Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) History: Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918–39

Answers
Key topic 1: The Weimar Republic 1918–29
The origins of the Republic, 1918–19

1.1.1 The legacy of the First World War

1. C
2. B
3. Aiii; Bi; Cii
4. A. False – government debts increased from 50 billion marks to 150 billion marks; B. True, C. True
5. 150 billion marks
6. Because of the costs of the war
7. D
8. Abdication
9. A1; B3; C5; D4; E2
10. He had lost the support of the army.
11. A
12. The Reichstag
13. A. True; B. True; C. False – Scheidemann was a leading member of the SPD
14. Aiv; Biii; Cii; Di
15. C
16. D
17. 10 November 1918
18. The Council of People’s Representatives
19. C
20. End the First World War

1.1.2 The Weimar Republic and the new Constitution

1. A set of rules for how a country is run
2. A
3. Because of unrest in Berlin
4. D
5. A democratic one
6. The Weimar Republic
7. B
8. Every seven years
9. For example, one from:
 The president could choose the chancellor.
 The president could suspend the constitution.
 The president could pass laws by decree.
10. A and D
11. A. Chancellor; B. Cabinet; C. Chancellor
12. A. Reichstag; B. Reichstag; C. Reichsrat; D. Both
13. A. False – normally, all laws had to pass through both houses; B. True; C. False – each region sent a
certain number of representatives depending on its size
14. A. True; B. False – it made sure small parties had a fair share of seats; C. True; D. False – coalition
governments found it difficult to come up with strong policies
15. C
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16. The electorate

17. A. Strength; B. Weakness; C. Weakness; D. Strength; E. Strength; F. Weakness; G. Strength
18. Article 48

The early challenges to the Weimar Republic, 1919–23

1.2.1 The early unpopularity of the Republic

1. A peace treaty
2. Because it was signed at the Palace of Versailles, in France
3. C
4. B
5. Article 231
6. A. True; B. False – it meant Germany had to accept the blame for the war; C. True; D. False –
ordinary Germans resented being forced to take the blame for the war
7. Reparations
8. B
9. For example, at least two from:
 Navy limited to six battleships, six cruisers, 12 destroyers and 12 torpedo boats
 No submarines allowed
 All planes were destroyed
 No air force allowed
 No military allowed in the land bordering France (the Rhineland)
10. The Rhineland
11. C
12. Aiii; Bi; Cvi; Dii; Ev; Fiv
13. They damaged/weakened it.
14. A. False – Germans did not believe their army had been defeated; B. True; C. True; D. False – the
people blamed the leaders and saw them as traitors
15. Politicians
16. The ‘November Criminals’

1.2.2 Challenges from Left and Right

1. C and D
2. A. Right; B. Left; C. Right; D. Right; E. Left; F. Left; G. Right; H. Right
3. The National Party (DNVP)
4. The German Communist Party (KPD)
5. A left-wing group
6. Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht
7. A. False – they came from the Independent Socialist Party; B. True; C. False – they were based in
Berlin; D. True
8. B
9. A. True; B. False – they tried to organise a general strike in Berlin; C. False – the fighting lasted for
several days, not weeks; D. True
10. The Freikorps
11. Right-wing former soldiers who opposed the Communists
12. A. False – they had kept their weapons from the First World War; B. True; C. False – they were
organized by the regular army, the Reichswehr
13. A
14. Trade union
15. D
16. Wolfgang Kapp
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Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) History: Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918–39

17. A. True; B. False – they fled to safety; C. False – it was the Weimar government who called for
workers to strike; D. True
18. For example, at least two from:
 Right-wing parties in the Reichstag
 Right-wing bias in the courts
 Political assassinations
 Left-wing and right-wing political armies
 Left-wing parties in the Reichstag
19. B
20. A. True; B. False – none of the right-wing assassins were convicted; C. True

1.2.3 The challenges of 1923

1. C
2. To cover their debts from the First World War
3. A and C
4. It was bankrupt.
5. B
6. D
7. January 1923
8. A. True; B. False – Germany had failed to send France the coal it owed; C. False – French troops
were sent to the Ruhr to control the area and take the goods it was owed; D. True
9. B and C
10. For example, one from:
 They arrested anyone who got in their way.
 They used their own workers.
11. B
12. For example, three from:
 People with fixed or monthly incomes
 Pensioners
 People with savings
 The middle class
13. For example, at least two from:
 Prices rose more quickly than wages.
 Some business went bankrupt.
 Savings became worthless.
 People blamed the Weimar government.
 The Weimar government became more unpopular.
14. For example, at least three from:
 Farmers were paid more for food.
 Some people and businesses were able to pay off loans and mortgages.
 Fixed rents for rooms or shops became very cheap.
 Foreign visitors could afford to buy more for their money.

