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Germany 1871 to 1991: Democracy and Dictatorship

5 dot points across 5 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How was the German Empire governed after unification, and how stable was it before the First World War?

Imperial Germany 1871 to 1918: Bismarck's constitution and policies, Wilhelm II's personal rule and Weltpolitik, social and economic change, and the strains leading to defeat in 1918.
A focused guide to Imperial Germany from 1871 to 1918 for AQA A-Level History (Germany, Democracy and Dictatorship). Covers Bismarck's constitution and policies, Wilhelm II's personal rule and Weltpolitik, social and economic change, and the strains that led to defeat and revolution in 1918.
11 min answer →

How did the Nazis turn the office of Chancellor into a total dictatorship, and how did the regime function in peace and war?

Nazi Germany 1933 to 1945: the consolidation of dictatorship, the terror and propaganda state, economic and social policy, persecution and the Holocaust, and the impact of total war.
A focused guide to Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945 for AQA A-Level History (Germany). Covers the consolidation of dictatorship, the police and propaganda state, economic and social policy, the persecution of Jews and others and the Holocaust, and the impact of total war.
12 min answer →

How did West Germany build a stable democracy and prosperous economy out of defeat after 1945?

The Federal Republic (West Germany) 1949 to 1990: the Basic Law and Adenauer era, the economic miracle, Ostpolitik, and the working of a stable West German democracy.
A focused guide to the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) from 1949 to 1990 for AQA A-Level History. Covers the Basic Law and the Adenauer era, the economic miracle, integration with the West, Ostpolitik, and the building of a stable democracy.
11 min answer →

How did the communist GDR survive for forty years, and why did it collapse so suddenly in 1989 to 1990?

The German Democratic Republic 1949 to 1990: the SED dictatorship and the Stasi, the Berlin Wall, economic problems, and the collapse and reunification of 1989 to 1990.
A focused guide to the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) and reunification for AQA A-Level History (Germany). Covers the SED dictatorship and the Stasi, the building of the Berlin Wall, economic weakness, and the collapse and reunification of 1989 to 1990.
11 min answer →

Why did the Weimar Republic survive its early crises only to collapse in the Depression?

The Weimar Republic 1918 to 1933: the new constitution and its flaws, the crises of 1919 to 1923, the Stresemann recovery, and the collapse into Nazi power during the Depression.
A focused guide to the Weimar Republic from 1918 to 1933 for AQA A-Level History (Germany). Covers the constitution and its flaws, the crises of 1919 to 1923, the Stresemann years of recovery, and the collapse into Nazi power during the Great Depression.
12 min answer →