Practice Exam Questions for Y11
Have a go at a question on a piece of paper and bring it to Mrs Rittman for marking.

Remember, the essay questions will be either 9, 12 or 16 marks. You will get bullet points for the 9 and 12 mark questions (though not all the ones below have them).

Germany 1919-45

The Rise of the Nazi Party

1. Describe the problems the Weimar Republic faced in the early 1920s. (9 marks)

2. 'Stresemann was successful in overcoming many of Germany's problems'. Do you agree? Explain your answer. (16 marks)

3. Why had the Nazis not got into power by 1928?

You may use the following in your answer and any other ideas of your own:
1923 rentenmark issue
1924 Hitler released from prison
1924-9 German economic recovery

4. 'The Wall Street Crash was the main reason Hitler got into power'. Do you agree? (16 marks)

You may use the following in your answer:
In 1928 the Nazis received less than 3 percent of the vote
In 1932 unemployment in Germany had reached 16%
A Nazi election poster had the slogan: 'Hitler – our last hope'.

5. Why did support for the Nazi party grow between 1929 and 1932? (12 marks)

You may use the following in your answer and any other information of your own:
1929 Wall Street Crash
1930-1932 support for the Communists doubled from 54 seats in the Reichstag to nearly 100
1932 Nazis became the largest party in the Reichstag

6. How far were the problems faced by the Weimar Republic in the years 1919 to 1923 caused by the Treaty of Versailles? Explain your answer. (9 marks)

The Government of the Third Reich

1. How was Hitler able to increase his power between January 1933 and August 1934? (12 marks)

2. Explain the importance of von Papen's role in Hitler's rise to power. (9 marks)

You may use the following in your answer and any other information of your own:
February 1933 The Reichstag Fire
July 1933 All political parties banned
August 1934 Death of Hindenburg

3. The boxes below show two important aspects of Nazi rule.
Choose one and explain its importance in giving the Nazis control of Germany. From 1933 rallies were held at Nuremberg
Himmler headed the SS 1934-1945

4. 'The use of propaganda was the main reason why the Nazis were able to control the German people'.

Do you agree? Explain your answer. (16 marks)

You may use the following in your answer and any other information of your own:
1928 Goebbels put in charge of Nazi propaganda
1933 first concentration camp set up
1939 70 percent of all Germans own a radio

5. Why was opposition to the Nazis so weak? (12 marks)

You may use the following in your answer and any other information of your own:
July 1933 All opposition parties closed down
1936 All Church youth groups closed down
1943 White Rose Group members executed

6. Explain how the Nazis used education as propaganda. (12 marks)

7. Why was there so little opposition to Hitler from the Churches in Germany 1934-1945? (9 marks)

The Social Impact of the Nazi State

1. How did the lives of women in Germany change in the years 1933 to 1945?

You may use the following in your answer and any other information of your own:
Women were urged to follow 'Kinder, Kirche, Küche'
Women were dismissed from the state employment from 1934-36
1933 Loans of 1,000 marks offered to couples on marriage

2. Use your own knowledge to explain why the Nazis wanted to control the newspapers, radio and films in Germany from 1933? (9 marks)

3. (a) Describe the role played by women in the Nazi state in the years 1933-1945. (9 marks)

(b) In what ways did the Nazi treatment of the Jews change in the years 1933-1939? Explain your answer. (16 marks)

You may use the following in your answer and any other information of your own:
1933 One-day boycott of Jewish shops
1935 Nuremberg Laws passed
1938 Kristallnacht

Further questions on the Nazis: Typical Essay Questions – give yourself about 20 minutes for each one

Don’t forget: Statement, Evidence, Explanation

Why was the Treaty of Versailles