The recovery of the Republic, 1924–29

1.3.1 Reasons for economic recovery

1. Gustav Stresemann
2. C
3. The Rentenbank and the Rentenmark
4. C
5. A new currency
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6. A. True; B. False – it was tied to the price of gold; C. True; D. False – it gave the public confidence
7. Aii/iii; Biv; Ci; Dii/iii
8. A
9. To make sure Germany could pay its reparations
10. B
11. A. True; B. False – the reduction was temporary; C. False – US banks agreed to make loans to
Germany industry; D. True
12. A
13. B
14. August 1929
15. A. False – the Young Plan reduced the total reparations debt; B. True; C. False – it meant lower
taxes for German people
16. C
17. 1988
18. Extreme political parties like the Nazi Party
19. For example, two from:
 Industrial output doubled by 1928.
 Industrial output finally passed pre-First World War levels.
 Employment increased.
 Trade increased.
20. For example, one from:
 Extreme political parties were against Germany paying any reparations at all.
 Economic recovery depended on the American loans.

1.3.2 Stresemann’s impact on domestic policies

1. C
2. France, Italy, Belgium
3. A. False – Germany agreed to its new border with France; B. True; C. True
4. For example, two from:
 The treaty was not imposed on Germany (as the Treaty of Versailles had been) but treated
Germany as an equal.
 It increased the status and popularity of the Weimar Republic.
 It gave many Germans more confidence in the moderate political parties.
 It reduced the threat of war in Europe.
5. A. True; B. False – it was founded after the First World War, in 1920; C. True; D. True; E. False –
Germany was initially excluded; F. True
6. 1926
7. Gustav Stresemann
8. For example, one from:
 It showed that Germany’s views counted.
 It gave most Germans more confidence in the Weimar government.
9. B
10. D
11. To avoid the use of war to achieve foreign policy objectives
12. For example, two from:
 It showed that Germany was once again a major power.
 It showed that moderate political parties could build Germany’s strength internationally.
 It increased public confidence in Germany’s leadership.

13.

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Positive effects of Stresemann’s work Ongoing problems

 The German people had more confidence  The hated terms of the Treaty of Versailles
in the Weimar Republic. were still in place.
 Support for extremist political parties like  Some Germans saw the League of Nations
the Nazi Party and Communist Party as a symbol of the unpopular Treaty of
decreased. Versailles.
 Support for moderate political parties  Some Germans didn’t like the confirmation
increased. of the new border with France.
 The German economy improved and with it  Extremist political parties still existed.
the lives of ordinary Germans.

Changes in society, 1924–29

1.4.1 Changes in the standard of living

1. B
2. The Weimar government
3. A. False – working hours reduced; B. False – wages rose; C. True
4. Big business, the lower middle class
5. Big business resented losing profit and power.
The lower middle class felt threatened by how the working class were benefitting from the
improvements.
6. Because the effects of 1923 were still causing hardship
7. A. True; B. False – from 1924, housing improved; C. True; D. False – by 1928 the housing shortage
had eased but had not been completely resolved
8. A rent tax
9. C
10. C
11. A. True; B. False – by 1928 unemployment had fallen to 1.3 million; C. True
12. D
13. B
14. Basic benefits if they became unemployed or sick

1.4.2 Changes in the position of women

1. A. False – more women went into paid work; B. True; C. True
2. D
3. B
4. A. True; B. False – women were normally expected to stop working after marriage; C. False – few
women secured high-status jobs; D. True; E. True; F. False – women were encouraged to go to
university
5. A
6. The right to stand in elections
7. 82% (over 80%)
8. C
9. B
10. A. True; B. True; C. False – it stated that men and women could enter all professions on an equal
basis
11. A, B and D
12. Because most job opportunities for women were in cities
13. For example, at least four from:
 They wore more mark-up.
 They wore more jewellery.
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 They were more revealing clothes.

 They smoked more.
 They drank more alcohol.
 They went out on their own.
 Some were less interested in marriage and family.
 Some were more interested in taking advantage of the more liberal sexual attitudes.
14. A. True; B. False – some women also disapproved of the behaviour of the ‘new women’; C. True; D.
True

1.4.3 Cultural changes

1. C
2. C
3. It offered grants (for example, to art galleries, museums, theatres, orchestras and libraries)
4. The Bauhaus
5. Walter Gropius
6. B
7. For example, two from:
 Otto Dix
 George Grosz
 Paul Klee
8. A. True; B. False – they wanted to make art that commented on society’s problems; C. True; D.
True
9. Erich Mendelsohn
10. D
11. A. True; B. False – German films were innovative and challenged traditional cinema; C. True
12. For example, one of:
 Marlene Dietrich (actor)
 Fritz Lang (director)

