name of the new republic?
Watch these clips from the film Hitler: The rise of evil.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-vX9nLg7G4 (last two minutes)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFqazyqMllI
The problems of German democracy
Use the information on pages 137 to 139 to complete the task for this section.
The Weimar Republic had a weakness - it was too democratic. The constitution (the laws
upon which states are organised and governed) was extremely fair. However, there was
the possibility that a number of problems could arise because of this fairness.
Sometimes things can look good ‘on paper’, meaning theoretically that the
company/sports team/student should perform well. In reality, what looks good ‘on paper’
does not always translate to achieving the potential suggested.
11
Task:
8. Complete this spider diagram using the information on page 137 and 138.
Who could vote? What
were people voting for?
How were political parties
elected?
Features of the Weimar
Republic
Powers of the President?
How was the President elected?
9. Copy down the table on page 138 showing the major political parties of the 1920s.
Use arrows to show which parties appear to be similar.
10. What two factors made it difficult for any one party to gain a majority in the
Reichstag?
11. What type of government was normal in the Weimar Republic and why did they not
usually last long?
12. What criticism has been made of the right of the President to suspend the
constitution and rule by himself?
13. What was a positive feature of the President being able to rule by himself in times of
emergency?
14. Why were the government worried about the Friekorps at the beginning of 1920?
15. What incident showed that the new democracy relied too much on the ‘power
structures’ of Imperial Germany?
16. Why did the Kapp Putsch have a negative effect on the relationship between the
German people and the Weimar Republic?
12
To summarise, the main problems of the Weimar Government were as follows:
-
The politicians of the Weimar Government signed the Treaty of Versailles and so
were blamed for Germany’s defeat in World War One and the negative impact the
reparation payments had on the economy. They were known as the ‘November
Criminals’.
-
Two attempts of revolution, the Sparticist Rebellion and the Kapp Putsch showed
that many opposed the new democracy and identified the Weimar Government
as weak (indeed, the Government retreated in fear from Berlin to the quiet town of
Weimar during the Spartacist uprising, which is why they were labelled as the
‘Weimar Government’; their very name was associated with weakness).
-
The new constitution was arguably ‘too democratic’. No political party could form
a majority so weak coalition governments were formed. Coalitions often fell apart
leading to frequent elections and the appearance that democracy wasn’t
working.
13
2. Resentment towards the
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles: Information
The Impact of the Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was the Peace Settlement between the Allies and Germany at the
end of the First World War. The German authorities had little choice but to accept the
terms of the Treaty presented by 'the Big Three'. This section looks at some of the
implications of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
The Physical impact of the Treaty
The Treaty of Versailles radically altered the Geography of Europe. The Treaty had clauses
that resulted in areas of land being taken from Germany. The following maps illustrate the
scale of these losses:
From these maps it is clear that Germany suffered large territorial losses. The provinces of
Alsace and Lorraine returned to France; parts of Schleswig were ceded to Denmark; to
the east, new countries were created to roughly match the ethnic balance of the area
and finally, 'The Polish Corridor' was created which gave the Poles a broad strip of land
that connected it to the sea - and consequently separated Eastern Prussia from the rest of
Germany. It was not just in Europe that German suffered territorial losses. All of Germany's
14
overseas colonies were annexed by the Allies, either to become colonies or areas that
were managed until independence could be maintained autonomously. In total,
Germany lost over one million square miles of land (28,000 of which had previously formed
part of European Germany) and 6 million subjects.
The financial impact of the Treaty
The Treaty of Versailles blamed Germany for the First World War. As a result of this
Germany was also held accountable for the cost of the war and the Treaty dictated that
compensation would have to be paid to the Allies. These payments, called reparations,
would be paid monthly and would total some £6,600 million (This figure was agreed by the
Allies in 1921). It is important not to take this figure in isolation though. remember that the
economic might of Germany had been stretched to the limits during the war, and she
would have to reconstruct her own economy at the same time as paying Reparations. In
addition, Germany had lost some of her most precious sources of Raw materials as her
colonies, and some of the areas ceded to other countries, were rich sources of income.
These factors would make it harder for the German economy to cope. Further to this it is
important to note the casualties suffered during the war. Germany lost some 1.7 million
men during the war, and a further 4.2 million are listed as being wounded.
The Political Impact of the Treaty
The Treaty triggered a number of political reactions. Firstly the government of the day
resigned, having refused to sign it. The incoming government had no choice but to sign
the Treaty but was accused by some, General Ludendorff for example, of stabbing the
Germany people in the back. This theory grew in popularity as the economy suffered and
many, former soldiers in particular, believed that it was the politicians that had lost the
war, not than the army. For some it was hard to accept that they could have lost the war
whilst troops were still stationed in France, having not lost the ground that they had taken
in 1914. This, amongst other things, led to a growth in the number of people who distrusted
the Weimar Republic and were unwilling to support it. This manifests itself in uprisings such
as the Kapp Putsch and the Munich Putsch, though there are other factors which led to
these uprisings.
15
Task: Use the information on pages 134-137 of the textbook:
17. Why did the new rulers of Germany feel that they had to sign the Treaty of
Versailles?
18. In what way was the ‘stab in the back’ accusation
a) accurate?
b) inaccurate?
19. What were the two main areas of complaint that Germans had about the Treaty of
Versailles?
20. Why were the Germans particularly annoyed about the idea of self determination?
21. Copy and complete this table to show why Germans were angry about the Treaty
of Versailles. This will be peer assessed.
Land/overseas Money owed
territory lost
Responsibility
for the war
Disarmament
Historian’s
views
Task:
Your teacher will now show you a number of different Germans on PowerPoint slides.
(Saved on History shared area as Versailles characters) Using the knowledge you now
have about the Treaty of Versailles write what you think their complaint(s) might be on
show me boards.
