IGCSE History Coursework

Question: ''Assess the significance of Hitler in the years 1923-1933''

Key details:

1. 2000 maximum
2. Must be typed
3. Can be completed in class or at home
4. Has to answer the above question.
Structuring your answer

A) Think about breaking your answer into two parts- Hitler 1923-29 and Hitler 1929-33.

B) Within this you need to think thematically. In other words, don’t just go through events
chronologically. You need to think about Hitler’s particular areas of activity and his goals at particular
times.

The following might be useful:

1923-29: Hitler’s areas of activity and his aims

• Seizure of power (Munich Putsch)

• Rebuilding the party- structure and strategy (electoral strategy)
• Propaganda

1929-33

• Maximising the success of the Party following the WSC

• Efforts to destabilise the Weimar Government and become Chancellor

C) It is absolutely essential that you appreciate that the question is asking you to assess the
significance of Hitler. This means that for each area of Hitler’s activity you MUST consider just how
much actual significance his actions had. This essay is all about you judging and assessing the impact
of Hitler rather than just saying what he did.

The key approach here is to adopt an argument/counter argument/evaluation structure for each thematic
area. In other words:

• Set out what Hitler actually did to achieve a particular goal or in a particular area of activity.
• Offer a counter argument. This might, for example, be the suggestion that his actions did not actually have
the success that he wanted or that other factors, perhaps those that he was not in control of, were more
important.
• Finish off each thematic section with a clear evaluative conclusion. This should be a stand-alone paragraph.

The example of Hitler’s rebuilding of the party after the Munich Putsch is a good illustration of this approach:

• Argument.

Hitler certainly did many things to rebuild the party- Bamberg Conference/Electoral strategy etc. In terms of party
membership this clearly had a positive impact.

• Counter argument

Hitler’s success in rebuilding the party between 1924 and 1928 should not be exaggerated. It is clear that in terms of
national electoral success Hitler’s efforts to rebuild the party had remarkably little effect, as is shown by the
Reichstag results from 1924-28. This can be explained by a number of factors……

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 • Evaluation (a conclusion that gives a supported final judgement)

“On balance” on one level Hitler’s efforts to rebuild the party and turn it into a dominant political force in the
period 1924-28 failed because the Party failed to make a meaningful political breakthrough in this time. However, in
the longer term, Hitler’s efforts were of huge significance because they meant that the Nazi Party was in a position
to exploit the changed circumstances after the Wall Street Crash in a way that no other party in Germany was able
to.

THIS STRUCTURE MUST BE USED FOR EACH THEMATIC SECTION OF YOUR ESSAY. THE
KEY TO HIGH MARKS IS TO ASSESS HITLER’S IMPACT.

Here are some questions to consider in relation to significance. You should ask yourself these
questions in relation to everything that Hitler did.

Significance at the time (impact)

Width of impact

- How many people, groups or institutions were affected?

- Which different types of people were affected (e.g. rich/poor)
- Were men/women affected to the same degree?
- Were different parts of the country, world affected in the same way?
- How wide, geographically, was the impact?

Depth of impact

- How deeply were people’s lives, beliefs and attitudes affected?

- How far were other aspects, e.g. institutions, power relationships, changed?
- For how long were people affected?
- How important was it to people?
- How powerful was the impact?
- What kind of reactions was caused?
- How far was it remarked on by people at the time?

Nature of impact

- How far was it beneficial?

- How typical or unique?
- How expected/unexpected?
- How reported/how received?
- How iconic/symbolic?

Who brought about the impact?

- Was Hitler working alone?

- Was Goebbels more important than Hitler as regards Nazi propaganda?

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 - How important in the Nazi electoral breakthrough after 1929 was the SA
- Without the actions of Von Papen and Hindenburg could Hitler have come to power in January 1933?

Significance over time (relationship to other events)

- How much of a change occurred between what went before and what came after, e.g. how far was it a turning point?
- How much continuity occurred between what went before and what came after e.g. how far was it part of a trend?
- How far did it affect things in the longer term, e.g. was it a false dawn, how long did the impact last?