Key topic 2: Hitler’s rise to power, 1919–33

Early development of the Nazi Party, 1920–22

2.1.1 Hitler’s early career

1. C
2. B
3. A. False – Hitler was a soldier in the First World War; B. True; C. False – Hitler was shocked by the
outcome of the Treaty of Versailles
4. For example:
 February 1919 The German Workers’ Party (DAP) is set up.
 September 1919 Hitler joins the DAP.
 January 1920 Hitler becomes the DAP’s head of party propaganda.
5. A
6. B
7. A. False – the DAP was tiny when Hitler joined; B. True; C. False – Hitler quickly began to have a
strong influence on the DAP’s policies; D. True
8. Aiii; Bii; Ci
9. The Twenty-Five Point Programme
10. The National Socialist German Workers’ Party / the NSDAP / the Nazi Party

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Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) History: Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918–39

2.1.2 The early Nazi Party

1. A document detailing the DAP’s policies
2. B and C
3. For example, at least five from:
 Increase pensions for the elderly.
 Nationalise industries.
 Abolish the Treaty of Versailles.
 Build up Germany’s armed forces.
 Only German races may be members of the nation.
 No Jew may be a German citizen.
 Expand Germany across new territory to feed the people and to settle surplus population.
 All citizens should have equal rights and duties.
 Every hard-working Germany to have the chance of higher education.
 State must protect mothers and infants and stop children working.
 Make laws for compulsory sports.
4. Lebensraum
5. Aiii; Bi; Cii
6. Nationalism and socialism
7. Adolf Hitler
8. The National Socialist Germany Workers’ Party
9. The ‘Nazi’ Party
10. A
11. C
12. The swastika
13. A. True; B. False – its membership grew; C. True
14. For example, two from:
 Rudolf Hess
 Hermann Goering
 Julius Streicher
 Ernst Röhm
15. A. True; B. False – they were formed in August 1921; C. False – they were a paramilitary force; D.
True; E. True; F. True
16. Stormtroopers
17. Ernst Röhm
18. For example, two from:
 To disrupt opposition meetings
 To help Hitler keep control of the NSDAP
 To show the strength of the NSDAP
 To control crowds
 To protect the NSDAP

The Munich Putsch and the lean years, 1923–29

2.2.1 The Munich Putsch

1. B
2. B
3. D
4.
Causes Long-term Medium-term Short-term
Hyperinflation 
Reparations 
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The loss of Germany’s colonies 

The influence of the right-wing Fascist Party in Italy 
The invasion of the Ruhr in 1923 by French troops 
Hitler thought he had enough support 
The ‘stab in the back’ 
Resentment of the Weimar government 
5. Benito Mussolini
6. C
7. A. True; B. False – they shared some of the NSDAP’s views; C. True
8. A
9. D B E I A G C F H
10. President of Germany
11. B
12. General Ludendorff
13. For example, two from:
 Hitler was found guilty of treason and sentenced to five years in prison.
 The Putsch showed that Hitler and the NSDAP didn’t have enough support.
 The NSDAP was banned.
 Hitler was humiliated.
14. A
15. For example, two from:
 Hitler used his trial to publicise his views.
 Hitler used his time in prison to write Mein Kampf.
 The Putsch made Hitler realise that the Party needed new tactics to gain power.
 The ban on the NSDAP was lifted by 1925.
16. ‘My Struggle’
17. D

2.2.2 Limited support for the Nazi Party

1. A. False – Hitler wrote it while in prison; B. False – Mein Kampf also details Hitler’s political beliefs;
C. True; D. True
2. The Aryan race
3. Jewish people
4. Antisemitism
5. For example, one from:
 He said Jewish people were plotting to undermine the Aryan rule.
 He said Jewish people wanted to weaken the Aryan race by intermarriage.
 He said Jewish people wanted to weaken the Aryan race by taking over German industry.
 He said Jewish people wanted to weaken the Aryan race by taking over moderate political
parties like the SDP.
6. For example, at least three from:
 Germany’s power should be restored.
 Germany should expand to the east to create Lebensraum (living space).
 Germany should expand to the east to get rid of communists.
 Germany’s rich industry and land should benefit German workers, not the wealthy.
 Germany should reject democracy and give power to a single leader.
 There should be a focus on traditional values such as family, hard work and Christianity.
7. C
8. D
9. D

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Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) History: Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918–39

10. A. False – NSDAP headquarters were in Munich; B. False – NSDAP headquarters were organized
like a state in miniature; C. True; D. True; E. True; F. False – Hitler strengthened the Party’s
paramilitary forces
11. Schutzstaffel, SS
12. For example, one from:
 To provide security for the NSDAP
 To provide Hitler with a personal bodyguard (a smaller group within the SS)
13. Heinrich Himmler
14. A
15. To address splits between nationalist and socialist Party leaders
16. A. Socialist; B. Nationalist; C. Socialist; D. Socialist; E. Nationalist; F. Nationalist
17. Nationalist
18. Nationalist
19. For example:
 Stresemann’s policies (Rentenmark, Dawes Plan, Young Plan) had strengthened the economy,
so fewer voters looked for alternatives to the Weimar government.
 Stresemann’s international successes (Locarno Pact, League of Nations membership, Kellogg-
Briand Pact) increased Germany’s global status, so voters felt more confident with the
moderate Weimar government.
 War hero Hindenburg became German president, which increased support for the Weimar
government.