Summary:
The long-term damage of the treaty is summed up by A. J. Nicholls arguing that, ‘The real
damage the treaty did was to disillusion more moderate men who might otherwise have
supported their new Republic. Thus, although not now seen as a main reason for Nazi
success, there can be little doubt that the Treaty of Versailles was fully exploited by the
Nazis for their own ends. Hitler’s uncompromising stance against the Treaty of Versailles
and the Weimar Republic placed him in a good position when, after the economic crisis
in 1929, the German people sought out a strong leader for Germany.
16
3. Economic Difficulties
Economic problems (1918-23) HYPERINFLATION
The burden of reparations
France invades the Ruhr
Chaos of hyperinflation
On top of crippling war debts, Germany also had to pay enormous reparations
(compensation) to the victorious allies. If Germany had actually kept up with the
payments they would not have finished until 1986! They also had to contend with the
French invasion of the Ruhr industrial area and hyperinflation; (money became worthless)
which wreaked even more havoc on the fragile economy.
Hyperinflation in Weimar Germany: Information
Weimar Germany had greeted the financial punishment of Versailles with total horror. By
signing the Treaty of Versailles, she agreed in principle to the payment of £6,600,000,000 in
reparations. In 1921, Germany just about managed to pay its first instalment of 2 billion
gold marks. Weimar Germany was allowed to pay in kind (actual materials) as opposed
to just cash. Most of this 2 billion was paid in coal, iron and wood.
In 1922, Weimar Germany simply could not manage to pay another instalment. The Allies
did not believe this - especially France, where anger towards Germany still ran deep - and
the German government was accused of trying to get out of her reparations
responsibilities. This apparent refusal was only four years after the end of the war, and the
attitude of the public towards Germany across Europe, was still very hostile.
In 1923, French and
payments. The Ruhr
Belgium troops took
Germans who lived
Belgium troops invaded the Ruhr to claim the unpaid reparation
was Germany’s most valuable industrial area. The French and
over the iron and steel factories, coal mines and railways. Those
in the Ruhr who did not co-operate with the Germans were
17
imprisoned. Food was taken. France was considered one of the League's most powerful
members and here she was violating its own code of conduct.
Weimar’s government responded by ordering the workers in the Ruhr to go on strike and it
ordered all people in the Ruhr to passively resist the French and Belgium soldiers. This
meant that they were not to openly confront the French and Belgium soldiers, simply that
they were not to help them in any way whatsoever. This lead to violence and over the
next 8 months of the occupation, 132 people were killed and over 150,000 Ruhr Germans
expelled from their homes.
The order for workers to go on a general strike may have been patriotic but it had
disastrous consequences for Germany as a whole. The Ruhr was Germany’s richest
economic area and produced a great deal of wealth for the country as a whole. The
huge Krupps steelworks was there. By not producing any goods whatsoever, Germany’s
economy started to suffer. The striking workers had to be paid and the people expelled
from their homes had to be looked after. To do this, the government did the worst thing
possible - it printed money to cover the cost. This signalled to the outside world that
Germany did not have enough money to pay for her day-to-day needs and whatever
money may have been invested in Germany was removed by foreign investors.
Such a drop in confidence also caused a crisis in Weimar Germany itself when prices
started to rise to match inflation. Very quickly, things got out of control and what is known
as hyperinflation set in. Prices went up quicker than people could spend their money.
In 1922, a loaf of bread cost 163 marks.
By September 1923, this figure had reached 1,500,000 marks and at the peak of
hyperinflation, November 1923, a loaf of bread cost 200,000,000,000 marks.
The impact of hyperinflation was huge :
People were paid by the hour and rushed to pass money to loved ones so that it could be
spent
before
its
value
meant
it
was
worthless.
People
had
to
shop
with
wheel
barrows
full
of
money
Bartering became common - exchanging something for something else but not
accepting money for it. Bartering had been common in Medieval times!
Pensioners
on
fixed
incomes
suffered
as
pensions
became
worthless.
Restaurants did not print menus as by the time food arrive…the price had gone up!
The poor became even poorer and the winter of 1923 meant that many lived in freezing
conditions
burning
furniture
to
get
some
heat.
The very rich suffered least because they had sufficient contacts to get food etc. Most of
the very rich were land owners and could produce food on their own estates.
The group that suffered a great deal - proportional to their income - was the middle class.
Their hard earned savings disappeared overnight. They did not have the wealth or land to
fall back on as the rich had. Many middle class families had to sell family heirlooms to
survive. It is not surprising that many of those middle class who suffered in 1923, were to
turn to Hitler and the Nazi Party.
18
Hyperinflation proved to many that the old mark was of no use. Germany needed a new
currency.
Task:
Hyperinflation is an extreme form of inflation where prices rise but wages remain at the
same level.
Watch this clip on hyperinflation. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI1i5yhwOz8
Your teacher will expand on the importance and the effects of hyperinflation on
Germany. (Saved as Hyperinflation in History shared area)
TAKE NOTES on both the clip and the PowerPoint
Plenary session - Hot seating on hyperinflation.
The Munich Putsch
In November 1923, Hitler tried to take advantage of the crisis facing the Weimar
government by instigating a revolution in Munich. It seemed like the perfect opportunity,
but poor planning and misjudgement resulted in failure and the subsequent imprisonment
of Adolf Hitler.
Summary (BBC Bitesize)

At first, the Nazis were just a terrorist group. Hitler assembled a large
group of unemployed young men and former soldiers, known as the
storm troopers (the SA), which attacked other political groups. Hitler
hoped to take power by starting a revolution
During the crisis of 1923, therefore, Hitler plotted with two nationalist
politicians - Kahr and Lossow - to take over Munich in a revolution.

Hitler is angered as Kahr and Lossow call off the rebellion
Hitler collected his storm troopers and told them to be ready to
rebel.