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Key Dates: Weimar Germany

1914-1918: World War One

9 Nov. 1918: A new German republic is proclaimed. It soon becomes known as the Weimar Republic.

11 Nov. 1918: Armistice is signed between Allies and Germany

January 1919: Spartacist Uprising is crushed by the Freikorps

March 1920: Kapp Putsch is defeated by a general strike. Kapp flees to Sweden

June 1922: Walter Rathenau, the Foreign Minister, is assassinated

January 1923: French troops enter the Ruhr. German workers follow policy of passive resistance, leading to over
100 workers killed.

Nov. 1923: Hyperinflation peaks, with a loaf of bread costing 200,000 million marks.

Aug-Nov. 1923: Stresemann, as Chancellor, introduces the rentenmark and helps end hyperinflation. He also
commits Germany to start paying reparations again. He stands down as Chancellor but becomes Foreign Minister
instead, a post he will hold until his death.

1924: The Dawes Plan is agreed, bringing huge American loans into Germany to help the German economy

1925: Locarno Treaties are signed, marking a reconciliation between Germany and other major European powers.

1926: Germany enters the League of Nations. It is once again a great power and some national pride is restored.

1929: Young Plan is agreed, reducing the overall reparations bill

3 Oct 1929: Stresemann dies

29 Oct. 1929: Wall Street Crash precipitates the Great Depression. Germany is the worst affected country in
Europe

30 Jan. 1933: Against a backdrop of economic and social chaos, Adolf Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany

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Key Dates: Nazi Party

Events Date
Adolf Hitler joins the German Worker's Party (GWP) September, 1919
National Socialist German Workers Party publishes its first programme. 24th February, 1920
The Sturm Abteilung (SA) is formed. October, 1920
Adolf Hitler attempts Beer Hall Putsch. 9th November, 1923
Adolf Hitler leaves Landsburg Prison. 20th December, 1924
The Nazi Party wins 24 seats in the Reichstag. December, 1924
The Schutz Staffeinel (SS) is formed. June, 1925
Max Amann publishes first volume of Mein Kampf. July, 1925
The Nazi Party holds its first Nuremberg Rally. July, 1927
The Nazi Party wins 14 seats in the Reichstag. 20th May, 1928
Joseph Goebbels takes over the propaganda unit in the Nazi Party. November, 1928
Max Amann publishes second volume of Mein Kampf. December, 1928
Over 60,000 members of the Sturm Abteilung attend Nuremberg Rally. August, 1929
The Nazi Party has a membership of 178,000. December, 1929
Wilhelm Frick becomes the first Nazi to become a minister in a state
23rd January, 1930
government.
The Nazi Party wins 107 seats in the Reichstag September, 1930
Unemployment in Germany reaches nearly 4 million. December, 1930
Ernst Roehm is appointed Sturm Abteilung chief of staff. January, 1931
Paul von Hindenburg defeats Adolf Hitler in presidential elections. 13th March, 1932
The Sturm Abteilung is banned. April, 1932
In Prussia the Nazi Party becomes the largest single party in the state
24th April, 1932
parliament.
Franz von Papen lifts the ban on the Sturm Abteilung 16th June, 1932
The Nazi Party wins 230 seats in the Reichstag 31st July, 1932
Adolf Hitler refuses to serve under Franz von Papen as vice chancellor
13th August, 1932
of Germany.
Franz von Papen resigns as chancellor of Germany. 17th November, 1932
Kurt von Schleicher becomes chancellor of Germany. 4th December, 1932
Adolf Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany. 30th January, 1933

The Nazis in the Wilderness 1924-29

Whilst Germany appeared to flourish during the Weimar “golden age”, Hitler was officially banned from open
involvement in political activity, part of his punishment for the Munich Putsch. This ban came to an end in 1927. (The
ban on the Nazi party had been lifted in 1925) The following year came the first real trial of strength of the Nazi
Party in the Reichstag elections of May 1928. The result was a severe blow to the Nazis- with only 12 seats and
under 3% of the vote it was clear to all that the Nazis were little more than a fringe party. (They had won 32 seats in
the 1924 elections) The cause of this was simple- the prosperity of the Stresemann years, following the Dawes Plan
of 1924, and the success of his foreign policy, left most Germans totally uninterested in extreme politics. The
moderate parties seemed to be handling the recovery well and the Nazis appeared an extremist irrelevance. William
Shirer, An American journalist living in Germany gave this verdict on the Nazis after the elections of 1928:

Nazism appears to be a dying cause. It got support because of the country’s problems such as hyper
inflation and the French invasion of the Ruhr. Now that the country’s outlook is bright it is dying away. One
scarcely hears of Hitler except as the butt of jokes

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Indeed, the 1928 elections seemed to suggest that the situation for the Nazis was actually getting worse in terms of
Reichstag seats:

1924 (May): 32
1924 (Dec): 14
1928: 12

However, it would be wrong to see the years 1924-29 just as a time of negativity for the Nazis. Within the party key
structural, organisational and strategic changes were taking place that were to leave them well placed to take
advantage should a dramatic change in the political landscape come about.

Hitler was released from prison in December 1924 and the world he found himself in had undergone considerable
change:

• The government had authority, order had been restored and the country had a more stable monetary
system. This gave less scope for a politician with an approach such as Hitler’s.
• Some of Hitler’s earlier associates were either dead or living in exile and many of his former patrons had
turned their backs on him.
• The SA had lost its fearsome image. To keep within the law, units had to masquerade as sports and rifle
clubs.
• The stop-gap leader during Hitler’s imprisonment, Alfred Rosenberg, had allowed the party to disintegrate
into factions which were at loggerheads. For example, the extremist Julius Streicher had formed a
nationalist-racist party in Bavaria whilst in northern Germany Gregor Strasser led a newly formed National
Socialist Freedom Party.

Such was the state of the situation that Hitler even considered emigrating to the USA. Gradually, though, he pulled
himself together and in February 1926 he called a meeting of Party leaders at Bamberg in southern Germany to try
to sort matters out.

The Bamberg Conference 1926.

Hitler here took the splinter groups head on and skilfully brought them together under his leadership. Following this,
Hitler began to recover lost ground and by mid-1926 he was once again in control of the party. Even so, party
membership had fallen to only 35,000 and there was no rush of new recruits. The party was dramatically short of
money.

Reorganising and rebuilding the Party

Hitler now planned a new framework for the party:

a) The “Gau” system. For reasons of organisation Germany was divided up into “Gaue”, or regions. Each had a
leader, a Gauleiter, chosen for his commitment to the Party and his enthusiasm for Nazi policies. In 1928 the
Gaue were again reorganised to correspond with the established 35 Reichstag electoral districts. Each Gau
was subdivided into areas roughly the size of an English county, with each again given a leader. A further
subdivision meant that each city or town was directly covered.
b) The SA was restructured. It ceased to be a rabble of street hooligans and was given more clearly defined
responsibilities, including spreading propaganda and organising demonstrations against Communists and Jews.
In 1925 it was enlarged.
c) In 1926 the more elite SS was formed but was to remain relatively unimportant until Heinrich Himmler
became the organisation’s leader in 1929.
d) The Hitler Youth was formed in 1926 to rival other long-established German youth organisations.
e) Professional groups were established for doctors, lawyers and teachers in 1926, as was the Women’s
League.
f) In 1926 the first Nazi Party rally was held at Weimar which began the pattern of military style parades.
g) In 1927 a reorganisation of the party took place to make it more efficient. A national headquarters was
created in Munich with Hitler insisting on central control of finance and membership

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 h) Before 1928 the Nazis saw their target electoral group as the urban/industrial working class. 1928’s results
made it clear that this approach had failed. The great majority of workers supported the SPD. The Nazis
thus changed their focus to groups such as peasant farmers and the lower middle class, such as shopkeepers
and small business owners. The Nazis began to highlight the importance of the peasants in their plans for
Germany, promising to help agriculture if they came to power. Peasants were praised as racially pure
Germans. Nazi propaganda also contrasted the supposedly clean and simple life of the peasants with that of
the allegedly corrupt, immoral, crime ridden cities. The fact that the Nazis despised Weimar culture also
gained them support among some conservative elements who saw Weimar’s flourishing art, literature and
film achievements as immoral.
i) Joseph Goebbels was appointed to take charge of Nazi propaganda. Goebbels was highly efficient at
spreading the Nazi message. He and Hitler believed that the best way to reach the masses was by appealing
to their feelings rather than by rational argument. Goebbels produced leaflets, films and radio broadcasts.

