What does the Edexcel Weimar and Nazi Germany depth study cover?

It is the Paper 3 modern depth study, covering four key topics. Key Topic 1: the Weimar Republic 1918 to 29 (origins, constitution, Versailles, the 1923 crisis and the Stresemann recovery). Key Topic 2: Hitler's rise to power 1919 to 33 (the early party, the Munich Putsch, the Depression and his appointment as Chancellor). Key Topic 3: Nazi control and dictatorship 1933 to 39 (the Enabling Act, the police state and propaganda). Key Topic 4: life in Nazi Germany 1933 to 39 (women, youth, workers, the Churches, persecution and the economy).

Why did the Weimar Republic struggle in its early years?

It was blamed for the armistice and the hated Treaty of Versailles (the November Criminals and stab-in-the-back myths), its constitution had weaknesses (proportional representation led to weak coalitions, and Article 48 allowed rule by decree), and it faced revolts from left and right and the 1923 hyperinflation that destroyed savings.

How did Hitler rise to power?

He built the Nazi Party but his 1923 Munich Putsch failed. In the prosperous late 1920s the Nazis won few votes, but the Wall Street Crash of 1929 brought mass unemployment (about six million by 1932), and propaganda, fear of communism and Hitler's appeal made the Nazis the largest party. Conservative politicians then persuaded Hindenburg to appoint Hitler Chancellor in January 1933, wrongly thinking they could control him.

How did Hitler create a dictatorship?

After the Reichstag Fire (February 1933) he banned the Communists and passed the Enabling Act (March 1933), letting him rule by decree. Other parties and unions were banned, making Germany a one-party state by July 1933. The Night of the Long Knives (1934) purged the SA and won the army's loyalty, and on Hindenburg's death Hitler became Fuhrer. Control rested on the SS, Gestapo, courts and propaganda.

What question types appear in the Nazi Germany depth study?

Give two things you can infer from a source (4 marks), Explain why (12 marks), How useful are Sources B and C (8 marks), the main difference between two interpretations (4 marks), a reason they differ (4 marks), and a 16-mark essay on how far you agree with one interpretation (with SPaG marks).

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Edexcel GCSE History Weimar and Nazi Germany 1918 to 39: a complete overview of the modern depth study

A complete overview of the Edexcel GCSE History modern depth study Weimar and Nazi Germany 1918 to 39. Covers the Weimar Republic and the 1923 crisis, Hitler's rise to power, the creation of the Nazi dictatorship, life in Nazi Germany, and the persecution and economy, with the source and interpretation skills the exam rewards.

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What this option demands
The Weimar Republic, 1918 to 29
Hitler's rise to power, 1919 to 33
Nazi control and life in Nazi Germany
Check your knowledge

What this option demands

Weimar and Nazi Germany is the Edexcel Paper 3 modern depth study, covering four key topics from 1918 to 1939. It is examined with sources and interpretations, so you must combine secure knowledge with the skills of inference, source utility and interpretation analysis. This overview ties the five dot-point pages together.

The Weimar Republic, 1918 to 29

The Republic was born in defeat, blamed for the armistice and the hated Treaty of Versailles (the November Criminals and stab-in-the-back myths). Its constitution was democratic but flawed (proportional representation and Article 48). The 1923 crisis (the Ruhr occupation and hyperinflation) nearly destroyed it, before Stresemann led a recovery (a new currency, the Dawes and Young Plans, and a cultural revival) that rested on US loans.

Hitler's rise to power, 1919 to 33

Hitler built the Nazi Party, but the Munich Putsch (1923) failed. In the prosperous late 1920s the Nazis won few votes, but the Wall Street Crash (1929) brought mass unemployment. Propaganda, fear of communism and Hitler's appeal made the Nazis the largest party by 1932, and conservative scheming led Hindenburg to appoint Hitler Chancellor in January 1933.

Nazi control and life in Nazi Germany

Hitler turned Chancellor into dictator fast: the Reichstag Fire and Enabling Act (1933), the banning of opposition, the Night of the Long Knives (1934) and becoming Fuhrer on Hindenburg's death. Control rested on the SS, Gestapo, courts and propaganda. Life changed for women (the home and motherhood), youth (schools and the Hitler Youth) and workers (jobs but no unions). The Nazis built a racial state, persecuting Jews (the Nuremberg Laws and Kristallnacht) and others, and ran the economy for rearmament and autarky.

Check your knowledge

What caused hyperinflation in 1923? (1 mark)
Name two weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution. (2 marks)
What happened in the Munich Putsch of 1923? (1 mark)
How did Hitler become Chancellor in January 1933? (1 mark)
What did the Enabling Act allow Hitler to do? (1 mark)
What was the Nazi slogan for the role of women? (1 mark)
What did the Nuremberg Laws of 1935 do? (2 marks)

Solutions

Q1: The French occupation of the Ruhr led the government to support striking workers by printing money, making the currency worthless.
Q2: Any two: proportional representation led to weak coalitions; Article 48 let the President rule by emergency decree.
Q3: Hitler tried to seize power in Bavaria; it failed, he was jailed, and in prison he wrote Mein Kampf, after which he sought power legally.
Q4: The Nazis were the largest party, democracy was discredited, and conservatives led by von Papen persuaded Hindenburg to appoint Hitler, thinking they could control him.
Q5: It let him make laws for four years without the Reichstag or President, the legal basis of the dictatorship.
Q6: "Kinder, Kuche, Kirche" (children, kitchen, church).
Q7: They stripped Jews of German citizenship and banned marriage or relationships between Jews and non-Jews, making persecution part of the law.

Sources & how we know this

Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) History (1HI0) specification — Pearson Edexcel (2016)