But then, on 4 October 1923, Kahr and Lossow called off the
rebellion. This was an impossible situation for Hitler, who had 3,000
troops ready to fight.

19
Hitler waved a gun at Khar and Lossow
On the night of 8 November 1923, Hitler and 600 storm troopers burst
into a meeting that Kahr and Lossow were holding at the local Beer
Hall. Waving a gun at them, Hitler forced them to agree to rebel and then let them go home. The SA took over the army
headquarters and the offices of the local newspaper.

16 Nazis were killed in the scuffle
The next day, 9 November 1923, Hitler and his Nazis went into
Munich on what they thought would be a triumphal march to take
power.
However, Kahr had called in police and army reinforcements. There
was a short scuffle in which the police killed 16 Nazis.
Hitler fled, but was arrested two days later.
Taking power by revolutionary means had FAILED.
The economy improves (1924-1929) THE GOLDEN AGE OF WEIMAR
Gustav Stresemann
In this section we will learn about how the Weimar Republic
recovered after its unsteady start, and about Gustav
Stresemann, the politician most associated with this revival in
Germany’s fortunes.
Task:
It is 1923. The Weimar Republic has survived the Kapp Putsch
and the Munich Putsch. However, the French still occupy the
Ruhr, hyperinflation is destroying the economy and Germany is
an outcast in Europe.
In your groups try to come up with some solutions that you
think could:
a)
b)
Get the French to leave the Ruhr and get Germany’s economy back on
track.
Improve Germany’s status in Europe and its relationship with other countries.
Each group should propose at least one solution for each target. Be prepared to defend
your solution!
20
Task:
Read the information on page 143.
22. How was Stresemann able to persuade the French to leave the Ruhr area and what
did this allow to happen?
23. What was the Dawes plan designed to do?
24. What evidence suggests that the Dawes plan was a success?
25. How did Stresemann improve relations with France?
26. What signal showed that Germany had returned to the status of a Great Power?
Task:
(use page 144)
Germany’s economic recovery plan
Look at the above diagram. What could happen to Germany if the American economy
begins to do badly?
Stresemann died in 1929. His death coincided with the slow death of democracy in
Germany. Stresemann’s achievements were impressive. However, they arguably only
papered over the cracks in Germany’s fragile democracy. Germany needed a much
longer period of peace and prosperity for the Weimar Republic to become established
and for people to forgive the hardship of the early years.
27. Why did the appeal of the Nazis vanish during the Stresemann years?
28. Explain the quote by Cameron, Robertson and Henderson.
21
Additional weaknesses of Weimar Government!
29. Based on the information you have covered so far, use the factors below to take
notes that demonstrate the weaknesses of the Weimar Republic (despite
Stresemann and the ‘Golden Years’) and reasons it eventually collapsed in 1933.
Attitude of
the army to
Weimar
Differences
between
supporters of
Weimar
Attitude of civil
servants to
Weimar
Economic
weakness
Historian’s
views on
collapse
Economic downturn (1929) THE GREAT DEPRESSION
“Only the Great Depression put the wind into Hitler’s sails” (A.J.P. Taylor)
The Weimar Republic was devastated by Wall Street Crash of October 1929 and the
Great Depression that followed. The Crash had a devastating impact on the American
economy but because America had propped up the Weimar Republic with huge loans in
1924 (the Dawes Plan) and in 1929 (the Young Plan), what happened to the American
economy had to impact the German geconomy.
Both plans had loaned Weimar money to prop up the country’s economy - especially
after the experiences of hyperinflation in 1923. Now America needed those loans back to
assist her faltering economy.
Stresemann had died in 1929, but shortly before he died even he admitted that the
German economy was a lot more fragile than some would have liked to accept.
"The economic position is only flourishing on the surface. Germany
is in fact dancing on a volcano. If the short-term credits are called
in, a large section of our economy would collapse."
After the Wall Street Crash, America gave Germany 90 days to start to re-pay money
loaned to her. No other world power had the money to give Germany cash injections.
Britain and France were still recovering from the First World War and the Wall Street Crash
was to have an impact on industrial Britain. Stalin’s Russia was still in a desperate state and
embarking on the 5 year plans. Therefore, an impoverished Weimar Germany could only
call on America for help and she was effectively bankrupt by the end of 1929 and quite
incapable of lending money.
Companies throughout Germany - though primarily in the industrial zones such as the Ruhr
- went bankrupt and workers were laid off in their millions. Unemployment affected nearly
every German family just 6 years after the last major economic disaster (hyperinflation)
had hit Weimar.
22
Task:
30. Explain why the Wall Street Crash and the problems in America had such a
catastrophic impact of Germany.
31. Take a note of the quotes by A.J.P. Taylor, Finlay McKichan and Stresemann himself.
Explain each one in your own words.
32. In what way does Finlay McKichan’s quote on page 144 agree with A. J. P Taylor’s
assertion that “Only the Great Depression put the wind into Hitler’s sails”?
Most, though not all, of the unemployed were male. These men were almost certainly
family men who could see no way ahead with regards to providing for their families.
Money was required for food, heating a home, clothes etc. With no obvious end to their
plight under the Weimar regime, it is not surprising that those who saw no end to their
troubles turned to the more extreme political parties in Germany - the Nazi and
Communist Parties.
In 1928, the Nazi Party had nearly gone bankrupt as a result of the spending on street
parades etc. which had cost the party a great deal. Bankruptcy would have
automatically excluded them from politics - they were saved by a right wing businessman
called Hugenburg who owned a media firm in Germany. He financially bailed them out.
In the 1930 Reichstag election, the Nazis gained 143 seats - a vast improvement on their
previous showing. Hitler only expected between 50 and 60 seats. A senior Nazi official,
Gregor Strasser, claimed that what was a disaster for Weimar was "good, very good for
us."
In the July 1932 Reichstag election, the Nazis gained 230 seats making them the largest
party in the Reichstag.