The growth in support for the Nazis, 1929–32

2.3.1 The growth of unemployment

1. B
2. A
3. For example: US companies lost billions of dollars in value overnight and many banks and
businesses were ruined.
4. Depression
5. A. False – the depression triggered by the Wall Street Crash was worldwide; B. True; C. False – the
USA demanded all loans be repaid; D. True
6. For example, two from:
 They refused to print more money.
 They increased taxes.
 They made cuts in unemployment benefit.
7. For example, two from:
 They reduced staff numbers.
 They reduced workers’ wages.
 They scaled back production.
 They closed completely.
8. For example, at least three from:
 Millions of workers and farmer labourers lost their jobs.
 Young people were badly affected by job losses.
 People lost savings.
 Workers had their wages cut.
 The unemployed received less in unemployment benefits.
9. Heinrich Brüning
10. A. True; B. False – right-wing parties and wealthier Germans were opposed to tax rises; C. False – it
was left-wing parties who opposed reductions in unemployment benefits; D. True; E. True
11. The Communist Party (KPD)
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12. Working-class people living in towns

2.3.2 Growth in support for the Nazi Party

1. A. False – many Germans were dissatisfied with the Weimar government; B. True; C. True; D. False
– the Communists were gaining support and this worried many Germans
2. For example, two from:
 He was a strong leader.
 His image appeared a lot on Nazi Party publicity material.
 He travelled around the country giving speeches and talking on the radio.
 He used aeroplanes to reach a wide number of voters during election campaigns.
3. A
4.
Group Why the Nazis appealed to them
Business people  The Nazis promised to solve the economic crisis.
 The Nazis suggested they were the best way of stopping the rise of
the communists.
The working class  The Nazis promised them work and food.
 The Nazis wanted to make Germany stronger.
 The Nazis were in favour of traditional German values.
The middle classes  The Nazis promised to solve the economic crisis.
 The Nazis suggested they were the best way of stopping the rise of
the communists.
 The Nazis were in favour of a return traditional German values.
Farmers  They hoped Hitler and the Nazis would protect them from the
communists, who might seize their land.
Young people  The Nazis seemed exciting.
 The Nazis seemed to have more to offer than traditional parties.
Women  The Nazis seemed the best choice for Germany.
 The Nazi vision of a traditional role for women as wives and mothers
seemed best for their families.
5. B
6. C
7. Propaganda
8. For example, at least four from:
 The SA made the Nazis look organized.
 The SA made the Nazis look disciplined.
 The SA made the Nazis look reliable.
 The SA disrupted opposition meetings and rallies.
 The SA intimidated the candidates of opposition parties.
 The SA broke into opposition offices.

How Hitler became Chancellor, 1932–33

2.4.1 Political developments in 1932

1. Aiii; Bi; Civ; Dii
2. D
3. Hindenburg
4. Aii; Biii; Ci
5. He banned the SA and the SS.
He announced a plan to house the unemployed in land bought from landowners.

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Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) History: Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918–39

6. A. False – both plans were unpopular among right-wing groups; B. False – Hindenburg did not
support the plans; C. True; D. True
7. 30 May 1932
8. B
9. That the ban on the SA would be removed
10. C
11. A. True; B. False – the Nazis’ share of the vote increased from 18% in 1930 to 38% in July 1932; C.
True; D. True
12. The Nazi Party
13. 38%
14. D
15. The Nazi Party
16. There would be civil war.
17. Kurt von Schleicher

2.4.2 Hitler becomes Chancellor

1. B
2. A3; B1; C4; D2
3. To stop a military dictatorship led by von Schleicher
4. Himself – von Papen
5. 30 January 1933
6. A. True; B. False – von Papen wanted a strong government led by industrialist and landowners; C.
True; D. False – they undermined the Weimar Republic; E. False – they believed they would be able
to control Hitler and the Nazis; F. True

Key topic 3: Nazi control and dictatorship, 1933–39

The creation of a dictatorship, 1933–34

3.1.1 The Reichstag Fire and the Enabling Act

1. D
2. B
3. The Communists
4. He was found guilty and executed.
5. Of conspiring against the government
6. D
7. A
8. Imprison political opponents
Ban opposition newspapers
9. To secure more Nazi seats in the Reichstag
10. C
11. In the election, the Nazi Party increased their seats in the Reichstag. They now had 288 seats. Hitler
used his emergency powers to ban the Communist Party from taking up the 81 seats they had won.
With the support of other nationalist parties, Hitler now had a two-thirds majority in the Reichstag.
This meant that Hitler could now change the Republic’s constitution.
12. C
13. Destroy the power of the Reichstag
14. Hitler
15. A. True; B. False – the laws could overrule the Weimar Constitution; C. True; D. True
16. He used the SA to intimidate the opposition.
17. C
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Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) History: Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918–39

18. For example, at least four from:

 Local government was completely abolished in January 1934.
 Trade unions were replaced with the German Labour Front.
 Many trade union officials were arrested on 2 May 1933.
 In May 1933, the SDP and Communist Party offices and funds were seized by the Nazis.
 In July 1933, other political parties were banned.

