Year 12 HSC Modern History
National Studies: Germany 1918-1939
Inquiry questions
1. What political, economic and social problems did Germany face after the end of World
War I?
2. What were the key characteristics of life in Weimar Germany?
3. How and why did the Nazi Party come to power?
4. What tactics were used by the Nazi Party to consolidate their power?
5. What was life like in Nazi Germany?
6. What aspects of Nazi foreign policy led to World War II?
7. What historiographical issues and perspectives come to light in studying twentieth
century Germany?
National Studies: Germany 1918-1939
Study Guide One
Inquiry question: What political, economic and social problems did Germany face after
the end of World War I?
Concepts to be studied: democracy, militarism, nationalism
Group/s: NSDAP
Events:
1. The end of the war

Despair in Germany

Demand for an armistice

Naval mutinies in Kiel
(29 October)

Revolutions throughout Germany (eg Bavaria)
(8 November)

The abdication of the Kaiser
(9 November)

Germany becomes a Republic

Armistice signed
(September 1918)
(11 November 1918)
2. German political parties

Left wing: SPD, USPD

Right wing: DNVP, DVP

Middle: DDP, Zentrum (Centre Party)

Political breakdown (the Berlin incident)
3. The role of the army

Defeat in World War I

General Groener

The Groener-Ebert Pact

The Free (Frei) Corps

The 'stab in the back' legend
(November 1918)
4. Counter-revolution

The Sparticist uprising

Crushing the revolt using the Free Corps

Unrest in Bavaria

Crushing Bavaria/using the Free Corps
5. The Weimar government

The constitution and its weaknesses
(January 1919)

The role of the President

The Reichstag

Elections
6. The Versailles Treaty

Provisions of the treaty

Response to the treaty (the 'diktat')

Effects of the treaty on the Weimar government
7. Political problems

The Kapp Putsch

Red Rising in the Ruhr

The army

Assassinations

Right-wing problems
8. Economic problems

Reparations

French occupation of the Ruhr

Passive resistance

Hyperinflation

Fall of Cuno/entry of Streseman

Solving the problems (short or long-term?)
9. More political problems

Saxony (left-wing)

Bavaria (right-wing)

The fall of Streseman
10. Early Nazism

Adolf Hitler - the early years

The origins of the Nazi Party (NSDAP)

The Beer Hall (Munich) Putsch
(January 19)
National Studies: Germany 1918-1939
Study Guide Two
Inquiry question: What were the key characteristics of life in Weimar Germany?
Concepts to be studied: democracy
Groups: Nazi Party
Events:
1. Economic Recovery:
1
the Dawes and Young Plans
2. The death of Streseman
3. Cultural life:
 Theatre
 Literature
 Architecture
 Modern Art
 Science and technology
4. Political developments:
 Coalition governments
 Communists
 President Hindenburg
5.
Nazi Party activities:
 ‘Mein Kampf’ (‘My Struggle’)
 Weltanschnauung (world view)
 Anti-Semitism
 Democracy
 Fuhrerprinzip (leadership)
 Lebensraum (living space)
 Rebuilding the Nazi Party 1924 – 1933
 Important figures in the party
6. Depression – 1929
 Causes of the Great Depression in Germany
7. Army 1923-1929
8. Foreign policy
Nationalism
National Studies: Germany 1918-1939
Study Guide Three
Inquiry question: How and why did the Nazi Party come to power?
Concepts to be studied: democracy
militarism
nationalism
Groups: Nazi Party
Events:
1. Fall of the Muller government 1930
 Failure of policies
 Weaknesses in the coalition system/democracy
 Role of Hindenburg
 Appointment of Bruning
 Article 48/the threat to democracy
 Dissolution of parliament
2. Elections 1930
1 Results of the election
2 Why the NAZI vote increased
3 Who held the balance of power?
4 Use of Article 48
3. Presidential elections 1932
1 Candidates
2 Who won and why?
4. Army
1 Role in the governments
2 Position of Schleicher
3 Resignation of Groener
4 Sacking of Bruning
5. Elections July 1932
1 Results and the reasons for them
2 Appointment of von Papen
3 Who voted for the Nazis?
6. Elections November 1932

Why were they held?

results
7. Chancellor Hitler

Collapse of the Papen government

Collapse of Schleicher

Appointment of Adolf Hitler, January 1933
8. The role of the conservative parties and the elites.

Hindenburg and his advisers

The industrialists

The Reichswehr
National Studies: Germany 1918-1939
Study Guide Four
Inquiry question: What tactics were used by the Nazis to consolidate power?
Concepts to be studied: nationalism
racism
totalitarianism
Groups: Nazi Party (SA and SS), youth organisations, women, the Jewish community
Key features:
1
consolidation of Nazi power conformity
dissent and resistance to the goal of volksgemeinschaft (peoples’ community)
2
3
Transformation of German social and cultural life under Nazism
4
Nature and impact of Nazi propaganda, terror and repression within Germany and
in occupied territories
Events:
1. Chancellor to Fuhrer
 The Enabling Act
 Legal dictator
2. Gleichschaltung (consolidation of power)

Civil service

Trade unions

Political parties

States

Legal system
3. the Fuhrer myth

the cult of Hitler
4. social control

women

religion

education

youth

workers

culture
5. propaganda

Goebbels

Press

Radio

Cinema

Rallies

culture
6. Army

SA and Ernst Rohm

Night of the Long Knives

Oath of Allegiance to Hitler
7.
The Nazi Party

Organisation

Central figures

terror

SS

Concentration camps

The Gestapo
9. the Jewish community
10. the volksgenmeinschaft

why was it central to Hitler’s ideas?

Was he successful in creating it?
1 11. Resistance

The churches

The White Rose
National Studies: Germany 1918-1939
Study Guide Five
Inquiry question: What aspects of Nazi foreign policy led to World War II?
Concepts to be studied: militarism, racism, nationalism
Groups: The Wehrmacht, the Jewish community
Key features: the nature of Nazi foreign policy, including its aims, strategies and role in
the outbreak of war in 1939.
Events:
1. Nazi foreign policy - key elements

Hitler's foreign policy, as outlined in Mein Kampf

Official NSDAP policy

lebensraum and racism

The Treaty of Versailles
2. The 'war machine'

The Wehrmacht

The army

The luftwaffe

The navy

The leadership of the fighting forces
3. Foreign policy in action

Rearmament (from 1935)

The annexation of the Rhineland (1936)

The creation of the Axis - alliance with Italy

The Hossbach memorandum

Anschluss with Austria (1938)

The Sudetenland Crisis

Appeasement in action - the Munich agreement

The end of appeasement

The Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact (Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact)

The invasion of Poland and the outbreak of World War II (1939)