Task:
Use pages 144 to 147 to answer these questions.
33. What caused Germany’s economic problems after 1929?
34. Look at the charts showing the increase in unemployment on page 146.
By how many percent did unemployment increase between 1929 and 1932?
By how many millions did unemployment increase between 1930 and July 1932?
35. What has recent historical research suggested about why many people voted for
the Nazis?
36. Among which groups did the Nazis gain most of their votes?
37. In what way do Hiden and Fulbrock agree about the increase in Nazi support?
23
4. Role of Hitler and
5. Appeal of the Nazis
Introduction to Hitler and the Nazis
In this section we will be looking at the appeal of the Nazis and the role of Hitler to
establish why the Weimar Republic collapsed and Hitler was invited to become
chancellor.
Task:
Graffiti board- In groups of 3 or 4 brainstorm and try to come up with as many reasons as
you can why people support/vote for political parties and politicians.
Your teacher will go through an introductory PowerPoint to outline the main reasons why
Hitler came to power in 1933. (Saved as ‘Hitler’s rise to power’ in History shared area)
Fear of communism and Jews Disagreeing politicians
Article 48
Charismatic Hitler
24
Nazi promises- work & bread
Goebbels- propaganda master
Role of Hitler
Task:
Use the information on pages 140 to 142 to answer these questions
1. Where did Hitler attempt to seize power by force in 1923?
2. In what way did the failure to seize power influence Hitler’s tactics?
3. Why did Hitler feel it was necessary to change tactics to gain power?
4. How did Hitler set about making the Nazis electable?
5. How did Hitler originally become involved with the Nazis?
6. What gave the Nazis an advantage over parties with similar policies?
7. In pairs try to describe the main themes of Mein Kampf in ten words or less.
25
Information: Appeal of the Nazis
Prior to the Wall Street Crash, in 1928 the Nazis polled less than 3% of the popular vote.
Weimar Germany appeared to be stable, prosperous and was now a welcomed member
of the European community. Just four years later the vote for the Nazis had increased to
just over 37% of those who voted.
The Nazis appeared to offer a better future and something for everyone which gave
them widespread appeal.
Nazi ideology
In 1919, Adolf Hitler joined a small right-wing group called the German Workers' Party. He
took over as its leader, and changed its name to the National Socialists (Nazis).
The party developed a 25-Point Programme, which - after the failure of the Munich Putsch
in 1924 - Hitler explained further in his book 'Mein Kampf'.
The Nazi ideology:



Lebensraum - the need for 'living space' for the German nation to expand.
A strong Germany - the Treaty of Versailles should be abolished and all Germanspeaking people united in one country.
Führer - the idea that there should be a single leader with complete power rather than
a democracy.
26



Social Darwinism - the idea that the Aryan race was superior and Jews were
'subhuman'.
Autarky - the idea that Germany should be economically self-sufficient.
Germany was in danger - from Communists and Jews, who had to be destroyed.
38. Discuss each of the aspects of Nazi ideology above with your group. Consider why
these might appeal to Germans
The appeal of the Nazis
In the 1920s, the Nazis tried to be all things to all people. The 25-Point Programme had
policies that were:




Socialist - eg farmers should be given their land; pensions should improve; and public
industries such as electricity and water should be owned by the state.
Nationalist - all German-speaking people should be united in one country; the Treaty of
Versailles should be abolished; and there should be special laws for foreigners.
Racist - Jews should not be German citizens and immigration should be stopped.
Fascist - a strong central government and control of the newspapers.
The Nazis were popular with:





nationalists and racists
farmers
lower middle-class people such as plumbers and shopkeepers who were worried about
the chaos Germany was in
the unemployed who were promised jobs
rich people worried by the threat from Communism
The Nazis did not appeal to:


working men who voted Communist
intellectuals such as students and university professors
Task:
Hitler and the Nazis to 1933. Your teacher will give you out cards showing the main stages
of the career of Hitler and the Nazis to 1933. One card shows the year the event/issue
happened and the other card describes the event/issue. In pairs try to match the cards to
their partner.
27
Task two:
Read pages 147 and 148 before completing this task. The task is similar to the one you
completed on attitudes to the Treaty of Versailles. This time you will match the Nazi
promise to the person the promise is designed to appeal to. Copy out the table and draw
arrows to match them up. Some of the ‘average voters’ will match up to more than one
promise.
Nazi promise
Average German voter
Destroy the Treaty of Versailles.
Hans Gluckman: Owns a farm in Bavaria.
Create a society based on merit not class.
Helga Schmidt: Middle class housewife.
Rearm Germany.
Clara Voller: Young, unemployed and
working class.
Protect Germany from Communism.
Jurgen Galling: General in German army.
Reduce the power of workers.
Alfred Krupp: Businessman specialising in
Farmers would get a fair price for their
armament manufacturing.
produce.
Friedrich Stolz: former Friekorp and strong
Cheap food prices.
anti Semite.
Class discussion. Are all of these promises consistent- do they make sense when you
compare what each group is promised? Do the Nazis contradict themselves?
28
The role of Nazi propaganda
The evil Jew
Anti communist
Hitler- saviour of Germany
The basic purposes of propaganda are:
1) To present yourself/your group/ your country in a positive light and your
enemy/opponent in a negative light.
2) To persuade.
The person in charge of Nazi propaganda was Joseph
Goebbels. He was skilled at presenting the Nazi
message through ‘new media’ such as radio and
newsreels as well as the traditional methods of posters,
newspapers, leaflets and marches. A famous example
of Nazi propaganda was when Goebbels organised
riotous demonstrations that led to the film All quiet on
the Western Front being banned in Germany. The film
was anti war and did not fit in with the Nazi message.
