1. Weimar and Nazi Germany 1918-39 Edexcel Exam Skills (9-1 Spec)

2. Question 3a: Utility 8 marks
Question 3a on your exam paper will ask you ‘how useful’ two sources are.
To be successful, you must analyse various aspects of two sources.
CONTENT – NATURE – ORIGIN - PURPOSE
You must also include knowledge of the historical context to assess the usefulness of the information the sources provide.

3. What is Content? CONTENT – What information does the source provide?
After reading this source, what do you now know?
Is the information provided trustworthy? Does it match with what you already know?
Is it accurate?
Is it complete?

4. What is ‘NOP’? NATURE – What type of source is it?
A speech? A photograph? A cartoon? A letter?
How will the nature of the source affect its utility?
E.g. a private letter is very useful as the person writing will tend to give their honest views.
ORIGIN – Who wrote or produced the source?
Are their views worth knowing? Is their view one-sided? When was it produced?
E.g. a newspaper article produced in Nazi Germany would be less useful as Nazi censorship of the press meant papers could only print pro-Nazi material.
PURPOSE – For what reason was the source produced?
E.g. an advert makes you buy a product, people usually make speeches to get support.
How does this affect the utility of the source?

5. Analysis of Source (10mins)
Work in Pairs
Origin:
DAP
Unreliable – the party aims to win over support and will often only disclose the information they think will win them votes!
Source A: Extracts from the Twenty-Five Point Programme, originally produced by the DAP in February 1920
We demand the union of all Germans in a Greater Germany.
We demand equality of rights for the German people in its dealings with other nations.
We demand land and colonies to feed our people and settle our surplus population.
Only those of German blood … are members of the nation. No Jew may be a member of the nation.
We demand that the state’s primary duty must be to promote work and the livelihood of its citizens.
All citizens should have equal rights and equal duties.
We demand … a law to take from the owners any land needed for the common good of the people.
We demand … the creation of a people’s army
We demand the creation of a strong central state power for the Reich
Content:
Provides us with information on the aims of the German Workers’ Party in 1920.
Reference to anti-Semitic views (accurate)
Reference to getting Germany back to work (accurate)
Reference to unpopularity of TOV (accurate)
Incomplete – it doesn’t mention how these aims will be achieved i.e. Nuremberg Laws/ Final Solution
Purpose:
To win votes
Unreliable – the party aims to win over support and will often only disclose the information they think will win them votes!
Nature:
A party manifesto
Unreliable – the party aims to win over support and will often only disclose the information they think will win them votes!

6. How useful are sources A and B for an enquiry into the causes of the Munich Putsch. Explain your answer using the sources and your own knowledge.
Fill in the grid analysing the two sources below (10mins)
Source A: From a history textbook 2016
One cause of the Munich Putsch was that from , Hitler and the NSDAP were heavily influenced by a right wing party in Italy called the Fascists, led by Mussolini. They modelled their salute and use of flags on the Fascists. In 1922, Mussolini led his parliamentary forces in a ‘march on Rome’ forcing the democratic government of Italy to accept him as their new leader. Hitler and the Nazis wanted to emulate this in Germany.
Source B: From a report in September 1923 by the Bavarian police.
Hyperinflation in Germany has reached its peak. Things that cost 100 marks in 1922 now cost 200,000 billion marks in As a result of these rising prices and unemployment, the workers are bitter. The patriotic are at fever pitch because of the failure of the resistance of the Ruhr.

7. Source A
Value
Contextual Knowledge
Nature
Origins
Purpose
Content
Source B
Value
Contextual Knowledge
Nature
Origins
Purpose
Content