By 1927 membership stood at 108,000 compared with 27,000 in 1925.

The Nazi Electoral Breakthrough 1929-1933

The Background

a) The economic impact of the Wall Street Crash

By 1928 the economies of the world had become thoroughly integrated. The largest economy, that of the USA, was
crucial in ensuring prosperity and jobs in Europe and other parts of the world. Germany in particular relied heavily
on the USA after the Dawes Plan. Huge loans helped restore the crisis-torn German economy and pay off
reparations. While these loans lasted, most Germans had jobs and goods could be sold abroad. However, by 1928,
the US economy was starting to falter; the market for consumer goods had become saturated and factories were
turning out products for which there was no demand. The Wall Street Crash of October 1929 worsened the
situation dramatically; stocks and shares lost billions of dollars in value. Banks went bust as people drew out their
money; companies and businesses who had lent money during the roaring 20s called in their loans. The loans to
Germany had been short term and were called in quickly. Confidence evaporated overnight as factories shut down
and businesses collapsed. It has been said that “if America sneezes Europe catches a cold”. Germany’s cold was the
worst in Europe. The Great Depression, which started in the USA, resulted in 6 million unemployed in Germany by
1933.

Rising unemployment in Germany during the Depression

Year Number
Unemployed
1928 1,862,000
1929 2,850,000
1930 3,217,000
1931 4,886,000
1932 6,042,000

Such a dramatic rise in unemployment brought with it crushing social problems. Consider these rather grim
calculations made by an employment exchange during 1931:

The average benefit paid to an unemployed man with a wife and a child was 51 marks a month. At least
32.5 marks went on rent, electricity, heating and other necessities. 18.5 marks remained to feed the family.
Each person’s daily rations consisted of six potatoes, five slices of bread, a handful of cabbage, a knob of
margarine with a herring thrown in on three occasions during the month

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It could be argued that the suffering seemed particularly bad since the German people had so recently experienced a
period of prosperity. Many now remembered the hyperinflation of 1923 and felt doubly bitter towards the Weimar
Republic. They were thus more prepared to listen to the promises of extremist parties such as the Nazis and
Communists.

b) The political impact of the Great Depression

Together with extreme economic and social problems, the Depression brought about a political crisis which
ultimately led to the downfall of democracy. Above all, the Depression showed up the weaknesses of the Weimar
Constitution. Germany needed a strong government and leader in 1929 to lead the country through the economic
problems. Stresemann, however, died just before the Wall Street Crash. The two leading parties in the Coalition
government, the Centre Party and SPD, fell out with each other. The leader of the SPD, Hermann Muller, refused to
agree to cuts in unemployment benefit which the Centre Party, under Heinrich Bruning, believed were necessary.

What was the importance of all this for the Nazis?

Your book by Ben Walsh addresses very clearly the issue of why these events were of such value to the Nazis.
Walsh writes that:

Hitler’s ideas now had a special relevance:

• Is the Weimar government indecisive? Then Germany needs a strong leader!

• Are reparations adding to Germany’s problems? Then kick out the Treaty of Versailles!
• Is unemployment a problem? Let the unemployed join the army, build Germany’s armament and be
used for public works like road building!

The Nazis’ 25 Points were very attractive to those most vulnerable to the Depression: the unemployed, the
elderly and the middle classes. Hitler offered them culprits to blame for Germany’s troubles- the Allies, the
“November Criminals” and the Jews. None of these messages was new and they had not won support for
the Nazis in the Stresemann years. The difference now was theta the democratic parties simply could not
get Germany back into work.

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An analysis of the number of seats illustrates the changing fortunes of the Nazi Party between 1928 and 1932:

Party 1928 1930 1932 (Jul) 1932 (Nov)

Nazis 12 107 230 196
German 73 41 37 52
Nationalist Party
German People’s 45 30 7 11
Party
Centre Party 62 68 75 70
German 25 20 4 2
Democratic party
Social Democratic 153 143 133 121
Party
Communists 54 77 89 100
Other 67 91 33 32
Total 491 577 608 584

It is certainly true that growing Nazi popularity stemmed from the combination of the circumstances of the
Depression with the issues promoted in Nazi propaganda. Of great importance was the fact that the Nazi
programme appealed to many different groups in Germany. Hitler was extremely flexible. If he found an idea was
losing support he would change it. For example, the Nazis spoke initially in favour of nationalisation of industry.
When they found that this alarmed industrialists they quickly dropped the idea. For many groups though, Nazi policy
suggestions brought real hope:

• By blaming the Jews for Germany’s problems Hitler provided people with a scapegoat and united Germans
against outsiders.
• To the depressed Germans Hitler offered the possibility of a powerful Germany both at home and abroad.
• To the unemployed Hitler offered work
• To the employers he offered the prospect of restored profits.