Watch this section of the documentary The Nazis- A warning from History. This episode is
titled Helped in to power. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV57aZmKORk
Task:
Take notes on what the Nazis hoped to achieve from their propaganda and how the
German people reacted to it. Compare these to people in your group and discuss what
you have watched as a class.
29
Nazi election tactics
Task:
Use the information on page 148 to answer these questions.
1. Why did the Nazis have plenty of practice to perfect their election tactics between
1929 and 1932?
2. What do the authors of The Growth of Nationalism consider the Nazis greatest
electoral asset to be and why?
3. What were the two main roles of the SA (Brown Shirts)?
30
6. Weaknesses and mistakes
of opponents
There are several main reasons for the Nazis gaining power. They are not all of the Nazis
own making, and politicians from other parties were certainly responsible.
Your teacher will discuss this issue using a PowerPoint (saved as Failure of Weimar). Take
any notes as instructed.
Hitler's rise to power cannot be attributed to one event, but a mixture of factors including
events happening outside Germany, the strengths of the Nazi party, and the weaknesses
of other parties within Germany. Hitler used these factors to his advantage and in 1933 he
legitimately gained power to become chancellor.
Summary (BBC Bitesize)

Wall Street Crash
In 1929, the American Stock Exchange collapsed, and caused an
economic depression. America called in all its foreign loans, which
destroyed Weimar Germany. Unemployment in Germany rose to 6
million.
The government did not know what to do. In July 1930 Chancellor
Brüning cut government expenditure, wages and unemployment pay - the worst thing to
do during a depression. He could not get the Reichstag to agree to his actions, so
President Hindenburg used Article 48 to pass the measures by decree.

The Nazis gain support
Anger and bitterness helped the Nazis to gain more support.
Many workers turned to communism, but this frightened wealthy
businessmen, so they financed Hitler's campaigns.
Many middle-class people, alarmed by the obvious failure of
democracy, decided that the country needed a strong
government. Nationalists and racists blamed the Treaty of
Versailles and reparations.

31
By July 1932, the Nazis held 230 seats
In 1928, the Nazis had only 12 seats in the Reichstag; by July 1932
they had 230 seats and were the largest party.
The government was in chaos. President Hindenburg dismissed
Brüning in 1932. His replacement - Papen - lasted six months, and the
next chancellor - Schleicher - only lasted two months. Hindenburg
had to use Article 48 to pass almost every law.

Hitler was handed power on a plate
In January 1933, Hindenburg and Papen came up with a plan to
get the Nazis on their side by offering to make Hitler vice chancellor.
He refused and demanded to be made chancellor. They agreed,
thinking they could control him.
In January 1933, Hitler became chancellor, and immediately set
about making himself absolute ruler of Germany using Article 48.
32
Task:
Complete this passage using the information in your notes and on page 149.
Invited
enemies
promises
chancellor
propaganda
authoritarian
economic
socialism,
Article
plots
unemployment
Hitler and the Nazis enjoyed great electoral success in the early 1930s. This was due to
their ______________, ______________ the personality of Hitler and the terrible
_______________ conditions that led people to seek extreme solutions to the problem of
_______________.
The Nazis were also aided by the weakness of those who were their common political
____________. The SPD and KPD failed to present a united front against Nazism,
preoccupied by their argument over _______________ in Germany.
The nature of the Weimar ______________ also weakened the strength of the Republic.
____________ 48 was employed regularly to keep order and many of those who were in
positions of power in the early 1930s did not believe in democracy, preferring
______________ government. These actions showed a lack of faith in democracy that fed
back to the German people.
Several governments fell due to differences over policy and _______ by top politicians.
One example is Franz Von Papen who had been chancellor but had been replaced in
December 1932 by his rival Von Schleicher. Von Papen wanted to get rid of Schleicher
and he did this by entering into an agreement with Hitler. Hitler agreed as long as he was
made ____________ as part of the deal.
Hitler was ultimately ______________ in to power by men who thought they could use his
popularity and control his actions. Ironically the Nazi vote was declining at this time.
33
Conclusion
Even at its peak in March 1933, the Nazis never managed to attain over 50% of the votes
cast at an election, which indicates that they were never as popular throughout
Germany as their propaganda tried to portray. The rise of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) was swift
and far from certain. Support for Hitler and his Nazi Party only took off after the full impact
of the Wall Street Crash (October 1929) was felt on Weimar Germany. Up to this point the
Nazis had been a noisy but far from important part of the Reichstag that was dominated
by the Centre and Socialists parties along with the traditional nationalist parties found in
Weimar at the time. However, the great leap in unemployment throughout Weimar
Germany and the seeming inability of the Weimar government to be able to control it
mean that those without hope turned to the Nazi Party or to the Communist Party. It can
be argued that without the economic chaos caused by the Wall Street Crash, the Nazis
may have remained a small and politically insignificant party. However, Hitler put his case
to the German people in very simple terms: other Weimar politicians when given the
chance of saving Germany had failed – all he needed was the one chance to prove
himself. It was a message that clearly had a marked impact in terms of the support the
Nazi Party received at elections.
Sample essay questions:
[Bold/underlined = isolated factor]
How important were economic factors in the rise to power of the Nazi Party between
1919 and 1933?
“Hitler’s promise of a better future for the German people was the most important reason
for the growth in support for the Nazis up to 1933.” How valid is this view?
How important were weaknesses and divisions among his opponents in explaining Hitler’s
rise to power by 1933?
34
Historians
(Versailles)
Merkel - “If the Empire was born out of the brilliance of victory, the German Republic
was born out of its terrible defeat…The criminal madness of the imposed Versailles
settlement was a shameless blow…The constitution of Weimar was born with a curse
upon it.”
Hinden - “The Versailles treaty certainly did not doom the Republic from birth, but it did
create particularly troublesome dimensions to existing internal conflicts and
contradictions which had, to some extent, survived the revolution.”
