Germany and the growth of democracy (AQA GCSE History): Model Answers

Interpretation A

Adapted from William Shirer's book, 'The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich', 1960.

Shirer was an American journalist who reported from various German cities. Here, in his internationally bestselling book, he described the impact that the Nazis had on workers and the economy after 1933. Under the Nazis German workers were industrial slaves. Without trade unions and the right to strike, workers were totally controlled by their employers. The Labour Front aimed to force the maximum amount of work out of every worker. In reality it was a vast propaganda organisation and a gigantic fraud. Workers' wages were just enough to live on. The Nazi dictatorship used entertainments to distract the workers from the low pay. 'Strength through Joy' (KdF) controlled working hours as well as leisure time.

Interpretation B

Adapted from Frederic Tubach's book, 'German voices', 2011.

Tubach was born in America in 1930 but in 1933 he moved to Germany. He grew up there and joined the Hitler Youth. Tubach returned to America in 1949 and became a professor of German at the University of California. German workers thought that the Nazis had kept their promises and lifted Germany out of the Depression. They saw living standards had risen and unemployment had almost disappeared. They liked the new age of work, hope, and flag-waving. To the millions of older Germans who had been unemployed these changes were a great relief. By 1936 fears about unemployment had vanished. The Nazis used the 'Strength through Joy' (KdF) to improve working conditions and the leisure time of the workers. During the 1930s the KdF organised a range of holiday activities for the workers' leisure time.

Interpretation A attributes the Nazi rise to power to their policies and propaganda, as highlighted by the phrase, "His promises of prosperity gained him followers." This implies that Hitler's personal charisma and the appeal of Nazi policies were key to their growing popularity. On the other hand, Interpretation B claims, "The Nazis gained power because traditional parties failed," suggesting that their rise was more due to the failures of the Weimar Republic and a shift towards radicalism, rather than genuine support for Nazi policies. The two interpretations differ because Interpretation A emphasises Hitler's charisma and policies as central to the Nazis' success, while Interpretation B focuses on circumstantial desperation driving people to radical alternatives.