Source Practice - Power and Authority in the Modern World - Consolidation of Nazi Power PDF

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Source practice for power and authority unit for Modern History...

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SOURCE PRACTICE: Consolidation of Nazi Power Source A: From account written in 1950s by Rudolph Diels, a Nazi and head of police in Berlin 1933. I think van der Lubbe started the Reichstag Fire on his own. When I arrived at the burning building, some police officers were already questioning him. His voluntary confession made me think that he was such an expert arsonist that he did not need any helpers… He had lit several dozen fires using firelighters and his burning shirt, which he was holding in his right hand like a torch when he was overpowered by Reichstag officials. Source B: From A. Bollock (1952) Hitler: A Study in Tyranny Goering had been looking for an excuse to smash the communist party. He at once declared that can der Lubbe was only part of a large communist plot to start a campaign of terror. The burning of the Reichstag was to be the signal for communist revolt. In fact I believe that the buring of the Reichstag was planned and carried out by the Nazis themselves. Lubbe had been allowed to climb into the Reichstag and start fires on his own in part of the building while Nazis started the main fires. Source C: From a radio broadcast by Goebbels, 1 July 1934 A short meeting and then Hitler’s mind was made up. He decided not to wait until the morning but to hunt down the conspirators who were led by Rohm and the SA, and destroy the plot immediately. We arrived at 7.00am. We were able to enter the house and surprised a band of conspirators who were asleep. We took them prisoners at once. With great courage, Hitler personally made the arrests. Source D: The Night of the Long Knives, a cartoon by David low. This cartoon appeared in a London newspaper on 3 July 1934. The person holding the spear is Goering. Goebbels is peeping through his master’s legs. The caption says “They salute with both hands now.” Source E: Regulations at Dachau Concentration Camp, issued by the Commandant Theodor Eicke, November 1933 Tolerance means weakness. In the light of this concept, punishment will be mercilessly handed out whenever the interests of the Fatherland warrant it… The following offenders considered as agitators will be hanged. Anyone who… discusses politics, carries on controversial talks or meetings, forms cliques, loiters around with others who for the purpose of supplying propaganda of the opposition with atrocity stories, collects true or false information about the concentration camp, receives such information, talks about it to others, smuggles it out of the camp into the hands of foreign visitors or others… Anyone who physically attacks a guard or SS man, refuses obedience or declines to work at his place of work… will be shot on the sport or subsequently hanged. Source F: Photograph taken on 10 May 1933 showing Nazi-dominated students groups burning non-Aryan literature in Berlin. A total of 20 000 volumes were burned at this event and Jewish, liberal and leftist writers were targeted.

Year 12 Modern History, Task 2, 2020

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Question 1: 10 marks Account for the differing perspectives provided in Sources A and B.

Question 2: 10 Marks Explain the significance of the Reichstag Fire in the initial consolidation of Nazi Power.

Question 3: 10 Marks Compare Sources C and D as evidence of the purpose of the Night of the Long Knives.

Question 4: 10 Marks To what extent do Sources D, E and F provide evidence of Nazi use of terror and intimidation to consolidate power?

Question 5: 15 marks Using provided sources and own knowledge, discuss the view that the Nazis relied on legal methods to consolidate their power.

Year 12 Modern History, Task 2, 2020

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