(The Stresemann years 1924-29)
Cameron et al. - “Stresemann and his times denied the Nazis the fire of the oxygen of
misery and it was all but extinguished.”
(Nazi seizure of power)
Simpson -“The Weimar Republic was born out of external defeat of the German Empire
and the internal collapse of its system of government. It is an open question whether
the Weimar Republic could ever have overcome the disadvantages which attended
its birth.”
A.J.P Taylor - “The Great Depression put the wind into Hitler’s sails.”
Fulbrock - “The Nazis growing electoral support in the elections of 1930 and 1932 was
directly related to the growth of mass unemployment and the growth of political
instability in this period.”
Jones - “The Nazis managed to win support from a wide cross section of society in a
time of crisis.”
Hinden - “The Party derived enormous benefit from its continued effort to win over the
rural population during the crisis. To vote for Hitler was for many a rejection of the
existing system.”
35
Topic 5
How did the Nazis maintain power in
Germany between 1933 and 1939?
Learning intentions:
To evaluate the reasons for the Nazi maintenance of power in Germany between 1933
and 1939 and come to a conclusion about the most important reason
Essay Factors:





Creating a Nazi Society/Social Policies
Economic Policies
Police State
Foreign Policy
Propaganda
36
Information
Creating Nazi culture
The cult of the leader
Indoctrination of the youth
Hitler stated that he sought to establish a ‘Thousand year Reich’. Germany enjoyed six
years of peace and foreign policy success before being led to defeat in 1945. The Nazi
regime created a state where they exercised total control through a combination of
loyalty in some and fear in others. (This helps to explain why many Germans fought so
fanatically when the war was clearly lost) Germans longed for order and prosperity in
1933 and in many ways the Nazis achieved this. However, they did this at a cost to the
freedom and equality of Germans. Loyalty and fear were cultivated using a variety of
quite deliberate tactics. For example, the Nazis replaced those who stood against them in
positions of authority, Germany became a society of informants and the uniformed ranks
of the Hitler Youth were instructed to love and respect the Fuhrer.
Glossary
Anschluss: Union with Austria
Gestapo: Nazi secret police.
Indoctrination: Changing people’s outlook and attitude.
Lebensraum: Living space.
Nazification: Creating institutions staffed by Nazis and promoting Nazi ideas.
‘Night of the Long Knives’: Murder and arrest of SA leaders in 1934.
Plebiscite: A vote on a single issue.
Purge: to get rid of something or someone.
SS: Hitler’s personal bodyguard, later state internal security service.
Sudetenland: Area of Czechoslovakia populated mainly by German speakers.
Volksgemeinschaft: A national community.
37
1. Creating a Nazi
Society/Social Policies
2.
The Nazis establish full control of Germany
Task
You and your group are now in charge of Germany. How would you maintain your
power? Come up with as many tactics as possible. They can be as fair or as unfair as you
want! This will be followed by class feedback and discussion. Which methods might be
most successful in maintaining power and why?
Your teacher will introduce the main features of the Nazi state to you in a presentation.
Take notes as instructed.
(Presentation saved as Nazis in Power in folder titled New Germany unit)
Give one way in which the Nazis established control of Germany and create one question
you want to find out the answer to.
Task:
Use the information on pages 152 to 154 to complete these questions.
1. What was Hitler’s first task as head of a coalition government?
2. What event led to the passing of the Decree for the Protection of People and State
and what did this Act state?
3. How did Hitler use his power of appointment to make the Nazis more powerful?
4. What percentage of the popular vote did the Nazis gain and why was this a
problem for Hitler?
5. How did Hitler resolve his failure to win enough votes?
6. In your own words explain what Finlay McKichan means on page 152.
7. Copy and complete the table below to show how Hitler targeted different groups
to increase his power. (This will be peer assessed) Read how Hitler acted towards
these groups on pages 152 to 154 and write down the main ways.
Trade
Unions
Banned.
Political
Parties
Professions
Legal
System
Jews
forced
to resign
from Civil
Service.
Churches
SA
Murdered
the SA
leadership.
38
Army
Creating a Nazi society
Starter- Look at the following historian’s views and draw a diagram/picture which would
allow others to work out the quotation. This can be done as individual or as part of a
pair/group and the teacher can decide the quote to work on:
“In a rapid series of moves, Hitler consolidated (secured) his own position, extended
the authority of the Reich (national) government over the individual German states
and crushed all potential sources of opposition.” (Simpson)
Many welcomed the Nazi regime in 1933 for their promise to restore order to
German society. (Welch)
The Nazis wanted to crush any organisation that might oppose or obstruct them
and also ensure that people in positions of authority supported them. (McKichan)
Task: Expert groups
Your teacher will divide you into groups of 4 and give each member one/two of the
paragraphs to read. Once you have read about your area, each member of the group
will then go and discuss their findings with the people in the other groups who have been
given the same task. The original group will then reconvene and each member of the
group will teach the others about their area. Note down the key information (at least 4
points) in the paragraph so that you can report to the others who will take down the key
points that you tell them. (You will be given a knowledge and understanding test on these
areas by your teacher)
Person one - The youth of Germany (last paragraph and first paragraph on page
154)
Person two - The Nazi state and girls. (Paragraph two page 155)
Person three - Views on the success of indoctrination (Paragraph three page 155)
Person four - Youth opposition (Paragraph four page 155)
Use the information in paragraphs one and two on page 156 to answer these questions.
1. What was the Nazi attitude towards the importance of education?
2. How did the Nazis ensure that teachers would teach what they wanted them
to?
3. What types of schools did the Nazis create?
4. In what ways did the Nazis change the school curriculum to reflect their point of
view?
5. What was the purpose of corrupting the teaching of Biology and introducing a
racial studies class?
39
2. Nazi Economic Policy
Rearmament
Public works
Anti- Jewish action
Task
List three things you found out last lesson about the Nazis and education. Compare these
with your neighbour and discuss as class.