The Nazis thus offered enticing prospects for the future; national unity, prosperity and full employment by ridding
Germany of what they claimed were the real causes of the troubles and overthrowing the Versailles Settlement. This
made for a striking contrast with the Weimer government. The latter appeared respectable, dull and unable to
maintain law and order. The Nazis promised strong, decisive government and the restoration of national prid

That said, an analysis of the nature of the Nazi message is not enough to explain fully the dramatic growth in their popularity.
After all, the Communist party was also offering radical and extreme solutions to Germany’s problems and in terms of
Reichstag seats clearly had a head start over the Nazis in 1928 and yet the Nazis were able to overtake them.

You therefore need to look closely at the other factors that contributed to the Nazi electoral
breakthrough:

• Hitler’s qualities

Hitler undoubtedly had extraordinary political abilities. He possessed tremendous energy and will power and a
remarkable gift for public speaking which enabled him to put forward his ideas with tremendous force. Hitler himself
did much to win support for the Nazi party. Posters and rallies built him up as a superman. Hitler developed his
speech-making skills still further. He wore spectacles to read but refused to be seen wearing them in public so his
speeches were typed in large print. Campaigns focused around his personality and his skills.

Otto Strasser, A Nazi who disliked Hitler as a person, wrote about his qualities as a speaker:

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As the spirit moves him, he is promptly transformed into one of the greatest speakers of the century. Adolf
Hitler a hall. He sniffs the air. For a minute he gropes, feels his way, senses the atmosphere. Suddenly he
bursts forth. His words go like an arrow in their target. He touches each private world in the raw, telling
each person what they most want to hear.

The power of Hitler as a campaigner was seen best during the 1932 Presidential election when he challenged
Hindenburg. Although defeated by 19 million votes to 13 million, Hitler showed himself to be a dynamic and
compelling politician.

• The Nazi Organisation

As you have already seen, the Nazi party had undergone key organisational and structural changes in the five years
before 1929. This allowed them to take advantage effectively of the new situation. Nazi propaganda was particularly
effective. Josef Goebbels was in charge and he used every possible method to get across the Nazi message and
carefully trained local groups in propaganda skills. The Nazis used:

- Posters and pamphlets everywhere

- Eight Nazi-owned newspapers
- Mobile units to organise entertainment and speeches in different areas
- Stirring mass rallies using music, lighting and banners as a back-drop for Hitler’s speech making skills. During
the 1932 Presidential campaign Goebbels chartered planes to fly Hitler all over Germany in order to speak
to four or five rallies a day
- Radio was used for the first time.

Added to this must be an appreciation of the work of the SA. By 1932 the SA numbered 600,000. The SA’s violent
attacks on rival politicians and political meetings helped the Nazis by:

- Disrupting their opponents’ meetings

- Attracting many unemployed and unhappy young people who admired the discipline and fighting qualities of
the SA. The SA also gave them a small wage and a uniform
- The appearance of discipline and order given by the SA and SS at rallies and marches had a huge impact on
many people. At a time of uncertainty and instability, when large groups of the unemployed were often to be
seen gathered on street corners in a threatening manner, this impression of order was compelling.

• Powerful supporters

Hitler persuaded powerful industrialists that he would prevent the Communists from taking power and would
restore the German economy. As early as 1929 Alfred Hugenburg, leader of the German Nationalist Party and a
wealthy newspaper owner, worked with Hitler in attacking the Young Plan. He gave the Nazis access to his media
empire, particularly his cinemas.

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Other supporters were:

Hitler’s financiers

Many industrialists bankrolled the Nazis, including allegedly:

Hjalmar Schacht, Head of the Reichsbank, organised fund-raising parties for Hitler.