3.1.2 Hitler becomes Führer

1. C
2.
Reason they felt threatened Hitler Germany Leaders of
army officers the SS
The SA was a much bigger body of men than the 
army.
The SA was very powerful. 
Röhm didn’t agree with Hitler’s policies. 
They wanted to increase their own power. 
The SA were very loyal to Röhm. 
They were worried Röhm wanted to replace 
them.
With the support of the SA, Röhm was in a 
strong position.
3. They felt Hitler undervalued them.
4. D
5. A. True; B. False – Hitler invited Röhm to the meeting; C. True
6. Hitler wanted to get rid of the threat of Röhm and the SA.
7. C
8. A, C and F
9. C
10. A. False – von Schleicher was murdered; B. False – von Papen’s movements were restricted but he
was not killed; C. True; D. True
11. C
12. Leader
13. Swear an oath of allegiance/loyalty to him
14. 19 August 1934

The police state

3.2.1 The Gestapo, the SS, the SD and concentration camps

1. A. False – in 1933, Hitler’s control of the police was weak; B. True; C. False – the new security
forces were run by the Nazi Party; D. True; E. True
2. A
3. C
4. Hermann Goering
5. Reinhard Heydrich
6. For example, at least two from:
 They wore plain clothes.
 They spied on people.
 They prosecuted people for speaking out against the Nazis.
 They sent people to concentration camps.
 They imprisoned people without trial.
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7. C
8. B
9. Hitler
10. Heinrich Himmler
11. A. True; B. False – the SA wore brown uniforms, while the SS wore black uniforms; C. True; D. False
– the SS often operated outside the law; E. True; F. True
12. D
13. C
14. Heinrich Himmler
15. Reinhard Heydrich
16. A. True; B. False – the SD wore uniforms; C. False – the SD also spied on opponents of the Nazis
within Germany
17. A type of new prison
18. The SA
The SS
19. B
20. A. False – Dachau opened in 1933; B. True; C. False – the camps were built in isolated areas; D.
True
21. For example, two from:
 Political prisoners, such as Communists and intellectuals
 ‘Undesirables’, such as prostitutes and homosexuals
 Minority groups, like Jewish people

3.2.2 Nazi control of the legal system

1. To make it very difficult for his opponents to win if they were tried in court
2. The law courts
The judges
3. The National Socialist League for the Maintenance of the Law
4. If they had done something to displease the Nazis
5. The Nazi Party
6. D
7. The judges
8. The People’s Court
9. A. False – trials were held in secret; B. True; B. True

3.2.3 Nazi policies towards the Churches

1. For example, two from:
 Catholics were loyal to the pope.
 Catholics usually supported the Catholic Centre Party.
 Catholics sent their children to Catholic schools.
 Catholics sent their children to the Catholic youth organisation.
2. C
3. A
4. For example, one from:
 Worship freely in their own way
 Run their own schools
5. For example, one from:
 Catholic priests would stay out of politics.
 German bishops would swear loyalty to the Nazis.
6. A. True; B. True; C. False – many Catholic priests were sent to concentration camps; D. True; E.
False – Catholic youth organisations were banned

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Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) History: Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918–39

7. D
8. ‘With Burning Anxiety’ (‘Mit Brennender Sorge’)
9. The Reich Church (in 1933 the Weimar-era German Evangelical Church Confederation was
renamed the German Evangelical Church)
10. Ludwig Müller
11. A. True; B. False – some pastors allowed the swastika to be displayed inside their churches; C. True;
D. True
12. The Confessing Church
13. B
14. A. False – the Confessing Church comprised about 6000 Protestant churches; B. True

Controlling and influencing attitudes

3.3.1–3.3.2 Controlling and influencing attitudes

1. Joseph Goebbels
2. B
3. D
4. Propaganda
5. Censorship
6. For example, one from:
 Newspapers
 Radio
7. A. True; B. False – newspaper content was censored; C. False – all radio stations were placed under
Nazi control; D. True
8. They were closed down.
9. For example, one from:
 Cheap radios were sold to the public.
 Radios were put in cafes, factories, schools, the streets.
 All radios had a short range so couldn’t receive foreign stations.
10. C
11. Hitler’s image
12. For example, one from:
 Rallies
 Parades
13. For example, one from:
 To promote a sense of national unity and pride.
 To show the power and strength of the Nazi Party.
14. D
15. Berlin
16. A. True; B. False – the events were well organized; C. False – Germany led the medals table (33
medals); D. True
17. 33
18. For example, one from:
 Sports stadiums were covered in Nazi symbols.
 All teams had to give the Nazi salute.
 The Nazis claimed sports victories were victories for Nazi ideology.
19. The Reich Chamber of Culture
20. A
21. Goebbels
22. For example, one from:
 The control all aspects of culture and the Arts.
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Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) History: Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918–39

