GCSE History Paper 2 – Germany 1919‐45 Section A: Source based‐ questions
This section will contain five questions. Although you cannot predict what the sources will be about, you can predict what the style of the questions will be like. The questions will ask you: (a) What do sources A and B suggest about ........... ? (4 marks) Explain your answer using the details of sources A and B. (b) What different view do sources C and D suggest about ........... ? (6 marks) Explain your answer by referring to sources A, B, C and D. (8 marks) (c) Why do sources A and B give a different view to sources C and D? Explain your answer using the sources and your own knowledge. (d) How useful is source E for understanding ......... ? (8 marks) Explain your answer using the source and your own knowledge. (e) How did .......... ? (10 marks)

Question (a) – ‘What do sources A and B suggest about .........?’ (4 marks) All questions are marked in levels. The levels for q. (a) are: Level 1 ‐ Answers which repeat details from the sources (1 mark) Level 2 ‐ Answers that draw a simple inference from the sources (2‐3 marks) Level 3 ‐ Answers that draw a complex inference from the sources (4 marks)  An inference is learning something from the source that it does not directly tell you. In other words reading between the lines. Look at the example on the page opposite.

Source A ‐ From a Social Democrat account of the Hitler Youth movement in 1934. Youth adores the drill, the uniform, the comradeship, the fact that school and parents take a back seat compared to the Hitler Youth. The parents cannot forbid the child to do what all children are doing, cannot refuse him the uniform. Young people follow the instructions of the Hitler Youth. They demand from their parents that they become good Nazis and give up Socialism and any links with Jews. Source B ‐ A Nazi poster from the early 1930s. The caption reads: ‘Young People follow the Führer’.

(a)

What do sources A and B suggest about the Hitler Youth? Explain your answer using sources A and B.

(4 marks)

Level 1 ‐ (1 mark) Level 2 ‐ (2‐3 marks)

Answers that repeat details from the sources, e.g. ‘Young people liked the drill and the uniform. They followed Hitler’s ideas.’ Answers that make a simple inference, e.g. ‘Sources A and B suggest that young people enjoyed the Hitler Youth. The poster shows a girl who is smiling and looking very happy. Source A shows that young people liked the uniforms and the freedom from their parents. The sources also suggest that young people learn Nazi ideas. Source A says that they follow the instructions and try to get their parents to give up socialism and contact with Jews. Source B says that they follow Hitler which would include his ideas such as anti‐Semitism.’ Answers that make a complex inference, e.g. ‘The sources suggest that the Hitler Youth is becoming a stronger influence on young people’s lives than their parents or school. Source A shows that they are so enthusiastic about the activities in the Hitler Youth that they follow instructions and demand that their parents give up socialism and links with Jews. Source B suggests that young people will follow Hitler sand his ideas rather than following their parents or schoolteachers. The young girl is looking up adoringly at the word ‘Führer’ to give this impression.’

Level 3 ‐ (4 marks)

(b)

What different impression do sources C and D give of the Hitler Youth? (6 marks) Explain your answer using sources A, B, C and D.

Source C ‐ From an account by a young German remembering his time in the Hitler Youth in 1940 Later on, when I was older, I became a Hitler Youth leader. I found the need for absolute obedience unpleasant. The Nazis preferred people not to have a mind of their own. In our troop the activities consisted almost entirely of endless military drill. Even if sport or shooting practice or a sing‐song was planned, we always had to drill first. Year Percentage of young people Source D ‐ Figures showing the level of in the Hitler Youth membership of the Hitler Youth amongst 1933 30% young people in Nazi Germany. 1935 48% Membership of the Hitler Youth became 1936 63% compulsory in 1937. 1939 82% Answers which repeat details from sources C and D, e.g. ‘Source C says the Level 1 ‐ (1‐2 marks) need for obedience was unpleasant and that they could not have a mind of their own. Source D says that 82% of young people were in the Hitler Youth even though it was compulsory.’

Level 2 ‐ Answers that provide a simple comparison between the details of sources (3‐4 marks) A/B and sources C/D, e.g. Source A says that young people adore the drill, but source C says that the drill was endless, which means he did not like it. Source B says that young people will follow the Führer, but source D shows that 18% of young people did not join even though it was compulsory.’ OR

Answers that provide an inference from sources C/D only, e.g. ‘Sources C and
D suggest that the Hitler Youth was boring and unpopular. Source C suggests that the endless drill is boring and that the children are frustrated by not being allowed to think for themselves. Source D suggests that many German children did not want to join the Hitler Youth, so it wasn’t as popular as Hitler wanted. 18% of German youth did not join even though it was compulsory.’