8. WAGOLL: How useful are sources A and B for an enquiry into the causes of the Munich Putsch. Explain your answer using the sources and your own knowledge.
Source A is useful for an enquiry into the causes of the Munich Putsch as it states that one reason for the Munich Putsch in 1923 was that Hitler was influenced by the fascist revolution in Italy, led by Mussolini a year earlier. This is useful because it shows a medium term factor contributing to Hitler’s attempt to illegally seize power from the Weimar Republic. This is supported by my contextual knowledge that fascism was gaining support elsewhere in Europe at this time and led Hitler to believe the Germans would have the same reaction as the Italians, especially as his popularity as a leader was increasing.
However, the source has limitations as it is incomplete, failing to mention longer term factors such as the Dolchstoss and the shorter term factors such as extreme hyperinflation.
In terms of the nature, origin and purpose the source is trustworthy as it is from a school textbook which as a purpose to inform rather than to persuade.
Source B is also useful for an enquiry into the causes of the Munich Putsch as it states that hyperinflation and the falling of living standards led to bitterness among workers. From my own contextual knowledge I know that hyperinflation, followed by the failure of passive resistance in the Ruhr led to an increased hatred of the Weimar Republic and an increased support for Hitler leading him to think he had the support he needed to seize power. The source is also useful in terms of its nature, origin and purpose. A report from the Bavarian Police is a neutral piece of information. The only limitation, however, is that the source is incomplete, failing to mention the longer term causes of the Munich Putsch – the Weimar Republic had been unpopular since the end of WWI whereas this source seems to suggest it was the failure of resistance in the Ruhr that caused their unpopularity.

9. For HL, complete another 8 mark utility question on the sources below.
Over to you…
For HL, complete another 8 mark utility question on the sources below.
Submit next week in intervention 
Source C: A Nazi Propaganda Poster.
Message: ‘Work and Bread’
Question:
Study sources B and C.
How useful are sources B and C for an enquiry into the reasons for the growth in support for the Nazi Party in the years ?
Explain your answer, using Sources B and C and your own knowledge.
Source B: From an interview with a member of the Nazi Party:
… for five years I remained unemployed and I was broken both in body and spirit and I learned how stupid were all my dreams in those hard days at university. I was not wanted by Germany…. Then I was introduced to Hitler. You won’t understand and I cannot explain either because I don’t know what happened, but life for me took on a tremendous new significance … I committed myself, body, soul and spirit to the movement

12. Resources

13. Content:
Origin:
Source A: Extracts from the Twenty-Five Point Programme, originally produced by the DAP in February 1920
We demand the union of all Germans in a Greater Germany.
We demand equality of rights for the German people in its dealings with other nations.
We demand land and colonies to feed our people and settle our surplus population.
Only those of German blood … are members of the nation. No Jew may be a member of the nation.
We demand that the state’s primary duty must be to promote work and the livelihood of its citizens.
All citizens should have equal rights and equal duties.
We demand … a law to take from the owners any land needed for the common good of the people.
We demand … the creation of a people’s army
We demand the creation of a strong central state power for the Reich
Nature:
Purpose

14. Source A
Value
Contextual Knowledge
Nature
Origins
Purpose
Content
Source B
Value
Contextual Knowledge
Nature
Origins
Purpose
Content

15. How useful are sources A and B for an enquiry into the causes of the Munich Putsch. Explain your answer using the sources and your own knowledge.
Source A: From a history textbook 2016
One cause of the Munich Putsch was that from , Hitler and the NSDAP were heavily influenced by a right wing party in Italy called the Fascists, led by Mussolini. They modelled their salute and use of flags on the Fascists. In 1922, Mussolini led his parliamentary forces in a ‘march on Rome’ forcing the democratic government of Italy to accept him as their new leader. Hitler and the Nazis wanted to emulate this in Germany.
Source B: From a report in September 1923 by the Bavarian police.
Hyperinflation in Germany has reached its peak. Things that cost 100 marks in 1922 now cost 200,000 billion marks in As a result of these rising prices and unemployment, the workers are bitter. The patriotic are at fever pitch because of the failure of the resistance of the Ruhr.

16. For HL, complete another 8 mark utility question on the sources below.
Over to you…
For HL, complete another 8 mark utility question on the sources below.
Submit next week in intervention 
Source C: A Nazi Propaganda Poster.
Message: ‘Work and Bread’
Question:
Study sources B and C.
How useful are sources B and C for an enquiry into the reasons for the growth in support for the Nazi Party in the years ?
Explain your answer, using Sources B and C and your own knowledge.
Source B: From an interview with a member of the Nazi Party:
… for five years I remained unemployed and I was broken both in body and spirit and I learned how stupid were all my dreams in those hard days at university. I was not wanted by Germany…. Then I was introduced to Hitler. You won’t understand and I cannot explain either because I don’t know what happened, but life for me took on a tremendous new significance … I committed myself, body, soul and spirit to the movement

17. Source A
Value
Contextual Knowledge
Nature
Origins
Purpose
Content
Source B
Value
Contextual Knowledge
Nature
Origins
Purpose
Content