Leading Nazis believed Hitler was destined to rule. Were they right? This engaging lesson briefly compares Hitler’s life with Germany’s fortunes to 1933. Can your pupils explain the relationship?
The Rise of Adolf Hitler in Germany: An overview
Lessons
What was Germany like in 1918? Raemaeker cartoon audio guide
This enquiry gets your students to work out for themselves the date, content, origin and purpose of a visual source.
What was Germany like in 1918? Produce an Audio Guide for a cartoon
Can your class work out why The Kaiser looks so sheepish in this cartoon? They will overview 1870-1918, work out the message of the image and date the cartoon too.
What were the strengths and weaknesses of the Weimar constitution?
This lesson helps your students learn about Germany’s brave attempt to set up a genuine democratic government. Your class will discover how the government worked, learn key concepts and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of this new Weimar constitution. This will put in place one of the big learning building[…]
Was Germany stabbed in the back?
Can your class use their historical skills to explain the message of this famous stabbed in the back leaflet… written in German?! This task helps show just how useful history is – it makes your kids smart enough not to have to always understand a foreign language to work out the meaning of political leaflets, posters and other forms of advertising.
Why were the Germans so angry about the Treaty of Versailles?
This enquiry focuses evaluating an historical interpretation. Just how good is Anthony Lentin’s article in History Today on the Treaty of Versailles? We use this photograph of tens of thousands of Germans outside the Reichstag in 1919. Why had they gathered? Next we look at a short film clip to establish what[…]
Do you agree with a memoir from 1923?
This new asks your students to work out what Sebastian Haffner, a young man from the time said living in 1923 was like. Can your students work out what happened in the fateful year? Using a mystery approach what do 4 images show? Can they work it out by looking[…]
A gallery caption for a German Nationalist Party Leaflet.
Help your students overcome the eternal problem of how to unlock the message of a source. This lesson shows secrets of exam success in an engaging way.
Rate a historian’s description of the Treaty of Versailles?
This enquiry arms your students with key knowledge about the Treaty. Can they do better than an historian in terms of substance and style?
What to include in a documentary on the Treaty of Versailles.
This clever summative lesson asks students to use their key knowledge to evaluate and improve a short documentary?
Do you agree with the memoir of a young German living in 1923?
This enquiry confronts your students with a young German’s view about the significance of 1923 ? Can they use different sources to work out why 1923 was so bad?
Who was the biggest threat to the Weimar Republic 1919-23?
This enquiry shows your students the value of history. Acting as historical adviser to a film producer, exactly how should a programme about 19-23 be structured?
Putsches or money: which threatened early Weimar the most? AQA
This summative enquiry acts as device to pull together all of the learning your students have undertaken about Germany 1919-23 (over the last 5 enquiries). They often find this kind of recall hard, so we have helped with a graffiti and striking images. You ask them to remember all they[…]
Was the Munich Putsch of 1923 a Success or Failure?
This active enquiry acts as a mini depth study on the Munich Putsch. You have already covered the Putsch in the threats lesson. This approach requires your students to compete against each other whilst they gather then classify different information. Can they beat their rivals? Then they evaluate the short[…]
Why did people join the Nazi Party?
Can your kids predict how a leader of a new Party might gain more members then work out from the Nazi 25 point plan who they were really appealing to? But deep down were they Nationalist or Socialist? First you ask your students to think how they would they try[…]
How would you design a Weimar election poster from 1924?
Help your students realise the potential of knowledge and think creatively. Can they unlock the messages of this election poster from 1924? Can they improve the design?
Was Stresemann really the saviour of Weimar?
Arm you students with the knowledge to critically analyse a ‘revision film’ about Gustav Stresemann.
Can you always trust websites to get it right about the Munich Putsch?
Help your students get over the perennial problem of believing websites to tell the truth. This enquiry helps your students cross-reference for a real purpose.
How far did the Nazis change tactics after 1924?
Help your students dive deeper with their understanding. How far the Nazis really changed tactics post ’24? They will soon see that the answer isn’t black and white, it’s quite murky.
Why didn’t many people vote Nazi 1924-29?
This short enquiry asks your students to work out how the Nazis changed tactics and find out about the relative success of these new ‘legal’ tactics. They will meet and listen to four characters to establish the reasons why these individuals did not vote for the Nazi Party in the[…]
Why did Adolf Hitler become Chancellor of Germany in 1933?
This enquiry unlocks the secrets of GCSE success. It shows students how to recall reasons, helps them to sort, classify and prioritise before explicitly modelling excellent explanatory writing.
Why did Hitler become Chancellor mystery
Can your students work out why Hitler became Chancellor? They will work it out for themselves before looking at two contrasting interpretations.
How did Hitler manage to become a dictator?
Decision making lesson which asks students to decide whether the Nazis should take the cautious, or extreme path to creating a dictatorshipHow Finish by getting them to design a better textbook diagram.
Was Nazi Germany really a paradise like an ex-Nazi described it?
Starting with a thought provoking quote from an ex Nazi, your students will gain an overview of Nazi aims before looking different characters who may disagree.
How can historians disagree about the Nazi ‘economic miracle’ even when they look at the same sources?
This enquiry helps your students develop an understanding of the Nazi economy. It takes a different approach to historical interpretations by showing how historians can have different views of the past, even when they use exactly the same sources.
Why did fewer people criticise the Nazis in pubs and bars after 1933?
This original approach, deals with the idea of Nazi control through interesting statistics: those criticising the Nazis after drinking, fell after 1933. Why?
How do historians disagree about the Gestapo?
Who is correct about the Gestapo, historian Jacque DeLaRue, who suggests that the Nazi secret police were omnipresent, and the view of the documentary maker, Laurence Rees who thinks that the Gestapo were not?
Which historian is correct about the Gestapo?
This interesting enquiry looks at two historians who have opposing views about the Gestapo. Were they everywhere or is this a myth?
What can an internet forum tell us what Nazis wanted from women?
Can we trust Google to do our homework This enquiry gets your students to see that historical skills can be used to check what is posted on the web.
Was Henry Metelmann a typical young Nazi?
Using the personal story of one young pro Nazi, your class will find out about the purpose of the Hitler Youth and compare Henry’s experience to other people’s.
