Modern World History
Nazi Germany Essay
Over the next 1.5 weeks, you will be planning and writing a 3-4 page paper about Nazi
Germany. Your prompt is below:
What accounts for the rise and popularity of Hitler and the Nazi Party in the
1930s? After Hitler assumed power, why did the German people follow Hitler
and the Nazi Party?
Rubric
Ideas
/40
 Essay provides thoughtful, supportable, thorough response to the prompt
 Thesis statement is well crafted, clearly stated, and complex
 Topic sentences make clear claims that support the thesis statement
 Essay reflects a clear understanding of historical events and concepts
 Essay addresses all required subtopics
Evidence and Analysis
/30
 Each claim is supported by well-chosen, accurate historical evidence
 All evidence is thoroughly analyzed and clearly connected to claims
 DRT is purposefully chosen; SRT is paraphrased in a way that reflects the
author’s understanding of the content
 Evidence is appropriately cited in text and on works cited page
Organization
/20
 Essay is 3-4 pages, not including works cited page
 Paragraphs are well-structured and ordered logically
 Claims, evidence, and analysis are sequenced logically within paragraphs
 Transitions are smooth and add coherence to essay
Style and Presentation
/10
 Uses precise and concise academic language
 Author’s voice is present, engaging, and appropriately formal
 Neatly presented and appropriately formatted (double-spaced, heading,
title, stapled)
 Appropriately incorporates quoted evidence
Conventions
Errors/page:
Points subtracted:
 Spelling & Basic Typos
 Subject-Verb Agreement
 Commas – Series
 Capitalization
 Verb Tense
 Commas – Compound
 Complete Sentences
 Pronoun Usage
 Commas – Complex
 Quotations
 Possessives
 Commas – Appositives
 Homophones
Grand Total
/100
1
Subtopics
In order to thoroughly answer the question, your essay should consider the role of multiple
factors in explaining Hitler’s rise to power and establishment of a dictatorship. Those
factors should include, but are not limited to, the following:
 The aftermath of WWI and conditions in the Weimar Republic
 The ideology of the Nazi Party and why it might appeal to German voters
 The use of violence in the Nazis’ path to establishing a dictatorship
 The role of ordinary people in supporting, opposing, or cooperating with the Nazi
regime
Timeline
The following timeline reflects the likely schedule for work on this essay in class. Expect
the essay to be due on Tuesday, December 12 for 12.1 and Wednesday, December 13
for 12.2.
Tuesday 12/10
Wednesday 12/11
Thursday 12/13
Friday 12/14
Monday 12/17
Tuesday 12/18
Wednesday 12/19
12.1
In class: Draft thesis
statement; identify major
claims
Homework: Outline essay
In class: Peer feedback on
outlines; draft paragraphs
Homework: Revise outline;
draft 2 paragraphs
No class
In class: Draft paragraphs;
writing conferences
Homework: Finish complete
draft
In class: Peer edit
Homework: Finish essay
Essay due
12.2
In class: Draft thesis
statement; identify major
claims
Homework: Outline essay
In class: Peer feedback on
outlines
Homework: Draft 2
paragraphs
In class: Draft paragraphs;
writing conferences
Homework: Finish complete
draft
No class
In class: Peer edit
Homework: Finish essay
Essay due
2
Homework: Essay Outline
For homework, you will create an outline of the body of your essay. This should be typed if
possible, handwritten if necessary. Your outline must include the following elements:
 For the introductory paragraph:
o Background information, in bullet point form
o Thesis statement, in one or two complete sentences
 For each body paragraph:
o Topic sentence, in one complete sentence
o Subclaims, evidence, and connecting sentences, in bullet point form
 For the conclusion paragraph:
o A summary of your major claims, in bullet point form
o At least two distinct claims about why your argument matters
Your outline should be as detailed and structured as the example below.
1. Introduction
a. Background Information
i. Congo is a country in central Africa 75x the size of Belgium
ii. Conquered during the age of new imperialism/Scramble for Africa, a
struggle among European countries to acquire more colonies
iii. King Leopold II of Belgium took over Congo and ran the colony for
personal profit; atrocities eventually exposed
iv. Future of chaos and exploitation through Belgian rule, Lumumba’s
assassination, and Mobutu’s dictatorship
b. Thesis Statement: King Leopold provided a model of self-interested and
repressive leadership that was continued by the Belgian colonizers and
Mobutu.
2. Paragraph 1: King Leopold exploited the Congo and its people economically for his
own personal profit.
a. Acquired Congo for his own purposes; could not afford to run it on his own
b. Convened anti-slavery conference to
c. Concession companies were required to turn half of its profits over to King
Leopold, and Leopold made even more money from the land that the state
exploited directly
d. The rubber tax and trade destroyed local economies
3. Conclusion
a. Summary of major claims
b. “So what?”
i. Leopold’s reign and its long-term consequences exerted a huge toll in
terms of human life and suffering
ii. The Congo provides an example of the long-term effects of
imperialism
3
Name: ________________________
Date: _________________________
Section: 12.1
12.2
4