Level 3 ‐ (5‐6)

Answers that draw an inference based on the details of all four sources, e.g.
Source A suggests that German children loved being in the Hitler Youth because of the uniform and the drill. Whereas source C suggests that they found the drill boring and endless. Source C reveals that many German children did not like having their minds controlled, whereas source A suggests that they loved Nazi ideas and tried to persuade their parents to follow them. Source B suggests that German children loved being in the Hitler Youth and following the Führer, but source D reveals that actually many German children did not want to join and follow Hitler’s instructions.

(c)

Why do sources A and B give a different view from sources C and D? (8 marks) Explain your answer using sources A, B, C and D and your own knowledge.
Answers which repeat details from the sources OR Answers that say how the sources are different, e.g. ‘Sources A and B are positive about the Hitler Youth whereas C and D are more negative.’

Level 1 ‐ (1‐2 marks)

Level 2 ‐ (3‐4)

Answers based on simple reasoning about differences in author, audience, time or place, e.g.
Author – ‘Source B is a poster by the Nazis so it is biased in favour of the Hitler Youth. Source C is from someone who was actually in the Hitler Youth so is more accurate.’ Time – ‘Sources A and B are from early on in Nazi Germany when the Hitler Youth was new. Sources C and D refer to later on in Nazi Germany when some young people didn’t like it anymore.’

Level 3 ‐ (5‐6)

Answers based on developed reasoning about differences in author, audience, time or place, e.g.
Author – ‘Source A is by a Social Democrat who would not have been in the Hitler Youth but is jealous of the power that the Nazis are exerting over young people. This person is worried by the threat to socialism that the Nazis pose and does not like the influence that young people can have over their parents. Source C, however, is by someone in the Hitler Youth who is not enthusiastic about the endless drill and lack of freedom. This person has experienced the realities of being in the Hitler Youth and has become bored of the same activities.’

Level 4 ‐ (7‐8)

Answers that develop out of level 3 and provide some links between reasons for the sources differences, e.g.
Author and time linked – ‘Source B is from early in the 1930s when the Nazis used a lot of propaganda like this to persuade young people to join the Hitler Youth. At that time the Hitler Youth was something new and exciting which you can see in the girl’s face. Source A supports that by suggesting that young people loved the uniforms and the drill. The author of source A is clearly worried by the threat the Hitler Youth popularity poses to socialism. This was still early in the period of Nazi Germany when socialist opposition still existed. Later in Nazi Germany, there was much less opposition to the Nazis from Socialists. Sources C and D refer to later years in Nazi Germany. By then the novelty of the Hitler Youth had worn off and many young people were fed up with the repetitive activities and the endless drill as in source C. As a result, quite a few young people did not join even though it was compulsory as is shown in the figures in source D.’

(d) How useful is source E for understanding Nazi ideas on education? (8 marks) Explain your answer using the source and your own knowledge.

Source E ‐ A picture of a school and Jewish children from a German children’s school book from 1938 Level 1 ‐ Answers that assert the source is useful or not because of what you can see (1‐2 marks) or read, e.g. ‘Source E is useful because you can see Jewish children leaving the school and the other children making fun of them.’

Level 2 ‐ (3‐4)

Answers that explain the source is useful or not based on the provenance,
e.g. ‘Source E is useful because it is from a school textbook which would have been used to indoctrinate young people into believing the Nazi’s ideas of anti‐Semitism. The Nazis changed a lot of the subjects in school to communicate their anti‐Semitic ideas, for example maths questions about the bombing of Jews in air raids. In 1938, the persecution of the Jews was increased, e.g. in events like Kristalnacht.’

OR

Answers that explain the source is useful or not based on the content,
e.g. ‘Source E is useful because it shows that the Nazis did not let Jewish children go to the same schools as Aryan children. The Nazis wanted Aryan Germans to believe that Jews were inferior. The children in the picture are making fun of the Jewish children which is something the Nazis would have encouraged. ’

Level 3 ‐ (5‐6)

Answers that explain the source is useful or not based on BOTH the provenance and the content, i.e. both of the examples from Level 2 together.

Level 4 ‐

Answers that develop out of level 3 and provide a conclusion about the usefulness of the source, e.g. both examples from Level 2 followed by:
‘The source is useful therefore for finding out about the way in which the Nazis indoctrinated young people into believing their anti‐Semitic ideas. However, the Nazis also used education to prepare boys for military service, e.g. through doing 3 double lessons of PE a week, and to prepare girls for motherhood through lessons on childcare and home‐making. Overall, therefore the source reveals one aspect of education in Nazi Germany but there are several other aspects to consider.’

