Do the interpretations support the view that the Nazis came to power

due to the political weakness of the Weimar Republic? [10]

• Interpretation 1
• Perhaps the miracle of Weimar is that it survived as long as it did. •Does content INTERP1 support the
The Republic had already been heading for the crossroads before the
immediate crisis of 1929-30 occurred. Everything was pointing
view Nazis came to power due to
towards a possible crash. PWWR
• German historian Detlev Peukert in The Weimar Republic (1987)
Focus is on the short lived Weimar Republic and so emphasis is on
explaining why it collapsed after only 12 years of existence •How does origin (authorship) explain
•  Interpretation 2 the view expressed in INTERP1
• If it was not for the Great Depression, the Nazi movement may well
have fizzled out, their electoral support was seemingly in terminal
decline, it was luck that the Depression occurred when it did. •Follow the same structure for
• Modern Historian writing in his book The rise and fall of the Third answering on INTERP2
Reich ( published 1950) The focus is on the Nazis- the Nazis were
short lived and the title suggests a focus on explaining why this was
so •Overall conclusion (try not to repeat)
Do the interpretations support the view that the Nazis came to
power due to the political weakness of the Weimar Republic?
[10]
• 1 Accepts that the WSC was the immediate cause of collapse but suggests that the WR was
unstable long before and that it was only a matter of time. However, it does not mention
the Nazis and this may be because as the title suggests it is a general history of the WR and
may consider a range of factors in collapse of the WR among which the Nazis were one.

• In contrast, the focus of 2 is on the Nazis and implies that they were the main beneficiaries
of the Depression. It implies that the political consequences of this event led to the fall of
the WR. The focus on the Nazis is indicated in the title of the book which is specifically
about their rise and fall. Whilst it acknowledges the importance of the Nazis at this time, it
does not imply that there were fatal long term weaknesses, indeed, it points to the
possibility of the Nazis losing their support before the Depression took hold.

• Conclusion…
Do the interpretations support the view that the Nazis came to power
due to the political weakness of the Weimar Republic? [10]

• Interpretation 1
• Perhaps the miracle of Weimar is that it survived as long as it did. The Republic had already been
heading for the crossroads before the immediate crisis of 1929-30 occurred. Everything was pointing
towards a possible crash.
• German historian Detlev Peukert in The Weimar Republic (1987) Focus is on the short lived Weimar
Republic and so emphasis is on explaining why it collapsed after only 12 years of existence
•  Interpretation 2
• If it was not for the Great Depression, the Nazi movement may well have fizzled out, their electoral
support was seemingly in terminal decline, it was luck that the Depression occurred when it did.
• Modern Historian writing in his book The rise and fall of the Third Reich ( published 1950) The focus
is on the Nazis- the Nazis were short lived and the title suggests a focus on explaining why this was so
Do the interpretations support the view that the Nazis came to power
due to the political weakness of the Weimar Republic? [10]
• Interpretation 1
• Perhaps the miracle of Weimar is that it survived as long as it
did. The Republic had already been heading for the crossroads
before the immediate crisis of 1929-30 occurred. Everything
was pointing towards a possible crash.
• German historian Detlev Peukert in The Weimar Republic
(1987)
•  Interpretation 2
• If it was not for the Great Depression, the Nazi movement may
well have fizzled out, their electoral support was seemingly in
terminal decline, it was luck that the Depression occurred when
it did.
• Modern Historian writing in his book The rise and fall of the
Third Reich ( published 1950)
• 1 Accepts that the WSC was the immediate cause of collapse
but suggests that the WR was unstable long before and that it
was only a matter of time. However, it does not mention the
Nazis and this may be because as the title suggests it is a
general history of the WR and may consider a range of factors
in collapse of the WR among which the Nazis were one.
• In contrast, the focus of 2 is on the Nazis and implies that they
were the main beneficiaries of the Depression. It implies that
the political consequences of this event led to the fall of the
WR. The focus on the Nazis is indicated in the title of the book
which is specifically about their rise and fall. Whilst it
acknowledges the importance of the Nazis at this time, it does
not imply that there were fatal long term weaknesses, indeed,
it points to the possibility of the Nazis losing their support
before the Depression took hold.
• Conclusion…
• Unemployed men in Germany 1930 queuing for food [ 5 marks]

• 1. Use the source and your own knowledge to describe the effects of the Great Depression in Germany
• Unemployed men in Germany 1930 queuing for food [ 5 marks]

• 1. Use the source and your own knowledge to describe the effects of the Great Depression in Germany

