Germany, 1918-45 is a depth study that investigates how Germany became a democratic republic before being transformed into a dictatorship. The course focuses on the origins of the Weimar Republic, the challenges it faced and to what extent it overcame those challenges. The course also investigates why and how the Weimar Republic was dismantled by the Nazis, replaced by a dictatorship and then changed by the Second World War. You will focus on the crucial events and people of this period, as well as studying the different social, cultural, polical, economic, military and religious changes that occurred.

This study enables you to understand the complexities and challenges that the democratic Weimar Republic faced and how it was transformed into a one-party state under the leadership of the Nazis. You will investigate themes such as democracy, revolution, fascism and nazism, dictatorship, government, propaganda, art and culture, censorship, persecution, genocide, economy and society. You will develop the skills of explaining, analysing and making judgements about events, beliefs, people and situations. You will use the concepts of cause, consequences, change, continuity, similarity, difference and significance to construct valid historical explanations.

Germany, 1918-45 is split into 3 key enquiries.

• ❖ Enquiry 1 looks at the development of the Weimar Republic between 1918 and 1933. You will study the origins of the new republic, the political and economic challenges it faced and to what extent it recovered between 1924 and 1929. You will investigate to what extent the collapse of the Weimar Republic was inevitable.
• ❖ Enquiry 2 looks at Hitler's journey to become chancellor between 1919 and 1934. You will study the early development of the Nazi Party, the failed Munich Beer Hall Putsch and how the Nazi Party was reorganised afterwards. You will also study the political developments during the Great Depression and how political intrigue led to Adolf Hitler becoming chancellor of Germany in 1933. Finally, you will study how Hitler was able to consolidate his position in 1934 and begin his move towards creating a dictatorship in Germany.
• ❖ Enquiry 3 has two sections that look at the Nazi dictatorship and the extent to which it controlled Germany, and what it was like to live under the Nazi's between 1933 and 1945. In the first section, you will study opposition to the regime and how this was dealt with through different methods of control such as propaganda,censorship and the Nazi police state. In the second section, you will investigate ,the experience of young people and women under the Nazi's, as well as social and economic policies and the impact of the Second World War.

Some of the key individuals studied on this course include:

• ❖ Adolf Hitler.
• ❖ Friedrich Ebert.
• ❖ Paul von Hindenburg.
• ❖ Gustav Stresemann.
• ❖ Rosa Luxemburg.
• ❖ Joseph Goebbels.

Some of the key events you will study on this course include:

• ❖ The effects of the Treaty of Versailles on Germany.
• ❖ The Nuremberg Rallies.
• ❖ The impact of the Great Depression on Germany.
• ❖ Hitler becoming chancellor in 1933.
• ❖ The creation of the Nazi police state and the setting up of the Gestapo.
• ❖ The Hitler Youth and the League of German Maidens.
• ❖ The Nazi persecution of the Jews such as the Nuremberg Laws.
• ❖ The growth of opposition to the Nazis during the Second World War, including the Swing Youth and the White Rose Group.

Germany, 1918-45 is one of the specified depth studies found in Paper 1, where you have a total of 2 hours to complete 3 questions. You must answer 2 questions from the core section of the paper and one question from a choice of two questions on your chosen depth study. Therefore, you will answer one question on Germany, 1918-45 if this is your chosen depth study. The question is comprised of 3 sections; a), b), and c).

• ❖ Question a is worth 4 marks. This question will require you to describe key features of the time period. You will be asked to recall 2 relevant points and support them with details or provide at least four relevant points without supporting detail.
• ❖ Question b is worth 6 marks. This question will require you to explain a key event or development. You will need to identify two reasons, support those reasons with relevant factual detail and then explain how the reasons made the event occur.
• ❖ Question c is worth 10 marks. This question will require you to construct an argument to support and challenge an interpretation stated in the question. You will need to have a minimum of three explanations (two on one side and one on the other) in total, fully evaluate the argument and come to a justified conclusion. You will have the opportunity to show your ability to explain and analyse historical events using 2nd order concepts such as causation, consequence, change, continuity, similarity and difference.