The Edexcel GCSE History unit Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918-1939 covers how the democratic Weimar Republic, created after Germany's defeat in the First World War, collapsed and was replaced by Hitler's dictatorship. You need to understand the problems Germany faced between 1918 and 1923, the recovery of the Golden Years, how the Nazis rose to power, and how Hitler consolidated his dictatorship and controlled everyday life.
The exam paper is split into four periods: the Weimar Republic 1918-1929, Hitler's rise to power 1919-1933, Nazi control and dictatorship 1933-1939, and life in Nazi Germany 1933-1939. Most of the marks go to explaining causes, consequences and change, so focus your revision on building chains of explanation rather than just memorising dates.
Germany lost the First World War and the Kaiser abdicated in November 1918. The Weimar Republic was created with a new, democratic constitution. Its biggest problem was the Treaty of Versailles of 1919, which Germans hated because of the War Guilt clause, the £6.6 billion reparations, the loss of territory and the limit on the German army. The new republic was also threatened by uprisings from both left and right, including the Spartacist Revolt of 1919 and the Kapp Putsch of 1920.
In 1923 France invaded the Ruhr when Germany failed to keep up reparations payments. The German government told workers to resist by going on strike and printed money to pay them, causing hyperinflation that destroyed people's savings. The recovery from 1924 to 1929, led by Gustav Stresemann, brought the Rentenmark, the Dawes and Young Plans, the Locarno Treaties and Germany's admission to the League of Nations. This period is known as the Golden Age of the Weimar Republic.
Adolf Hitler joined the German Workers' Party in 1919 and turned it into the Nazi Party. The party grew slowly until the Wall Street Crash of 1929 triggered the Great Depression in Germany. Unemployment rose to around 6 million by 1932 and people lost confidence in the Weimar government. The Nazi Party offered simple solutions and scapegoats, and its share of the vote grew from 2.6% in 1928 to 37.3% in July 1932. Hitler was appointed Chancellor in January 1933 not because the Nazis won a majority, but because conservative politicians believed they could control him.
Hitler moved quickly to turn Germany into a dictatorship. The Reichstag Fire of February 1933 let him persuade Hindenburg to pass the Decree for the Protection of People and State. The Enabling Act of March 1933 gave Hitler the power to make laws without the Reichstag. The Nazis then banned trade unions and other political parties, and in 1934 Hitler removed the SA leadership in the Night of the Long Knives. When Hindenburg died in August 1934, Hitler combined the roles of Chancellor and President and became Führer.
Everyday life in Nazi Germany was controlled through propaganda, censorship and terror. The Gestapo and the SS used concentration camps and informers to crush opposition. Women were encouraged to focus on children, church and kitchen, and the Nazis promoted large families through the Law for the Encouragement of Marriage. Young people were drawn into the Hitler Youth and the League of German Maidens, while Jews were increasingly persecuted, culminating in the violence of Kristallnacht in November 1938.
1918 – Kaiser abdicates; Weimar Republic proclaimed
1919 – Treaty of Versailles; Spartacist Revolt
1920 – Kapp Putsch; Nazi Party founded with the 25 Point Programme
1923 – French occupation of the Ruhr; hyperinflation; Munich Putsch
1924 – Stresemann introduces the Rentenmark; Dawes Plan
1929 – Wall Street Crash; Young Plan
1932 – Nazis become the largest party in the Reichstag
1933 – Hitler appointed Chancellor; Reichstag Fire; Enabling Act
1934 – Night of the Long Knives; Hindenburg dies; Hitler becomes Führer
1935 – Nuremberg Laws against Jews
1938 – Kristallnacht
Start by downloading the free Edexcel Weimar and Nazi Germany revision checklist to see exactly which components of the course you need to cover. The GCSE Elite Series ebook on Germany includes key timelines, model answers to past paper questions and over 4 hours of video tutorials on exam technique. If you want 1-to-1 help, Nick Morgan offers online tutoring for this module with a completely free first lesson — book it here.