Section A: Source-Based Case Study

Question 1 is compulsory for all candidates.

Study the Background Information and the sources carefully, and then answer all the questions.

You may use any of the sources to help you answer the questions, in addition to those sources you are told to use. In answering the questions you should use your knowledge of the topic to help you interpret and evaluate the sources.

1 (a) Study Source A.

What does this source tell you about Hitler’s rise to power? Explain your answer.

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(b) Study Sources B and C.

How far do these sources agree about Hitler? Explain your answer. [6]

(c) Study Source D.

Why did the Nazis publish this poster? Explain your answer. [5]

(d) Study Source E.

How useful is this source about how Hitler rose to power? Explain your answer. [6]

(e) Study ALL Sources.

‘Hitler’s rise to power was due largely to the economic crisis in Germany.’ How far do you agree with this statement? [8]

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Was Hitler’s rise to power due largely to his own personal qualities?

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Read this carefully. It may help you to answer some of the questions.

From the end of World War One in 1918 to the Great Depression in 1929, Germany experienced political and economic instability. With the rising unemployment and unhappiness among the German people, many had lost faith in their government and wanted a change in leadership to set a new course for Germany. It was under such circumstances that Hitler rose to power and his leadership and personal qualities also provided him with the opportunity to emerge as the Fuehrer of the German people.

Study the following sources to find out how Hitler rose to become the Chancellor of Germany in 1933.

Source A: A graph from an online historical newsletter illustrating the relationship between the unemployed German people and Nazi Vote Share

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Source B: Adapted from The New York Times, a newspaper in the United States in 1933.

On the evening of Jan. 30, 1933, Adolf Hitler, the newly appointed Chancellor of Germany, stood in a government building at an open window watching a torchlight parade of 25,000 Nazi troops march through the streets of Berlin. Thousands of Germans cheered as they marched by, and Hitler was giddy with delight. "No power on Earth will get me out of here alive," someone heard him say. Hitler had won the people over with his persuasive words and now they celebrated his success.

Source C: An American cartoon in New York alluding to the Nazi Torchlight parade celebrating the Nazis Party’s rise to power.

Repression = Tight control

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Source D: A Nazi election poster published in 1932 to win the support of the people in Germany.

Source E: Adapted from a British psychologist about the psychological methods used by Hitler.

Hitler was a master of propaganda. Through the use of his speeches and propaganda, he was able to bend the will of ordinary people into obedience and create an army ready to carry out his orders, no matter how strange they might be. Hitler’s formula for forcing a group of people was very simple. 

1. Keep the message simple. Make only 1 or 2 points.2. Be as direct and speak only in the telling or ordering mode.3. As much as possible simplify concepts 4. Speak to people’s emotions and stir them constantly.5. Use lots of repetition; repeat your points over and over again.6. Focus solely on convincing people and creating supporters.

This Nazi propaganda poster from the 1932 campaign reads:

“We will take the fate of our nation into our hands!

Hitler will be Reich President!”

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Section B: Structured - Essay Question

Answer any one question.

2 This question is about the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations

(a) What were the conditions set by the Treaty of Versailles on Germany? [8]

(b) Explain how each of the following factors caused the League of Nations to fail:

(i) structural weakness,(ii) post–war attitudes. [12]

3 This question is on Germany’s defeat.

(a) What were the strategies employed by the Allies to resist the German army? [8]

(b) Explain how each of the following factors led to Germany’s defeat:

(i) the mistakes by Hitler,(ii) USA entry into World War II. [12]

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Marking Scheme: SEQ2. This question is about the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations

(a) What were the conditions set by the Treaty of Versailles on Germany? [8]

L1 Describes TreatyAnswers which describe the event without focus on the question.Award 1 mark for each detail up to a maximum of 2.

E.g. Treaty of Versailles was a contract that outlined the conditions of Germany’s surrender.

