HI Research Question: How did the outcome of the First World War help Hitler’s rise to power in Germany?

Part C Evaluation of sources Choose two significant sources: Source 1, from “Deutsche Zeitung (German News) on the day the Treaty of Versailles was signed. “Today in the Hall of Mirrors the disgraceful Treaty is being signed. Do not forget it! The German People will, with increasing labor, press forward to re-conquer the place among the nations to which it is entitled.”

Brief Source Description: The source claims the Treaty of Versailles to be unfair and “disgraceful”. It warns that the German people will not tolerate it and will be determined to reverse it and “re- conquer” its power and strength. [Keep this short and simple. This should not be the majority of your evaluation. If anything is to be left out, the source description is the least important aspect of the evaluation.]

Origin of the Source: The origin of the source is that it is a quote taken from an article from the German newspaper “Deutsche Zeitung”, published in 1919, at the time of the Paris Conference, where the Treaty with Germany was being discussed. [If possible, it is always a good idea to give bibliographical information here such publisher’s name and where the source was published. An author’s name and position/title is also important if accessible i.e. journalist, statesman, or professor of modern European history, etc.]

The Purpose of the Source: The purpose of the source is to encourage the people in Germany to condemn and to stand up against the Treaty, and possibly to warn the ‘victorious’ countries, who had written it, of German people’s determination to revoke it. [Ask yourself, “Why was the source made?” “What did the author intend?” “Who is listening?”]

Limitations of the Source: Germany had not been given a part at the conference and the sentiments of revenge towards Germany among some of its participants were strong. This may explain the angry attitude towards the Treaty expressed in the source. This is one of the reasons why historians would not entirely trust it, when studying about the Treaty of Versailles, as it is politically and emotionally charged. Among its other limitations is the fact that it expresses only one perspective on the Treaty, coming from a ‘defeated’ side of the conflict.

Value of the Source: However, the source is also valuable to this investigation. It is a primary source and offers an example for the reaction of the German media and at least some of the German people to the Treaty of Versailles. [It is always good to mention whether the source is primary or secondary. Also, specifically use the terms value and limitation in your evaluation. Ask yourself “what can the historian gain from the source and what can be misleading?”]

And Put it all together: The source claims the Treaty of Versailles unfair and “disgraceful”. It warns that the German people will not tolerate it and will be determined to reverse it and “re- conquer” its power and strength. The origin of the source is that it is a quote taken from an article from the German newspaper “Deutsche Zeitung”, published in 1919, at the time of the Paris Conference, where the Treaty with Germany was being discussed. The purpose of the source is to encourage the people in Germany to condemn and to stand up against the Treaty, and possibly to warn the ‘victorious’ countries, who had written it, of German people’s determination to revoke it. Germany had not been given a part at the conference and the sentiments of revenge towards Germany among some of its participants were strong. This may explain the angry attitude towards the Treaty expressed in the source. This is one of the reason why historians would not entirely trust it, when studying about the Treaty of Versailles, as it is politically and emotionally charged. Among its other limitations is the fact that it expresses only one perspective on the Treaty, coming from a ‘defeated’ side of the conflict. However, the source is also valuable to this investigation. It is a primary source and offers an example for the reaction of the German media and at least some of the German people to the Treaty of Versailles.

Evaluation of sources Source 2, extract from a history textbook “Modern World History” by Ben Walsh, published in “ History has shown that the Treaty helped to create a cruel regime in Germany and eventually a Second World war.”