Fritz von Thyssen, the German steel businessman

Alfred Krupp, the owner of Krupp steel firm

Emil Kirdorf, the coal businessman

IG Faben, the German chemicals firm, gave half the funds for the 1933 elections

The German car firm Opel (a subsidiary of General Motors)

Schroeder Bank – on Jan. 3, 1933, Reinhard Schroeder met Hitler and asked him to form a government.

Fritz Thyssen wrote:

I have personally given altogether one million marks to the Nazi Party. It was in the period 1929-32 that the
big industrial corporations began to make their contributions. In all, the amounts given by heavy industry to
the Nazis may be estimated at two million marks a year.

• Negative cohesion. The idea that people supported the Nazis not because they passionately bought into the
Nazi message but because they shared the Nazi dislike of certain groups and developments in German
society.
You should note pages 154-155 in Walsh,

Why did Hitler finally become Chancellor in 1933? The importance of political scheming.

It is clear that the period 1930-33 was one of great electoral success for the Nazi Party and it would be tempting to
see this as the explanation for Hindenburg’s appointment of Hitler as Chancellor on 30th January 1933. The truth,
however, is more complicated.

During the period 1930-33, other than the rise in Nazi fortunes, two important developments took place:

• Parliamentary government broke down and President Hindenburg increasingly ruled by emergency decree,
appointing and dismissing chancellors as he wished. Hindenburg appointed Heinrich Bruning as Chancellor in
1930. He did not need Reichstag support for his legislation, he simply needed Hindenburg to sign it.
However, this system of rule by “presidential cabinets” was always fragile, depending as it did on the
goodwill of Hindenburg and his advisers. Bruning’s measures to try to deal with the effect of the Depression
were unpopular and he resigned on 30th May 1932. Then Chancellor was Franz von Papen, a member of the
Centre Party. Once again, unpopular laws were passed to cut back on welfare and von Papen too resigned.
• Elite groups such as army officers, owners of big business, the civil service and the big landowners
considered that their interests would be best served by a strong, authoritarian government rather than
unstable coalition governments. In 1930 and beyond, with the Depression deepening and the President acting
alone, they were able to influence political decisions ways that had not been possible before. As the difficulty
in governing Germany grew, so such people began to see Hitler as a potential candidate for the job of
Chancellor.

What happened?

• On 2nd December 1932 von Schleicher became Chancellor. He tried to create some support for his
government but upset many groups by his discussions with trade union leaders. At this von Papen did a deal
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 with Hitler: The Nazi leader would offer strong government with popular support and, in return, von Papen
and his colleagues would form a majority of non-Nazis in the cabinet. Only Hindenburg now needed to be
convinced. Hindenburg had for a long time been hesitant about appointing Hitler as Chancellor. He had
refused to appoint Hitler in August 1932 and again in November 1932, but he now changed his mind only a
few weeks later, the consequence of the extreme pressure he was now subjected o. In November 1932
Hjalmar Schacht, a business leader, signed a petition to Hindenburg requesting the appointment of Hitler as
Chancellor. Hindenburg refused but over the next few weeks a series of blunder by von Schleicher worried
big business. Von Papen now stepped in and liaised between big business, Schacht, the Nazi leadership and
the group of advisers surrounding Hindenburg. The President finally agreed to appoint Hitler on the
understanding that the government would be a conservative and not a Nazi one.

Conclusion

Hitler had come to power as the result of a back-room deal. Von Papen should be seen as the main figure in all of
this, hoping to use Hitler’s popular support and voting power in the Reichstag for his own political purposes and
mistakenly assuming that Hitler could be controlled once he had his hands on the levers of power.

You should consider once again the table for Reichstag seats won by the main parties in elections between 1928 and
1933. You will notice that the Nazis fell from 230 seats in July 1932 to 196 in November. Certain historians have
suggested that this shows that the highpoint of popular support for the Nazis had already passed and that the Nazis
were on their way down by the time Von Papen’s scheming catapulted Hitler into the job of Chancellor. Popular
support was not enough.

