Philip Allan Publishers © 2015

Fears of fascism

Exam focus: Edexcel

Elizabeth Francis

Philip Allan Publishers © 2015

Planning your essay

This resource provides an essay plan for a sample Edexcel-style question for 1G: Germany and West Germany, 1918–1989.

The first step is to look at the question carefully.

Were the effects of the Depression the main reason why Hitler was able to become chancellor in 1933?

Philip Allan Publishers © 2015

Introduction and conclusion

Were the effects of the Depression the main reason why Hitler was able

to become chancellor in 1933?

 

Introduction: • Demonstrate your contextual knowledge of the period• Show that you know there are two sides to this debate• State what your judgement is — do you think it was the 

Depression or something else?

• In an essay question of this sort it is important to give a balanced argument with both sides of the argument shown

• You will need to explore the factor in the question as well as others

• You must reach a judgement

Conclusion:• Summarise the factors discussed• State which factor was the most important in bringing Hitler 

to power in 1933

Philip Allan Publishers © 2015

Arguments which agreeArguments which agree that the Depression was the most important reason that Hitler was able to become chancellor:• Wall Street Crash affected economies worldwide and caused 

a major depression in Germany• 1932 — 5 million Germans unemployed• People looked to the government for help but politicians 

were unable to solve the country’s problems• The Nazis — fundamentally anti-democratic, anti-Weimar — 

exploited economic problems to gain a support base• For example in Neidenburg in East Prussia, where the Nazis 

did not build a firm organisational vote until 1931, the Nazi vote increased from 2.3% in May 1928 to 25.8% in September 1930

• Depression caused a polarisation in German politics with people increasingly looking to anti-Weimar parties

• Many parties began to splinter and people turned to parties that focused on smaller social groups. However, while the base of many parties was shrinking, that of the Nazis was becoming decidedly broader

Start by giving arguments which

agree with the factor stated in the question.

Philip Allan Publishers © 2015

Arguments which disagreeArguments which suggest that it was not the Depression which allowed Hitler to come to power:• Hitler’s leadership — party leader from 1921; when he was in prison the party 

virtually collapsed; his oratory skills; Führerprinzip and his ideology• NSDAP organisation and efficiency — Gauleiter; extensive representation 

throughout Germany; voters won over through local meetings and personal contact; speakers were sent into specific regions; they reached out to the whole country 

• The role of the SA — distributed propaganda, protected Nazi meetings and drove Communists from the streets; a ready-made workforce when it came to elections; SA’s disciplined marches created the impression that the Nazis could form a solid government 

• Propaganda — simple messages that were emotive and easy to agree with, such as ‘Make Germany Great’ and ‘Law and Order’. Information was sent straight to people’s homes; Hitler visited 20 German cities; loudspeakers, films, slideshows, music and lighting were used to turn speeches into spectacles. Propaganda used more effectively than by opponents

• Cooperation with other parties — help from right-wing parties — partnership with conservative Centre Party 

• Voting support — from working classes initially but in the latter part of the 1920s they targeted the middle classes — Depression had caused unemployment amongst the middle classes and the Nazis also played upon their fear of a Communist revolution 

Then move onto arguments which

are against the factor given in the question.