• The source shows a long line of unemployed queuing for food charity. By 1930, the impact of the Great
Depression had impacted on Germany as unemployment rates climbed. This was because Germany was heavily
dependent on the success of the US economy which had financed growth in the 1920s. When the US went into
recession Germany was one of the first countries affected and this led to considerable hardship, with the newly
established unemployment insurance scheme unable to cope with the sudden increase in demand which led to
thousands seeking support from cjarity as shown in the source.
• What was the purpose of Source B? [8 marks]
• Nazi election poster 193033- ‘Work and Bread’
• What was the purpose of Source B? [8 marks]

• Source B is a Nazi election poster of the early 1930s. It is targeted at the unemployed and implies that if
they vote Nazi, the Nazis have the solution to the economic crisis in which Germany was engulfed at this
time. The image of outstretched hands emphasises the desperation of millions which the Nazis sought to
exploit and win over. The Origins Nazi poster 1930s shows how the Nazis tried to purposely exploit the
crisis for electoral reasons. The slogan is catchy and reflects Nazi techniques of targeting their propaganda
towards distinct audiences in Germany

• Concluding statement….
Which of the following sources is more useful to a historian studying the threat posed by the SA in 1934?
[11]
• SOURCE C
• I have decided to follow the advice of my doctors and to go to a health
spa. 1934 will require all the energies of every SA fighter I recommend
therefore to al SA leaders to begin organizing leave now in June. I
expect the SA to return 1st August completely rested and refreshed.  This limitation is also shown in the language used which does not
• Announcement made by Ernst Rohm leader SA 7th June 1934 following a
long interview with Hitler
•  
• SOURCE D
• General Goering explained that he and Herr Himmler had been
watching for weeks and had been aware that preparations for a ‘Second
Revolution’ were being made by ambitious SA leaders headed by Rohm;
Hitler had decided to suppress the movement at a suitable moment.
• Part of a press conference given by Hermann Goering to justify NLK. It
was reported in The Times (of London) on 2nd July 1934
• The usefulness of C is that this is the public announcement by
the leader of the SA who has close contact with Hitler as shown
in the provenance. The limitation of the provenance is that as a
public announcement to the SA it is crafted for a particular
audience and is therefore selective which limits its usefulness.
directly suggest threat as he tells the SA to disperse. However,
the implication of threat is in the 2nd line and the motives are
ambiguous.
• The usefulness of D is that it directly refers to the threat by
referring to plans for a coup to replace the current Nazi
leadership with reference to ‘2nd Revolution’. However, this was
made in hindsight to justify the arrest and summary execution of
hundreds of opponents of the regime. The origin, a news
conference is useful in showing how the Nazis presented the NLK
as a counter coup in order to justify events but also is limited as
it reflects the aim of the Nazi leadership to justify their actions.
• Conclusion…
To what extent do you agree with this interpretation of Hitler’s foreign policy 1933-9? [16+ 3 SPaG)
• Interpretation 3
• According to Taylor, Hitler was not a uniquely evil
plotter of war but an opportunist who enjoyed
considerable popular support in both Germany and
Austria
• Review of AJP Taylor The Origins of The Second
World War ( first published 1961) Taylor was a
revisionist historian who challenged the
consensus view on Hitler.
• Interpretation is that Hitler was not
working towards a coherent plan but
reacted to events and the actions of
others. The title suggests that the
author is looking far back into possible
causes of the war, predating Hitler
and the date shows that he must have
lived through the events. As a
revisionist historian, he challenges the
consensus and presumably this was
based on the view that Hitler was
planning for war and conquest.
To what extent do you agree with this interpretation of Hitler’s foreign policy 1933-9? [16+ 3 SPaG)
In support of the interpretation
• Not uniquely evil plotter of war- at LON disarmament
conference Hitler said Germany would not rearm if
other countries agreed to follow his example
• Opportunist- Exploits the plebiscite staged over
future of Saarland 1935 as a foreign policy triumph
and support for his leadership
• Popular support- Germans hated the ToV and he
supports German minorities joining the Third Reich-
Anschluss/ Sudeten Germans
Challenge to the interpretation
• The 25 point programme- aim is war
• Lebensraum- Hitler wanted to conquer new territories in
the East
• Uses Spanish Civil War as an opportunity to develop
Blitzkrieg tactics.
• Pact of Steel May 1939- offensive alliance with Italy (Italy
was neutral September 1939)
• Nazi Soviet Pact August 1939- Germany and Stalin
divided up eastern Europe