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L2 Identifies or describes condition(s) of TOVAward 3 marks for each identified aspect up to a maximum of 5 marks or award 4 marks for one described aspect and 5 marks for two described aspects.

E.g. Germany had to accept the blame for starting the war (Clause 231).

E.g. Germany had to pay £6,600 million in reparations for the damage done during the war.

E.g. Germany was forbidden to have a strong military.

E.g. Germany lost territory in Europe and Germany’s colonies were given to Britain and France.

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L3 Describes condition(s) of TOV.Award 6 marks for describing one event and additional marks for the depth of supporting information and the number of aspects covered, up to a maximum of 8 marks.

E.g. Germany had to accept the blame for starting the war (Clause 231).  Largely influenced by Clemenceau, Clause 231 gave the peace makers the right to punish Germany, and they tried to prevent war by weakening the Germans so they would never be able to go to war again.

E.g. Germany had to pay £6,600 million in reparations for the damage done during the war. Germany had to pay for all the damage of the war – a sum eventually set at £6,600 million – in instalments, until 1984.   This ruined Germany’s economy, damaged by the war, and led to the hyperinflation of 1923.

E.g. Germany was forbidden to have a strong military. The Treaty restricted the Germans’ armed forces to only 100,000 men in the army, no submarines or aeroplanes, and only six battleships.   In addition, conscription was banned (soldiers had to be volunteers).   The idea was to reduce Germany’s armed forces to a size where they could never endanger the countries round about.

E.g. Germany lost territory in Europe and Germany’s colonies were given to Britain and France. Germany lost land. Alsace-Lorraine was given back to France.   Malmedy was given to Belgium.   North Schleswig was given to Denmark (after a plebiscite).   Memel was given to Lithuania.   West Prussia (including the ‘Polish corridor’) and Upper Silesia were given to Poland. Danzig was made a ‘free city’.   This was designed to weaken Germany.   In all, Germany lost 10% of its land, 12% of its population, 16% of its coalfields and half its iron and steel industry.   Germany had less land, fewer people, less taxes and less power.

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(b) Explain how each of the following factors caused the League of Nations to fail:

i. structural weakness,ii. post – war attitudes. [12]

L1 Writes about the League of NationsAward 1 mark for each detail up to a maximum of 2.

E.g. The League of Nations was organized at the end of World War One (1m) to prevent future wars from happening (2m).

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L2 Describes reasonsAward 3-4 marks for one described reason and 5-6 marks for two described reasons.

E.g. The League of Nations lacked credibility and authority to enforce its will because of its close association with the Treaty of Versailles (3m). The league was established by the Treaty of Versailles, and soon came to be seen as a league for victorious nations. (4m) The membership of the league was weak because the United States was never a member and Germany was not allowed to join at first because as they were considered to have been guilty of causing World War I (5m). Russia, which has been taken over by a communist government, was not allowed to join too.(6m)

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L3 Explains reasonsThe link between reason and why it led to failure of LON is shown.Award 7-9 marks for one explained reason and 10-12 marks for two explained reasons.

E.g. One reason for failure of the league was that it lacked credibility and authority to enforce its will because of its close association with the Treaty of Versailles. The league was established by the Treaty of Versailles, and soon came to be seen as a league for victorious nations. Of the 40-odd nations that joined the league, 31 had taken part in the war on the side of the Allies. The league’s peacekeeping measure of moral persuasion was ineffective against strong offending nations, which ignored the condemnations and criticisms. The league’s military sanctions were ineffective as the league did not have an army to enforce the military sanctions and the league members were unwilling to get involved militarily. Key member countries such as Britain and France refused to cooperate in the interests of the League as it conflicted with their own national interests. Thus, economic sanctions were ineffective as the league members did not want their economy to be affected. One such example was when Britain made secret economic deals with Italy in spite of the ruling of the League on the Abyssinian Crisis. Furthermore, the offending league member could withdraw from the league such as in the case of Italy, Germany and Japan. Hence, the league’s lack of credibility and authority made its peacekeeping measure ineffective. The ineffectiveness of the measures caused it to fail and made it difficult for the league to achieve its goals.