 To make sure all aspects of culture and the Arts reflect Nazi ideals.
23. A. False – all painter and sculptors had to apply to join; B. True; C. True
24. B
25. Albert Speer
26. A
27. For example, one from:
 Jazz
 Music by composers with a Jewish background, such as Mendelssohn
28. For example, one from:
 Wagner
 Beethoven
 Bach
 Traditional German folk music
29. A. True; B. False – the Nazis censored books with views they didn’t approve of; C. True
30. C
31. For example, two from:
 Books written by Jewish people
 Books written by communists
 Books written by authors opposed to the Nazis
32. Goebbels
33. A. False – cinema audiences were large, with over 250 million in 1933; B. True; True
34. C

Opposition, resistance and conformity

3.4.1 The extent of support for the Nazi regime

1. Aiii; Bii; Ci
2. A. False – support amongst Germans for Hitler and the Nazis was high; B. True; C. True; D. False –
like propaganda, censorship was key in ensuring the conformity of the German people; E. True
3. A. True; B. True; C. False – only some spoke out against the persecution of Jewish people or against
the banning of political parties and trade unions; D. False – few Germans actually opposed the
Nazis
4. For example, one from:
 All organized forms of opposition – such as trade unions and political parties – were banned.
 There was a big risk involved in unorganized opposition.
5. For example, at least three from:
 Other political parties (in secret)
 The Churches
 The young
 Some army officers (in secret)

3.4.2 Opposition from the Churches

1. A. False – opposition by Church leaders was limited; B. True; C. True; D. True
2. The Pastors’ Emergency League (PEL)
3. Martin Niemöller
4. For example, one from:
 The forming of a single Reich Church from regional churches
 The ban on Jews converting to Christianity
 The exclusion of the Jewish Old Testament from Christian teaching
5. The Confessing Church
6. Aiii; Bi; Cii
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Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) History: Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918–39

7. Protestant
8. C
9. A. True; B. False – Niemöller also voted for the Nazis in 1933; C. True; D. False – he didn’t oppose
the Nazis’ other restrictions on Jewish people; E. True; F. False – he was arrested by the Gestapo in
1937 but it wasn’t the first time
10. Because he thought the Weimar Republic needed a strong leader
11. He was found guilty of opposing the Nazi state and sent to a concentration camp.
12. Fight for Nazi Germany in the Second World War
13. D

3.4.3 Opposition from the young

1. A. False – most young Germans conformed; B. True; C. False – some, but not most, young Germans
disliked the Nazis’ social policies
2. D
3. For example, at least four from:
 Wearing American clothes
 Listening to American music
 Watching American films
 Drinking alcohol
 Smoking
 Dancing
 The Glen Miller Orchestra
 The ‘jitterbug’
4. Because they usually came from wealthier families so could afford to buy it
5. Illegal dances
6. A
7. Big towns/cities
8. C
9. A
10. For example, at least four from:
 Hiking
 Camping
 Reading banned literature
 Listening to banned music
 Writing anti-Nazi graffiti
 Wearing American-style clothing
11. B
12. A. True; B. False – they mocked the Hitler Youth; C. True
13. A
14. D
15. A. True; False – it was mainly social or cultural; C. False – the opposition was too limited to be a
real threat

Key topic 4: Life in Nazi Germany, 1933–39

Nazi policies towards women

4.1.1 Nazi views on women and the family

1. A. Approve; B. Approve; C. Disapprove; D. Approve; E. Approve; F. Approve; G. Disapprove; H.
Disapprove
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Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) History: Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918–39

2. So they were strong enough to have lots of children

3. At home
4. A and D
5. To strengthen the Nazi state
6. Ai; Biii; Cii
7. The Weimar government

4.1.2 Nazi policies towards women

1. B
2. It was falling.
3. Because they wanted more workers and more soldiers to create a stronger Germany
4. A
5. It provided loans worth up to 1,000 marks per couple getting married.
6. The wife had to give up work.
7. For example, two from:
 Get married
 Stay at home
 Have (lots of) children
 Give up work
8. A quarter
9. A. True; B. True; C. True
10. The German Women’s Enterprise (Deutsches Frauenwerk or DFW)
11. Kinder (children), Küche (kitchen), Kirche (church)
12. A. False – in 1933, women were banned from professions such as teaching and medicine; B. True;
True
13. For example, two from:
 From 1933, women could not work as teachers, doctors or civil servants.
 From 1936, women could not work as judges, jurors or lawyers.
 Girls’ education focused on motherhood and domestic skills.
 In 1937, the Nazis banned grammar schools for girls.
14. B
15. A. False – the birth rate increased; B. True; C. True; D. False – many women did not support the
Nazis’ ideas and policies

