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Germany 1890 to 1945: 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 did Germany change between 1890 and the end of the First World War?

Kaiser Wilhelm II's rule, German industrialisation and growth, the rise of socialism, the impact of the First World War and the Kaiser's abdication in November 1918.
A focused answer to the first part of AQA's Germany period study, covering Kaiser Wilhelm II's autocratic rule, rapid industrial growth, the rise of socialism and the SPD, and the impact of the First World War leading to the abdication of the Kaiser in 1918.
11 min answer →

What was life like for different groups in Nazi Germany?

Nazi policies towards women, young people and workers, the economy and rearmament, the persecution of minorities, and the impact of the Second World War on the home front.
A focused answer to social and economic life under the Nazis, covering policies towards women, youth and workers, the drive for full employment and rearmament, the persecution of Jews and other minorities, and the impact of total war on the home front.
13 min answer →

How did Hitler turn the post of Chancellor into a total dictatorship?

The creation of the Nazi dictatorship through the Reichstag Fire, the Enabling Act, the Night of the Long Knives, and the police state of the SS, Gestapo and propaganda.
A focused answer to how the Nazis built and held a dictatorship, covering the Reichstag Fire, the Enabling Act, the Night of the Long Knives and the Fuhrer title, and the machinery of the police state: the SS, Gestapo, courts, concentration camps and propaganda.
12 min answer →

How did the Nazis rise from a tiny party to power by 1933?

The early Nazi Party and Munich Putsch, the impact of the Depression, the appeal of Hitler and the Nazis, and Hitler's appointment as Chancellor in January 1933.
A focused answer to how the Nazis came to power, covering the early party and the 1923 Munich Putsch, the impact of the Great Depression, the appeal of Hitler's message and propaganda, and the political deals that made him Chancellor in January 1933.
12 min answer →

Why did the Weimar Republic struggle, and how did it recover in the 1920s?

The setting up of the Weimar Republic, its early problems including Versailles and the 1923 crisis, and the Stresemann recovery and cultural revival of 1924 to 1929.
A focused answer to the Weimar section of AQA's Germany period study, covering the new constitution, early threats including Versailles, the Kapp Putsch and the 1923 hyperinflation crisis, and the Stresemann recovery and cultural flourishing of the later 1920s.
12 min answer →