E.g. Another reason for its failure of the League was not all nations were members. The USA was never a member, which deprived the league of the help of the world’s most powerful country and meant that it lacked credibility when dealing with international disputes. Germany was not allowed to join and this weakened the league as it meant that some countries were cut out of the decision-making process and were unlikely to go along with the league policy. Later, Japan simply left when they disagreed with the league policy on Manchuria. This showed that member states could effectively do what they wanted, with no action taken against them by the league. This meant that it was very difficult for the league to achieve its goals and so they failed.

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Furthermore, member countries refused to cooperate, for example Britain and France who despite being key members in the League were themselves unwilling to involve themselves militarily as well as economically to deal with aggressive nations such as Japan, Italy and Germany.

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3. This question is on the Germany’s defeat.

(a) What were strategies employed by the Allies to resist the German army [8]

L1 Describes the Germany’s defeatAnswers which describe the event without focus on the question.Note: No mention of either key failuresAward 1 mark for each detail up to a maximum of 2.

E.g. Germany was defeated after the Allies resisted their forces.

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L2 Identifies Or Describes methods employed by the AlliesAward 3 marks for each identifies aspect up to a maximum of 5 marks OR award 4 marks for one described aspect and 5 marks for 2 described aspects.

Identifies an aspect:E.g. Stalin had made use of the long and bitter winter to reorganise the Red Army and left the control over military to competent generals. (3 marks)

Identifies two aspects:E.g. Various Partisan resistance groups all over Nazi-occupied areas for example, Poland, Yugoslavia and France. (4 marks)

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L3 Describes methods employed by the AlliesAward 6 marks for describing both factors and an additional mark for the depth of supporting information and the number of aspects covered.

E.g. Stalin had made use of the long and bitter winter to reorganise the Red Army and left the control over military to competent generals. The USSR also practiced the ‘scorched earth’ policy where they would destroy everything that could be of help to the Germans before they retreated thus the Germans would not gain any materials that would aid them in their war efforts. The USSR was also able to mass-produce weaponry for use against the Germans. By 1943, the USSR was only second to the USA in military production.  Hence, it is clear that USSR’s efforts also contributed to Germany’s eventual defeat in WW2.

E.g. The Partisan resistance also played a part in Germany’s eventual defeat in WW2. There were various Partisan resistance groups all over Nazi-occupied areas for example, Poland, Yugoslavia and France. These resistance fighters collected a lot of vital intelligence that aided the Allies greatly and helped them win battles against the Germans. These Partisan groups engaged in guerrilla warfare, blew up railways and sabotaged German factories and helped Allied POWs to escape as well. Their constant disruption caused the supply lines of the German army to be disrupted and hence, German troops were ill equipped for war. Therefore, it can be said that Partisan resistance also played a part in Germany’s eventual defeat in WW2.

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(b) Explain how each of the following factors led to Germany’s defeat:

(i) the mistakes by Hitler, (ii) USA entry into World War II. [12]

L1 Writes about GermanyAward 1 mark for each detail up to a maximum of 2.

E.g. Stalin was a powerful man that led the Soviet Union.

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L2 Describes reason(s) that led to Germany’s defeat.Award 3-4 marks for one described reason and 5-6 marks for two described reasons.

E.g. Germany’s defeat was due to the mistakes made by Hitler.  He was responsible for making Germany fight a war on two fronts, the west side with Britain and the east side with the USSR. Germany initially faced no threat in the Eastern Front, but Hitler broke the Nazi-Soviet Pact to achieve his goal of Lebensraum and invaded the Soviet Union, thus opening up the Eastern Front. In addition to Germany’s weakness were its miscalculations and misappropriate use of funds. For example, in the Battle of Britain, the Germans focused more on producing battleships and cruisers rather than the more threatening U-boats. This limited the effectiveness of German military tactics and in effect prolonged the war, making the situation disadvantageous for Germany which was not used to protracted fighting.

