Germany: development of dictatorship, 1918-45 is a modern depth study that focuses on the origins of the Weimar Republic, the challenges it faced and to what extent it overcame them. 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 crucial events during this period, and study the different social, cultural, political, economic and military changes that occurred.

This study enables you to understand the complexities and challenges faced by the democratic Weimar Republic and how it was transformed into a one-party state under the leadership of the Nazis. You will investigate themes such as democracy, revolution, dictatorship, government, propaganda, censorship, economy and society. This course will enable you to develop the historical skills of causation and consequence, and encourage you to analyse and evaluate contemporary sources as well as interpretations of the time period.

Germany: development of dictatorship, 1918-45 is split into 5 key topics.

• ❖ Topic 1 looks at the Weimar Republic between 1918 and 1929. 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 also study how society changed during the 'Golden Years'.
• ❖ Topic 2 looks at 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 Hitler became chancellor of Germany with the aid of political intrigue.
• ❖ Topic 3 looks at how Hitler and the Nazis dismantled the Weimar democracy, piece by piece, and created a one-party dictatorship. You will study the way in which the Nazis tried to control the hearts and minds of the German people using propaganda and censorship in all aspects of life.
• ❖ Topic 4 looks at life in Nazi Germany and the Nazi policies towards women, children, education and the unemployed. You will study how living standards changed. The persecution of different minorities will also be explored.
• ❖ Topic 5 looks at how Germany changed to fight the Second World War and the impact of 'total war' on the home front. You will investigate how opposition to Hitler grew, culminating in the July bomb plot of 1944. The 'Final Solution' and how it was implemented will also be studied.

Some of the key individuals studied on this course include:

• ❖ Adolf Hitler.
• ❖ Friedrich Ebert.
• ❖ Paul von Hindenburg.
• ❖ Gustav Stresemann.
• ❖ Rosa Luxemburg.
• ❖ Wolfgang Kapp.

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

• ❖ The effects of the Treaty of Versailles on Germany.
• ❖ The French and Belgian occupation of the Ruhr, 1923.
• ❖ 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, through means 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: development of dictatorship, 1918-45 forms part of paper 1 which you have a total of 1 hour 30 minutes to complete. You should spend 45 minutes on this section of the paper. There will be 1 exam question on Germany: development of dictatorship, 1918-45. The question will be broken down into 4 sections; a, b, c(i) and c(ii). You will answer a, b and either c(i) or c(ii).

• ❖ Question A is worth 6 marks. This question will require you to examine an extract and assesses your ability to analyse and evaluate a historical interpretation. You will need to identify the author's opinion or perspective by analysing the language the author uses and what they have chosen to comment on. You will explain how valid the overall impression is by using your own knowledge to evaluate that impression.
• ❖ Question B is worth 8 marks. This question will require you to explain two effects of an event on something else by using your contextual knowledge and looking at the consequences. You will need to identify 2 effects and then demonstrate how the event led to the effect you have identified.
• ❖ Questions C(i) and C(ii) are worth 16 marks. This question will require you to construct an argument to support and challenge an interpretation stated in the question. You will be given two pieces of information to jog your memory but must use your own information. You will have the opportunity to show your ability to explain and analyse historical events using second order concepts such as causation, consequence, change, continuity, similarity and difference.