2

Weimar and Nazi Germany 20 mark Question arguments

Argument: The main reason the Nazis were able to control Germany was because of the use of terror

Exemplar question: How far do you agree with interpretation 2 about the role of the SS in the Nazi police state?
Explain your answer using both interpretations and your own knowledge of the historical context.

Interpretation 1. Interpretation 2.

Arguments
An to support
extract from Interpretation
documents on Nazism2 1919-45 by An Arguments
extract fromtoYears
challenge Interpretation
of Weimar and the 2Third Reich
From
J. the interpretation:
Noakes and G Pridham, written in 1974 From
by D. interpretation
Evans 1:
and J. Jenkins, published in 1999
 Totally dedicated to…..supreme virtues of Nazi  Organisation which would not feel restrained by
ideology
Hitler needed an–organisation
loyalty and honour.
which would not feel The SS members were totally dedicated to what they
the law.
 Protectors of the Aryan way of life.
restrained by the law. It would act with utter  …act with
regarded as the supremeutter virtues
ruthlessness…
of Nazi ideology –
 Defenders of the people. loyalty and honour. They saw themselves as the
ruthlessness and would be dedicated to expressing
his protectors of the Aryan way of life and the defenders of
Ownwill and the ideas of the Nazi movement. He
Knowledge: Own Knowledge:
found what hestate:
Police needed in the
SS, SD Gestapo – used as a means ofthe people
and SS.  against agitators,
SS, SD and Gestapo the
werecriminal classes and
not government run –
keeping control. those they saw
they as being
were run responsible for the
by the Nazis and Jewish- to
accountable
 Role of SS bodyguard to Hitler CommunistHitler.
threat.
Role of the
Had
SS established a clearwhere
was one of terror visiblethey
identity
would– members
not  Their role was to protect and support the Nazi
wore black Wording of the interpretation gives across the idea that the
Party
feel restrained by law or rules, as long as they were
 Showed total obedience to the Fuhrer SS were  Himmler
morally right –did
virtues, defenders
not believe that of
thethe
SS people,
were obliged
doing the will of the Nazi movement.
 50,000 members who had to be examples of Aryan protectors ofto Aryan, against
act within theagitators
law or criminals.
race –perfect German manhood – expected to marry  The Gestapo were officially given permission to
racially pure wives use torture when questioning suspects or gaining
 SD kept a card index with details of everyone confessions.
suspected of opposing the Nazis party or German  Main weapon of the Gestapo was fear – didn’t
government. know who they were – can be taken without trial,
 Gestapo – non-uniformed secret police force – aim sent to concentration camps.
was to identify anyone who criticised or opposed the  Could also talk about the use of:
Nazis government – spied on people, tapped their Propaganda (radio, newspaper, theatre, Olympics) –
phones, used networks of informants. impact of all of these? = indoctrination
 1939 alone, 160,000 people were arrested for Rallies – organised, Germans felt safe from communist or
political offences. Jewish threat.
  Use of law courts – another way Hitler controlled
his police state – having control within the legal
system – courts were biased toward Nazis.