Nazi policies towards the young

4.2.1 Nazi aims and policies towards the young

1. A. True; B. True; C. False – there were different policies for boys and for girls; D. True
2. For example, three from:
 Believe in Nazi policies
 Be proud Germans
 Support a strong, independent Germany
 Be strong
 Be healthy
3. For example, one from:
 So they would be strong wives
 So they would be fertile mothers
4. For example, one from:
 So they would be productive workers
 So they would fight for Germany

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Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) History: Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918–39

5. A. False – from the mid-1930s pressure to join increased; B. True; C. False – activities also took
place during the holidays; D. True
6.
Name (German) Name (English) Girls or boys? Age group
Deutsche Jungvolk Young German Folk Boys 10–14
Jungmädel Young Maidens Girls 10–14
Hitler Jugend Hitler Youth Boys 14–18
Bund Deutscher Mädel (BDM) League of German Maidens Girls 14–18
7. For example, five from:
 Camping
 Singing patriotic songs
 Sport
 Competitions
 Nazi marches
 Nazi rallies
 Collecting for charity
8. For example, three from:
 Shooting
 Military drills
 Signalling
 Military-style camps
9. For example, three from:
 Cookery
 Housework training
 Needlework
 Craft
 Learning about babies and childcare

4.2.2 Nazi control of the young through education

1. A. False – school attendance was compulsory until the age of 14; B. True; C. True; D. False – the
curriculum was different for boys and girls; E. True
2. The Nazi Teachers’ League
3. Hitler
4. They sacked them.
5. D
6. With the Nazi salute and children saying ‘Heil Hitler’
7. For example, one from:
 Nazi flags
 Nazi posters
8. For example, one from:
 Race studies
 Eugenics
9. A. All; B. All; C. All; D. All; E. Girls; F. All; G. Boys; H. Boys; I. All
10. They doubled the curriculum time spent on it.
11. C
12. For example, one from:
 Traditional subjects were rewritten to glorify Germany.
 They placed an emphasis on German writers and/or historical figures.
 They embedded Nazi ideas on race within subjects.
 They embedded antisemitism within subjects.

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Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) History: Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918–39

Employment and living standards

4.3.1 Nazi policies to reduce unemployment

1. High
2. For example, two from:
 They thought unemployed people might support rival political parties, like the Communists.
 They believed the unemployed were a burden on society.
 They believed the unemployed were a waste of valuable resources.
3. A
4. Reichsarbeitsdienst (RAD)
5. A. True; B. False – the RAD provided workers for public works; C. True
6. C
7. B
8. For example, two from:
 The pay was low.
 The hours were long.
 The work was boring.
 It was organised like an army.
9. For example, one from:
 Draining marshes
 Planting trees
 Repairing roads
10. A motorway (‘autobahn’ is the German word for motorway)
11. Hitler
12. A
13. C
14. D
15. For example, one from:
 Constructing public buildings
 Constructing sports facilities (such as stadia for the 1936 Berlin Olympics)
 Constructing bridges
16. The process of rebuilding the armed forces, in particular restocking its supply of weapons
17. The Treaty of Versailles
18. The size of the armed forces was increased, including the number of men serving in the military.
Increased spending on weapons and equipment created jobs in the arms industry.
19. D
20. A. False – official figures showed unemployment was falling; B. True; C. True
21. For example, at least two from:
 Women who had given up work or been forced out of their jobs
 Unmarried men under 25 in the RAD
 Political opponents and others held in prisons or concentration camps

4.3.2 Changes in the standard of living

1. A. True; B. False – some sectors of society did not benefit; C. True; D. True; E. False – workers
worked longer hours; F. True
2. For example, one from:
 Jewish people
 Women
 Those in prison or concentration camps
 Those working in the RAD, who didn’t enjoy their jobs
3. C
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Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) History: Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918–39

4. Because the price of goods, including food, also rose during this period
5. For example, one from:
 To improve the lives of German workers
 So that German workers were happy/satisfied
 So that Germans continued to support the Nazis
6.
Organisation Acronym Main aim
German Labour Front DAF To replace trade unions

Strength Through Joy KdF To make work more enjoyable and so more
productive

Beauty of Labour SdA To improve conditions/facilities in the workplace

7. A. DAF; B. SdA; C. KdF; D. DAF; E. SdA; F. KdF

8. Trade unions
9. For example, two from:
 Concerts
 Holidays
 Sports events
 Films
 Travel abroad
10. For example, two from:
 Workers were expected to construct the facilities themselves.
 Workers did not get paid more for helping to construct the facilities.
 Some workers risked losing their jobs if they didn’t take part.
11. The Volkswagen
12. A. True; B. True; C. True; D. False – no one got a Volkswagen; E. False – no one got their money
back