(e) How did ...... ? (10 marks)
Some examples of q. (e) are: How did ..... ... the Weimar Republic survive the problems it faced 1919‐23? ... Gustav Stresemann bring about a recovery in Germany 1924‐28? ... Hitler become Chancellor of Germany in January 1933? ... Hitler establish a dictatorship in Germany 1933‐1934? ... the Nazis change the lives of women and children 1933‐45? (e) How did the Nazis try to control the lives of young people? (10 marks) Level 1 ‐ Answers that provide general statements or describe simple factors, e.g. ‘The Nazis (1‐2 marks) tried to control young people through changing the subjects in school and by setting up the Hitler Youth.’ Level 2 ‐ Answers which comment briefly on several factors, e.g. ‘At school and in the Hitler (3‐5 marks) Youth girls were taught how to be good wives and mothers by learning childcare, cleaning and cooking. Boys were trained to be strong soldiers in the future by doing a lot of PE at school and by going on long marches and playing war games at Hitler Youth camps.’ OR Answers which explain one factor in depth, e.g. ‘The Nazis changed the school curriculum in order to indoctrinate young people into believing in their ideas. For example, history lessons taught about the ‘stab‐in‐the‐back’ myth and how Germany had been betrayed by the Weimar politicians. Geography taught about the land that was taken away by the Treaty of Versailles. The Nazis taught about anti‐Semitism through biology and history to get children to believe that Jews were inferior and were the enemies of Aryan Germans as in the textbook in source E.’ Level 3 ‐ Answers which explain several factors in depth, e.g. the second example from Level 2 (6‐8) followed by: ‘The Nazis also used the Hitler Youth movement to indoctrinate young people. Boys aged 14‐18 were in the Hitler Jugend (HJ) and were trained in skills useful for being soldiers in the future, such as signalling, war games, physical toughness on long marches. They were also given lessons in Nazi theory similar to the ideas that they would have been taught in school. Girls in the ‘League of German Maidens’ were also expected to be physically fit but this was for the demands of childbirth later in their lives. Girls in the Hitler Youth were taught skills for being good wives and mothers in the future, such as cooking and cleaning. They were not allowed to wear make‐up or have fashionable hairstyles like the girl in source B.’ Level 4 ‐ Answers which achieve Level 3 and then add a conclusion to assess the importance of different factors and/or draw links, e.g. ‘The Nazis were very successful at controlling the lives of young people because the young were constantly exposed to Nazi ideas. They would be indoctrinated at school and then in the Hitler Youth movement as well. However, the Nazis were not totally successful as sources C and D show because not all German children liked the repetitive activities.’

SUMMARY OF ADVICE FOR SECTION A

  You should spend about 60 minutes on this section

  

Questions (a) and (b) are looking for inferences from the sources, i.e. reading between the lines for something you can learn which the source does not directly tell you. Questions (c), (d) and (e) are looking for explanations in depth (using the sources and your own knowledge)

You should aim to finish off questions (d) and (e) with a conclusion (fully explained in more than one sentence)

Refer to all the relevant sources in each answer (refer to the letter of the sources)

Section B The exam board advises you to spend about 45 minutes on this section. Just as with section A, you cannot predict which topics the questions will be about, but you can predict the style of the questions. The questions will ask you: (a) Why was ....... important? (4 marks) (b) Explain why ......... (8 marks) Use the source and your own knowledge to explain your answer. (c) How important was ........., in relation to other factors, in ...... ? (12 marks)

Question (a)
(a) Why was the Treaty of Versailles important? (4 marks) Level 1 ‐ Answers which describe a simple understanding, e.g. ‘The Treaty of Versailles took (1‐2) away a lot of land from Germany which made a lot of German people angry. Germany was also blamed for starting the First World War and as a result was forced to pay £6,600 million in reparations.’ Level 2 ‐ Answers which show an understanding in the broader context of the period, e.g. ‘The Treaty of Versailles was important because many German people felt angry with the Weimar politicians who signed it. These politicians were blamed for accepting the very harsh terms of the Treaty such as the loss of land, the blame for the war and the reparations. This meant that a lot of German people did not have faith in Weimar democracy because it was seen to be weak. This is something that Hitler exploited later on in his speeches when he said he would win back the land and other losses suffered in the Treaty of Versailles. This is one reason why so many Germans voted for the Nazis after 1929.’ TIPS FOR QUESTION (A)  Don’ just describe what you know about the key feature in the question. Use the words from the question: ‘ ___________ was important because .......’  ‘Broader context of the period’ means what happened before and afterwards. Try to explain why the key feature in the question was important in the years that followed.