Your teacher will introduce this part of the course via a presentation (saved as Nazi
Economy in New Germany unit) Take notes as instructed.
Task:
Use the information on pages 156 to 158 to answer these questions.
1. What evidence shows that the Nazis were not wholly responsible for improving the
German economy when they came to power?
2. How did the Nazis begin to create jobs for unemployed Germans?
3. How did the government use public works to improve the economy?
4. What role did rearmament play in the economic recovery?
5. Why was rearmament also a problem for the German economy?
40
6. Why was Strength through Joy set up and what did it offer Germans?
7. What was the aim of Joy at Work?
Task (Nazi relationship with different social groups):
Read the information about the working class, the middle class and farmers on pages 157
and 158. The purpose of this task is to establish the support the Nazis enjoyed with different
social groups, and also if the Nazis kept the promises that they had made (if any) to gain
their support. Copy and complete the table.
This will be peer assessed.
Group
Nazi attitude to
Evidence of
group
support for Nazis
Nazi promise(s)
Promise(s)
kept?
Working class
Middle class
Farmers
Women in Nazi Germany will be covered through a teacher led note. (Saved as Women
in Nazi Germany) This note will explain what the Nazis thought a woman’s role should be;
attitudes towards female education and work; incentives offered to mould German
women to a Nazi ideal and Historian’s views.
 DVD, Life in Nazi Germany (section on women)
41
1. Nazism and Anti-Semitism
Kristallnacht
Nuremberg ‘purity’ laws
Jews publically humiliated
Lesson starter:
Your teacher will give you out post it notes. Try to come up with as many Nazi promises to
different social groups as you can in 3 minutes. You will then work as a group to organise
your information into appropriate categories (social groups) and put the post-it note
promises into the following categories:
Kept
Broken
Task:
Use the information on pages 158 to 160 to answer these questions.
1. What were the two stages of Nazi policy towards Jewish Germans?
2. Explain David Welch’s quote about Anti-Semitism.
3. Complete a timeline to show the steps taken to force Jews out of normal German
society.
4. How does Richard Grunberger categorise opinion in Germany towards
Kristallnacht?
 DVD, Life in Nazi Germany (section on Jews)
 Create a documentary which lasts at least three minutes to explain to others
what happened to Jews in Nazi Germany.
42
2. Nazi Propaganda
Anti Jewish messages
Goebbels
Anti communist messages
The basic purpose of propaganda is to present your group in the best possible way,
and those you are against in the worst possible way. The Nazis used propaganda to
shape public opinion about themselves and others.
Task
Hitler stated that the best way to get the Nazi message across was the repetition of a
few simple slogans. Based on what you know so far and referring back to the
ingredients for an essay section come up with one Nazi slogan for e.g. the economy,
the young, the Jews…
Your teacher will explain further in a presentation. Take notes as instructed.
(Saved as Nazi propaganda in Germany unit)
 Once you have discussed the role of propaganda in Nazi society, create your
own Nazi
propaganda poster on one aspect of Nazi policy.
43
3. The police state
Starter
In pairs try to come up with a definition of what you think a police state is.
Read page 161 to before attempting this task. Unscramble the words in the box
and use them to complete the passage below.
Seminee, dopsepo, cedonuen,livta ogpates,pedacect,
sidasvadgatena
popinosoti, refdea, ganorsitnoia
Hitler and the Nazis wanted a state where there was no ____________ to their rule.
E__________ of the state were dealt with in a number of ways. One such way was to
send these people to Concentration camps. Most Germans ____________ the idea
of Concentration camps as necessary. Evidence to back up this statement is the
amount of people who were ____________ by people who knew them. Those who
were not turned in could be arrested by the ______________ whose job was to watch
for threats.
The SS were the other part of the police state. The SS were _____________ and
performed a role as the state’s internal security service. Many Historians see the SS
as being __________ in keeping the Nazi’s power secure.
There were people who ____________ Nazi rule but they had a number of
________________ including leadership and _________________
44
Class debate
The motion for the debate is as follows:
This house believes that Hitler ruled through fear and intimidation.
The class will be split into 2 groups. The proposition side will argue that Hitler ruled through
fear and intimidation (the stick), the opposition that the Nazi regime ruled through
persuasion (the carrot). At the end there will be a chance for a floor debate when both
sides can question one another and debate with those not involved in the formal debate.
The class will decide through secret ballot which side won the debate.
Carrot and stick refers to a policy of offering a combination of rewards and punishment to
influence behavior. It is named in reference to a cart driver dangling a carrot in front of a
mule and holding a stick behind it. The donkey would move towards the carrot because it
wants the reward of food, while also moving away from the stick behind it, since it does
not want the punishment of pain, thus drawing the cart.
Debate rules:
The two teams have 15 minutes to prepare their case. As there is more than one speaker
the teams need to decide who will say what in the team. Each side has two speakers.
The rest of the class should also be reviewing their notes so that they are prepared in order
to make their decision on who has won. Once the debate starts those on ‘the floor’ can
make notes and observations and prepare questions in anticipation of the whole class
floor debate (If it is a large class then there can be three speakers on each team) Each
team member has the floor for a maximum of three minutes.
The first person to speak is known as proposition one; they will outline the case for Hitler
ruling through fear and intimidation. They can speak for one minute without interruption
45
from the other team. Once this time is over then they can be challenged by a member of
the other team. This is known as a point of order. The speaker does not have to accept
this interruption. However, if they do then they can engage in debate on the given point.
Proposition one is then followed by Opposition one. Opposition one has an opportunity to
offer rebuttal (response to what has been said) of proposition one’s arguments before
commencing their case. The same rules apply with regard to timings and points of order.
At the end there will be a chance for a floor debate when both sides can question one
another and debate with those not involved in the formal debate. The class will decide
through secret ballot which side won the debate.
