Answering structured questions

The Nazis’ rise to power

by Mark Allchorn. Watford Grammar School

All A Levels currently have a special document study component and, subject to change, this will continue into the new exams starting in September. Whereas the skills for answering an essay question apply to most of the assessment students have to face, those for the documentary section are different. As always, targeting the answer on the question asked is crucial. The exercise below is taken from a trial exam set this January. The student would be expected to be familiar with the set documents from the Noakes and Pridham books on the rise of Hitler and the establishment of the Third Reich. In this paper there aren’t any unseen documents. The topic area for study is ‘The Nazis’ rise to power, 1930 to January 1933’. Here are Darren’s answers (in italics) with my comments.

Question: Who was Otto Strasser? Explain his importance in the passage (which was taken from the interview between Hitler and Strasser in 1930).

Darren’s answer. Otto Strasser is a member of the Strasser family. His brother Gregor is a high-ranking member of the Nazi party. However, the Strassers represent the Socialist anti-capitalist wing of the Nazi party. Both Otto and Gregor become disillusioned with the form of Socialism that is offered by Hitler. As we can see from Document A, Otto was far more left wing in his Socialist ideals compared to Hitler. On the 7th December 1932, Gregor Strasser handed in his resignation to Hitler and joined von Schleicher with his work-creation schemes.

Comment. Darren is not obviously on top of this answer! It is evident that he knows more about Gregor Strasser than Otto, which is not surprising considering there’s more written about him than Otto. However, he’s got to focus this answer better and should know about the author of this prescribed source by the time he gets into the exam. He doesn’t emphasise the issue of importance much at all. As a result this answer is only worth 2 marks out of 4.

Question: What does Hitler’s brand of socialism mean in the document (same document as for question above)?

Darren’s answer. Hitler claimed to be a National Socialist, claiming that he would use Socialist ideals to create a National end. However, the ideology of National Socialism was very vague, so the extent to which he was a Socialist is debatable. In Source A we see this vagueness of ideology as Hitler claims to be a ‘different kind of socialist’, yet to what extent he is socialist is not specified.

The interview is dated 1930, this was an important time for the Nazis as they were really starting to increase in popularity due to the recent economic crisis in 1929. The party’s aim was to become appealing to all classes and breakdown class barriers. By being vague about ideology, Hitler could attract more members. Socialism was regarded with the working class, yet by not making any direct definition of his Socialist ideology, Hitler could make the party appealing to all classes. Hitler succeeded in September 1930 in making his party the second largest in the Reichstag, compared with 1928 when they just received 26%. By toning down its working class, Socialist, revolutionary image he managed to make his party appealing to all without alienation.

Comment. Darren has a better go at this question on the surface, though the answer is characterised by a lack of sharp focus. I’d want to see a clearer appreciation from the student that he really understands what socialism usually means before trying to analyse Hitler on this. Look how Darren writes about the appeal of the Nazi party, rather than fully examining what Hitler says in the passage or developing his own knowledge of this issue. The passage also contains two wonderful soundbites to hang an answer around: firstly, Hitler arguing that he treats his chauffeur as he treats himself and that the working class need no more than ‘bread and games’. These don’t provide much real evidence of classic socialist thinking. A good answer would also bring out the great animosity between the Nazis and Communists/Socialists at this time (1930). I gave this 3 out of a possible 7 marks.

Question: To what extent do the passages agree on the reasons for the growth of Nazi support up to 1933? (Sources: B, Frau Solmitz on April 1932 election rally; C, Goebbels’ diary entry in August 1932 after Hitler has rejected the Vice-Chancellorship; D, Otto Meisner writing after the war about the political intrigue which occurred in January 1933 to place Hitler in power.)