Question (b): ‘Explain why .....’
This question will provide you with a source. You are expected to use the source and you own knowledge to explain why something happened. Source F From a book by an historian written in 1993 The government had not only given its approval to the forming of the Freikorps, but had actively participated in forming them. Those troops who were available for the purpose were for the most part men who had no homes and no jobs to go to, or who were reluctant to return to civilian life. (b) Explain why the Weimar government was able to survive the attempts to overthrow it between 1919 and 1923. (8 marks) Use source F and your own knowledge to explain your answer. Level 1 ‐ Answers which repeat details from the source, (1‐2 marks) e.g. ‘The government used the Freikorps who were soldiers reluctant to return to civilian life.’ Level 2 ‐ Answers which explain one reason in depth (these answers may mention other (3‐5) reasons but do not explain them fully), e.g. ‘The source is about the Freikorps which was a paramilitary group of ex‐soldiers from the First World War. These men were battle‐hardened veterans of the war and hated Communists. The government used them to crush Communist uprisings in 1919 and 1920 such as the Spartacist Rising in Berlin. The Freikorps brutally killed the leaders of the Spartacists – Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg.’ Level 3 ‐ Answers which explain more than one reason (i.e. from the source and from your own knowledge), e.g. the paragraph from Level 2 followed by: ‘The Weimar government was also able to overcome the Kapp Putsch in 1920 by calling on the workers to hold a general strike. The workers stopped the transport and communications systems in Berlin and this prevented Wolfgang Kapp from having any real power so his uprising collapsed. The government was also able to survive the Munich Putsch in 1923 because the Army in Bavaria stayed loyal rather than joining the Nazis as Hitler had hoped. The Army shot at the marching Brownshirts who were forced back and later Hitler was arrested.’ TIPS FOR QUESTION (B)  Try to explain at least three reasons using the source and your own knowledge  Make sure you explain each reason as fully as possible

Question (c)
(c) How important was the creation of a new currency, in relation to other factors, in making the Weimar government successful in the years 1924 to 1928? (12 marks) Level 1 ‐ Answers which provide general statements, e.g. ‘The new currency helped to make (1‐2 marks) the German economy more stable.’ OR Answers which describe basic details, e.g. ‘The new currency was called the Rentenmark which was introduced in 1924.’ Level 2 ‐ Answers which comment briefly on several factors, e.g. ‘The new currency was (3‐6) important because it got rid of hyper‐inflation and made the economy more stable. Also, Stresemann persuaded the French to leave the Ruhr by calling off passive resistance. Stresemann also improved relations with other countries e.g. with Britain and France in the Locarno Pact. Finally, Stresemann negotiated loans from America which helped to get the German economy up and running again as well as pay reparations.’ OR Answers which explain the importance of one factor in depth, e.g. ‘The new currency was important because the old currency had become worthless and the German economy was in a state of collapse in 1923 and 1924. The worst problem was hyper‐inflation which had caused severe food shortages because farmers were reluctant to sell their produce for worthless money. The new currency – the Rentenmark – got rid of inflation by providing a clean break with the old money. Farmers were now more willing to sell food and workers were paid in money that had some real value in shops.’ Level 3 ‐ Answers which explain the importance of more than one factor in depth, e.g. the (7‐10) second example from Level 2 above followed by: ‘In addition to the new currency, the Weimar government was successful between 1924 and 1928 because of improved relations with other countries. Gustav Stresemann improved relations with France by calling off passive resistance in the Ruhr and agreeing to start paying reparations again. Following this, he was able to negotiate the Dawes Plan with France, Britain and America which lengthened the time Germany had to pay reparations and also provided for American loans to help rebuild the German economy.’ Level 4 ‐ Answers which achieve Level 3 and then add a conclusion to assess the relative (11‐12) importance of the different factors and/or draw links between them, e.g. ‘Overall, the most important factor in explaining why the Weimar government was successful between 1924 and 1928 is the leadership of Gustav Stresemann. It was Stresemann’s policies which laid the foundations for success. It was his idea to create a new currency. He decided to call off passive resistance even though this was unpopular with some Germans. It was Stresemann who the British and French began to trust leading to the Dawes Plan, which directly led onto the loans from America which were essential in stimulating economic recovery in Germany.’

SUMMARY OF ADVICE FOR SECTION B  There is a big difference between mentioning something and explaining it fully  For question (a) think about the importance in the years afterwards  For question (b) use the source and your own knowledge to come up with at least three reasons  For question (c) think of it as an ‘iceberg question’:
The feature mentioned in the question, i.e. what you can see. Other important factors which are not mentioned in the question, i.e. the hidden part.

OTHER FACTORS

 Use the wording from the question, e.g. ‘_____________ was important because ...’