E.g. One reason to explain how America’s involvement was a reason for Germany’s defeat was because of its position as the world’s largest producer of goods at the time. Thus it was able to convert its factories for military production at a faster rate than that of the Axis Powers. Furthermore, with its entry into the war, America was able to send soldiers and intelligence officers to aid the Allied military campaigns; these solved the Allied problems of military shortages and also bolstered the Allied war machine. America’s involvement was also essential in the Battle of the Atlantic where the Allies managed to gain air and naval superiority because American personnel had managed to break the Germans’ code, supply ships could now safely transport supplies and equipment from America to the Allied war front.

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L3 Explains reason(s) that led to Germany’s defeat.The link between reason and why it led to Stalin’s rise to power is shown.Award 7-9 marks for one explained reason and 10-12 marks for two explained reasons.

E.g. Germany’s defeat was due to the mistakes made by Hitler.  He was responsible for making Germany fight a war on two fronts, the west side with Britain and the east side with the USSR. Germany initially faced no threat in the Eastern Front, but Hitler broke the Nazi-Soviet Pact to achieve his goal of Lebensraum and invaded the Soviet Union, thus opening up the Eastern Front. This was Hitler’s greatest mistake as conducting a war on two fronts against formidable opponents prevented him from concentrating his efforts on a single theatre of war. As Germany’s military forces and resources are split on each front, it led to lesser chances of winning the war since Germany’s resources were badly overstretched. It is worth noting that the various early victories were achieved through the use of “Blitzkrieg”, this tactic did not work well on Britain nor Russia, and the Germans were ill-prepared for an extended war. The protracted war affected the morale of the German. In addition to Germany’s weakness were its miscalculations and misappropriate use of funds. For example, in the Battle of Britain, the Germans focused more on producing battleships and cruisers rather than the more threatening U-boats. This limited the effectiveness of German

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military tactics and in effect prolonged the war, making the situation disadvantageous for Germany which was not used to protracted fighting. The Germans also focused more on producing new weapons that were not tested rather than the production of good and field-tested weapons, trucks, winter clothes and so on. Consequently, German soldiers were ill-equipped for war and during the winter on the Eastern front, many did not have coats to survive the winter. This made the soldiers easy targets for the enemy. The morale of the German troops were affected and contributed to Germany’s eventual defeat in WW2.

E.g. One reason to explain how America’s involvement was a reason for Germany’s defeat was because of its position as the world’s largest producer of goods at the time. Thus it was able to convert its factories for military production at a faster rate than that of the Axis Powers. The USA was essential in order for the allies to out produce the Axis powers. For example, with USA’s entry into the war the Allies now produced 2200 million barrels of oil per year while the Nazis only produced 6 million barrels of oil per year. The vast resources that the USA had given the Allies a peace of mind knowing that the US would make up for the short in any supplies and military equipment, thus they did not have to alter any of their original military strategies to cope with shortages and could focus on defeating Germany, with the knowledge that they would not be out of supplies, Allied soldiers had a boosted morale as well enabling them to fight better. Furthermore, with its entry into the war, America was able to send soldiers and intelligence officers to aid the Allied military campaigns; these solved the Allied problems of military shortages and also bolstered the Allied war machine. America’s involvement was also essential in the Battle of the Atlantic where the Allies managed to gain air and naval superiority because American personnel had managed to break the Germans’ code, supply ships could now safely transport supplies and equipment from America to the Allied war front. This thus helped to secure the supply lines of the Allies and with supplies and equipment successfully reaching the frontlines; the Allied soldiers could fight and resist the Germans effectively and led it Germany’s defeat as Germany could not compete against the might of the USA.