On 1st February 1933 Erich Ludendorff wrote to Hindenburg:

"By appointing Hitler Chancellor of the Reich you have handed over our sacred German Fatherland to one
of the greatest demagogues of all time. I prophesy to you that this evil man will plunge our Reich into the
abyss and will inflict immeasurable woe on our nation. Future generations will curse you in your grave for
what you have done."

Checklist of factors explaining Hitler’s rise to power:

• The nature of the Nazi message in the particular circumstances of the period after the Wall Street Crash
• Hitler’s political skills
• The Nazi electoral machine
• The financial support of big business
• Negative cohesion
• Political scheming by von Papen

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Referencing - An Important Note:
If you are using a quote, fact or idea from one of the sources below, you need to footnote it. Place the cursor at the
end of the sentence and click ‘Insert’ then ‘Footnote’. The first time you use a source, use the 1st footnote as shown
below. Thereafter, use the 2nd footnote.
The Mark Scheme
Level 5 36–40
• Candidates demonstrate and select and effectively
deploy relevant and accurate
contextual knowledge.
• Candidates select a wide range of relevant information
which is
well organised and deployed effectively.
• Candidates demonstrate excellent understanding of
the significance of the key
features, reasons, results or changes of societies, events,
beliefs, people and
situations studied with good awareness of the
importance of inter-relationships
and the broad context.
• Candidates consistently produce relevant, effective,
convincing and wellsupported arguments and
judgements.
• Candidates produce conclusions that are entirely
consistent with the rest of the
answer and are effectively supported.
Level 4 27–35
• Candidates demonstrate and select and effectively
deploy mostly relevant and
accurate contextual knowledge.
• Candidates select a range of relevant information
which is generally well organised
and effectively deployed.
• Candidates demonstrate a good understanding of the
significance of the key
features, reasons, results or changes of societies, events,
beliefs, people and
situations studied with good awareness of the broad
context.
• Candidates demonstrate some understanding of inter-
relationships in the period
studied.
• In several places, candidates produce relevant,
effective, convincing and wellsupported arguments and
judgements.
• Candidates produce conclusions that are argued and
supported.
Level 3 18–26
• Candidates demonstrate and select some relevant
contextual knowledge and
deploy it appropriately to address the question in
several parts of the answer.
• Candidates select and organise mostly relevant
information which is sometimes
deployed relevantly.
• Candidates demonstrate a reasonable understanding of
the key features, reasons,
results or changes of societies, events, beliefs, people
and situations studied with
some awareness of the broad context.
• Candidates produce structured descriptions and some
reasonable explanations.
• Candidates make some comparisons or links.
• Candidates produce conclusions that are based on
basic explanations with some
Level 2 9–17
• Candidates demonstrate some limited contextual
knowledge.
• Candidates select and organise some relevant
information. This is deployed
relevantly on a few occasions.
• Candidates describe or narrate some relevant key
features, identifying and
describing some reasons, results and changes of
societies, events, beliefs, people
and situations studied but with limited awareness of the
broad context.
• Candidates demonstrate some ability to structure
descriptions or narratives.
• Candidates attempt some obvious comparisons or
links.
• Candidates assert relevant conclusions but these are
not explained or supported.
Level 1 1–8
• Candidates demonstrate little relevant contextual
knowledge.
• Candidates demonstrate limited ability to select and
organise information.
• Candidates describe or narrate a few relevant key
features. The work contains a
little relevant information but this is not deployed
relevantly in terms of answering
the question.
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Where do I find research material?

This topic is, of course, familiar to you but if you want to score a really high mark you need to take your
understanding of the period 1923-33 to another level and this means that you need to do some serious research.

BBC Bitesize has some excellent material:

Early development of the Nazi Party, 1920-22 - Hitler's rise to power, 1919-1933 - Edexcel - GCSE History Revision
- Edexcel - BBC Bitesize

There is also a range of really excellent research material on the KES website:

IGCSE Coursework: Guidance and Reading - King Edward VI School (kes.hants.sch.uk)

When will I write up my final 2,000-word essay?

You will be given the last six lessons and two home works before the Autumn half term holiday to research and
write up your answer. The final version will be due in on the 8th November 2021. This means that you can
continue to work on your essay during the half term holiday if you wish. You are allowed to work on your essay
whenever you wish and at home and school. Please note that your teach is not allowed to read through or mark
drafts.

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