Judging criteria: Those who are not debating are given ‘ballots’. Based on the evidence
you have heard you should now vote for who you think has won. If you believe the
proposition have made the best case write P on your paper. If you believe the opposition
have made the best case write O on your paper.
46
4. Foreign policy
Definition of foreign policy: a policy pursued by a nation in its dealings with other nations,
designed to achieve national objectives.
The first move:
Rhineland 1936
Contempt for democracies War nears- 1938
Hitler and the Nazis enjoyed some of their biggest successes in the field of foreign policy.
Overturning the Treaty of Versailles improved Hitler’s standing with the German people
and consolidated the power of the regime. However, Hitler nearly went too fast in his
quest to recover what Germany had lost in 1919. It is speculated that in 1938 some army
Generals were preparing to remove Hitler from power if he invaded Czechoslovakia.
Ironically Hitler was saved by the politicians of Britain and France who were frantic to
avoid war and gave him the Sudetenland. Hitler was frustrated but remained in power…
At many points Hitler appeared to be acting like a gambler in his foreign policy decisions.
He was very good at judging situations and making decisions based on the
circumstances at the time.
47
Iceberg task
Your teacher will give you out a sheet of A3. Working in groups you should first of all draw
on the top third of the sheet the outline of an iceberg. On this 'iceberg' you should write
down as many factors as you can think of that have allowed the Nazis to consolidate
their power. Think back to all of your previous work in the unit. Below an iceberg is what
we cannot see or do not know. Think of this part as representing foreign policy. Based on
what you know about the Treaty of Versailles…What do you think are the main foreign
policy goals that Hitler wants to achieve?
Each group should then take part in a 'walk and talk' exercise to peer assess
each other's work. (Walk and talk- each group is given another groups work to
peer assess. Each iceberg will be passed round the room and can be assessed
using group specific coloured pens or post it notes)
Use pages 162 to 164.
1. What did Germans see as the purpose of Hitler’s foreign policy?
2. What was the effect of Hitler’s foreign policy successes within Germany?
3. Look at the map on page 164. Hitler was keen to point out that he wanted to
restore Germany’s borders to a pre Versailles state. What do you notice about the
amount of land Germany has by the time World War Two breaks out in 1939?
Copy and complete this spider diagram using pages 162 and 163. This will be peer
assessed and gone over as a class.
48
Economic factors/influences
Main successes
British & French
influence
The role of
Hitler’s foreign policy in the
ideology
1930s
Tactics/strategies
Main aims
Your teacher will now discuss Hitler’s foreign policy in more detail by focusing on
important events on ‘The Road to War’. (Saved as Road to War in New Germany folder)
49
Extension activity
You now have the chance to create a short presentation entitled “Nazi foreign policy” to
present to the class. (This can be done through ‘Just a minute’ hotseating or pupils
creating a PowerPoint presentation)
Just a minute hotseating- How does it work?
1. Pupils research a relevant topic and highlight what they consider to be key information.
Pupils could research the role in groups or individually.
2. After adequate research time, pupils are hot-seated and asked to present their
keyfindings/information in just one minute.
3. Other pupils must listen carefully – if they suspect hesitation, deviation or repetition they
may challenge the person in the hot seat. If a challenge occurs, timing is stopped for its
duration.
4. The teacher must decide whether the challenge is valid and ask the challenger to
justify their decision.
5. If the challenge is deemed to be valid, the pupil in the hot seat is out and must leave
the seat. The pupil who made the challenge receives a point.
6. If the challenge is rejected, the pupil continues until another challenge is made or until
the minute is up. If the pupil manages to stay in the seat until the end they receive a
point.
50
Revision activities
 Quiz-quiz-trade cards (saved in folder marked New Germany unit in History shared
area). You will then complete a quiz sheet to see how many answers you get right.
 Placemat activity. (The categories on the example are designed to get the groups
started. They are expected to come up with more categories)
1. Form participants into groups of four.
2. Allocate one piece of A3 paper to each group.
3. Ask each group to draw the diagram on the paper.
The young
Foreign policy
NAZI SOCIETY
Economic
policy
Groups and professions
4. Conduct a Round Robin so that each participant can share their views.
5. Each group then reports the common points to the whole group/peer assessment
using post it notes or different coloured pens.
51
Sample essay questions
1. “Propaganda rather than solid achievement allowed the Nazis to maintain their
authority between 1933 and 1939.” How accurate is this view?
2. How valid is the view that the Nazi control of Germany from 1933 to 1939 was due to
the popularity of their policies?
3. How important were economic factors in maintaining Nazi power between 1933 and
1939?
(The a selection of Historians views on the rise of the Nazis and their consolidation of
power that are provide below is also saved as Rise of the Nazis Historians in the new
Germany folder)
Nazis in Power: Historian’s views
“The Nazis used the powers given to them by the Enabling Act to dispose of any
organisation which might oppose or obstruct them and to ensure that people in positions
of authority supported them.” McKichan.
“Without being necessarily staunch Nazis, many judges and lawyers welcomed the Nazi
regime in 1933 for their promise to restore a more authoritarian notion of ‘law and order’.”
David Welch.
“In a rapid series of moves, Hitler consolidated his own position, extended the authority of
the Reich government over the individual German states and crushed all potential
sources of opposition.” Simpson.
“The experiences of women varied dramatically…Here as in so many areas of the Third
Reich, rhetoric and reality were often self contradictory. Hitler’s views on women, which
now appear extraordinarily sexist, were at the time fairly representative.” Fulbrook.
“Anti-Semitism was not only the core of Nazi ideology, but the Jewish stereotype that
developed from it provided a focal point for the feeling of aggression inherent in the
ideology.” Welch.
“The force that prevented the regime from dissolving into chaos was terror and its
instrument was the SS.” Gordon Craig.
52