Darren’s answer. Hitler had great determination and the belief that he would eventually triumph. Document B, is an account of an election meeting, the date is 1932, in which year Hitler fought in three elections. In April Hitler stood against Hindenburg in the Presidential election and although he failed to win, he had created great prestige for himself and his party. As Document C shows us, Hitler had one aim and that was to become the Chancellor, with undisputed power. Goebbels refers to the ‘Struggle’ - something that Hitler had started ever since he had come to lead the NSDAP in 1921. By the time this document was produced the Nazis were already the largest party in the Reichstag and had come a long way from the days of being a small fringe group. Through the struggle we can see that Hitler had picked up support because of his power and self determination. Hitler eventually came to the end of the struggle, 30th January 1933 and had large backing and support behind him.

Comment. Some characteristics seen earlier are also evident here. Darren does know a fair bit more than he appears to give away in this answer! Credit for looking at each of the documents and for starting to critique them. However, one would expect a much greater depth for an answer to get to higher levels than this. He could have made much more of the obvious contrasts between all three documents (which is why they were chosen!). Some attempt to show own knowledge is made but, once more, evidence of thorough understanding is limited. This answer was thus given 4 marks out of 8 marks.

Question: Using all the sources and your own knowledge examine the view that ‘Hitler came to power in January 1933 more by political intrigue than popular support’.

Darren’s answer. Hitler had come to lead the NSDAP from 1921 as a small Bavarian right-wing fringe group in 1921 and led them in power from 1933 to 1945. It could be argued that Hitler achieved Chancellorship through political intrigue rather than popular support. However, I believe that both political intrigue and popular support gained him the power he desired.

The NSDAP aim was to be a classless party, appealing to all. However, as Hans Mommsen believes they were more of ‘a catch-all party of protest’. The party main support came from the rival middleclass voter, yet Fischer argues they had the support of more of the working class than might be believed. Yet as Document A shows, the National Socialist ideology was very vague so, in a way, not to alienate any of the classes. By making political U-turns in the actions of the party and taking a path of legality after his release from imprisonment in 1925, they started to increase their share of the popular vote. However, it was not until the economic crisis of the early 1930s that they reached the pinnacle of popular support.

Source B shows that through an exciting and fresh style of campaigning they could also win popular support. Yet again, as in Source A, Hitler makes no ‘definite’ assertion of ideology and everything he talks about is vague. Yet by 1932, Nazis in the July election had become the largest party in the Reichstag. Though refusing to take up a place in government, unless offered Chancellorship with complete power.

Although he had popular support he was not to gain Chancellorship without some form of political intrigue. Document C clarifies that after his second meeting with Hindenburg he had failed to win Chancellorship, so Hitler returns to opposition to wait. Political violence is to follow through the SA, which Brüning, the Chancellor from May-March, had failed to keep at bay. As Document D explains the traditional Conservatives could not tame Hitler unless in government. Otto Meissner, the State Secretary in 1932, to President Hindenburg, explains that Hitler had to be offered Chancellorship to create some sense of social stability and to prevent ‘civil war’.

Therefore, we can see that Hitler had popular support of the largest party in the Reichstag. Yet not made Chancellor through the ballot box but more through political intrigue. Therefore, both political intrigue and popular support gained Hitler Chancellorship.

Comment. Darren does get his act together more effectively in this final question to show more of his potential. The requirement for this question is to do just as the question asks: examine critically all the documents and use your own knowledge to evaluate how true the assertion of political intrigue versus popular support is. Darren shows evidence of a real attempt to structure his answer as a small essay with an introduction, body and conclusion. He looks at all the sources and is reasonably critical of them. This is something too many students fail to do for this part of the question. He builds up some quite solid analysis of his own to tie the answer together. However, for a top level he does need to show a better appreciation of the debates amongst historians on this issue; Bullock’s ‘jobbed into power’ would have been a good point to raise. I gave this 8 marks out of a possible 14. It needs work before the summer exams.

Overall, Darren’s answers are typical of many at this point in the Upper Sixth: potential for a solid grade in June, appreciation of the sources and use of his own knowledge is evident. However, work is needed to consolidate understanding of each to put it all together for the A Level itself.