The persecution of minorities

4.4.1 Nazi racial beliefs and policies

1. The German/Aryan race
2. Blond-haired, blue-eyes, tall and athletic
3. The German people/population
4. Aii; Bi
5. A. True; B. False – racial hygiene/race studies was made part of the curriculum; C. True; D. True
6. They were sterilised.
7. For example, at least five from:
 Jewish people
 Slavs
 Black people
 Gay men and lesbians
 Deaf people
 Blind people
 Epileptic people
 People with mental illnesses
 Alcoholics
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Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) History: Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918–39

 People with physical disabilities

 People with mental disabilities
 The ‘work shy’
8. ‘Untermenschen’
9. Persecution
10. Jewish people
11. For example, two from:
 Nationalist efforts to unite Germany also increased opposition to anyone seen as an ‘enemy’ or
as ‘other’.
 Hitler and the Nazis held antisemitic beliefs and promoted these now they were in power.
 Germans were looking for someone to blame for recent hard times, such as their defeat in the
First World War, the Treaty of Versailles and the economic stresses of 1923 (hyperinflation)
and 1929–33 (depression).
 Germans with more moderate opinions let themselves be influenced by Nazi propaganda.
12. A. True; B. False – before the Second World War, Slavs were persecuted less than other minorities;
C. False – the Nazis threatened to use Slav land for Lebensraum
13. For example, one from:
 They believed the Roma and Sinti didn’t work hard enough.
 They believed the Roma and Sinti didn’t pay enough tax.
 They believed the Roma and Sinti threatened the ‘purity’ of the Aryan race.
14. Aiv; Biii; Cii; Di
15. For example, one from:
 They believed gay people threatened the ‘purity’ of the Aryan race.
 They believed gay people lowered moral standards.
16. A. False – the Nazis strengthened the law relating to gay people; B. True; C. False – many gay
people were sent to concentration camps, and thousands died there; D. True
17. For example, one from:
 They believed people with disabilities were a burden on society.
 They believed people with disabilities threatened the ‘purity’ of the Aryan race.
18. A
19. For example, two from:
 Deaf people
 Blind people
 Epileptic people
 People with mental illnesses
 Alcoholics
 People with physical disabilities
20. Sterilisation
21. They should be killed.
22. They extended it to include children up to 17 years old.

4.4.2 The persecution of Jewish people

1. D
2. For example, one from:
 Jewish people were used as scapegoats for Germany’s economic problems.
 Jewish people were blamed for Germany’s defeat in the First World War.
 Jewish people were blamed for the Treaty of Versailles.
3. For example, one from:
 Because of long-standing antisemitism common across Europe
 Because they were influenced by antisemitic Naz propaganda
 Because they were afraid of what the Gestapo and/or the SS might do to them

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Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) History: Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918–39

4. For example:
 March 1933 The SA organizes a boycott of Jewish shops and businesses.
 April 1933 Jewish people are banned from government jobs.
 From September 1933 Jewish people are banned from inheriting land.
 From 1934 Some local councils ban Jewish people from public spaces.
 September 1935 The Nuremberg Laws are passed, with further restrictions for Jewish people.
5. For example, one from:
 They painted a Star of David outside the business.
 They painted the word ‘Jude’ (Jew) outside the business.
 They stood outside with placards.
6. For example, one from:
 Swimming pools
 Parks
7. For example, two from:
 Jewish actors were banned from performing.
 Jewish musicians were banned from performing.
 Jewish teachers were sacked.
 Jewish people were forbidden from becoming lawyers.
 Jewish people were banned from editorial positions.
8.
The Reich Law on Citizenship The Reich Law for the Protection of German
Blood and Honour
 Only those of German blood can be  No Jewish person can marry a German
citizens. citizen.
 Jewish people must become subjects not  No Jewish person can have sexual relations
citizens. with a German citizen.
 Jewish people cannot vote, have a German
passport or work for the government.
 Jewish people just wear a yellow star-
shaped patch sewn on clothes for
identification purposes.
9. C
10. For example, one from:
 Teaching
 Nursing
11. D
12. The letter ‘J’
13. Male names: Israel
Female names: Sara
NB Law applied to Jewish men and women bearing first names of “non-Jewish” origin.
14. C
15. The ‘Night of Broken Glass’
16. Aiii; Biv; Ci; Dii
17. To make it look as though the violence was carried out by the general public
18. B
19. Aiii; Bi; Cii
20. A. False – some Germans were horrified, some were pleased and others joined in; B. True; C. True
21. D
22. D
23. B
24. To deport all Jewish people out of Germany

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Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) History: Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918–39

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