Bitesize and Sounds revision podcasts | Overview
Looking for ways to revise GCSE History? Try listening to these revision podcasts from Bitesize and BBC Sounds.
BBC Sounds is where you can catch the latest music tracks, discover binge-worthy podcasts or listen to live radio stations, all in one place.
Episodes are roughly ten minutes long and there are nine episodes in the series. You can listen on the go on the BBC Sounds app or listen at home as part of your GCSE revision.
In this series, podcast presenters Datshiane Navanayagam and Katie Charlwood guide you through the history of 20th century Germany.
Check out more podcasts for GCSE History.
Making notes as you listen to the podcast can help you remember the key points before the exam.
Episode 1 - First World War and its impact on Germany
In the first episode in this series, Datshiane Navanayagam and Katie Charlwood explore the impact of the First World War on Germany, including German Imperialism, the armistice and the Treaty of Versailles.
Announcer: BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.
Katie: I'm history podcaster, Katie Charlwood.
Datshiane: And I'm history graduate and TV and radio presenter, Datshiane Navanayagam.
Katie: And this is Bitesize GCSE history.
Datshiane: This is the first episode in a nine part serious on 20th century Germany. In this episode, we'll begin with the First World War, looking specifically at German imperialism, the armistice, and the impact of the Treaty of Versailles.
Katie: Along the way on our journey, we'll be sharing revision hints and tips on how to remember those key facts, and there'll be exam tips, a test on your knowledge and we'll end with a summary of everything we're about to look at.
Datshiane: We'll also be introducing our Bitesize time-travelling reporters, who we'll be sending back in time to report from some key moments in history.
Katie: And remember that it might help if you have something to make notes on and do feel free to press stop and rewind whenever you need to.
Datshiane: Okay, 20th-century Germany and the road to the First World War. Katie, give us the basic who, what, where and when please.
Katie: At the beginning of the 20th century, Germany was a fairly newly formed nation. All its twenty-five previously independent states had been unified in 1871. The King of Prussia, its most powerful state, became the ruler, or Kaiser, in 1888. He was Wilhelm the Second. Having spent most of his youth in the army, he was keen to build a powerful army and navy. More on this later.
Datshiane: Under the Kaiser, was the chancellor, or chief minister, who was hired and fired by the Kaiser. He was his advisor with the help of other ministers.
Katie: Advisor to the Kaiser! Kinda important that the chancellor got on with his Kaiser then.
Datshiane: Then there was the Bundesrat, who were 58 representatives from each of the 25 states who could introduce law.
Katie: And the Reichstag would vote on these laws; there were 397 members, or deputies, who had to be voted in by the public.
Datshiane: So, you have the Kaiser, chancellor, Bundesrat and Reichstag, it's always good to get to grips with the political system. You might want to make notes as to what powers each of those tiers had and some of the weaknesses of the system - which were, Katie?
Katie: Well, the Kaiser was pretty powerful, to say the least; he was an autocrat, he was unelected and could completely ignore all the advice from his chancellor - the advisor to the Kaiser. And the chancellor could also ignore the Bundesrat and Reichstag and just make his own decisions. He also made all the military and foreign policy decisions.
Datshiane: Which created more problems, because, Katie?
Katie: Because, Datshiane, the largest state was Prussia and this was where the Kaiser was from. Being the richest and most powerful of the 25 states, it also had a much greater influence after German unification. Prussia provided 17 of the 58 votes in the Bundesrat, and since a law could be stopped with just 14 votes, it could simply veto ones not to its approval even if all the other states voted for them.
Datshiane: So you can see, there were some political problems already, but there were the beginnings of economic and social ones too, and in the next section, we're going to look at those.
Datshiane: Okay, the Kaiser wanted Germany to be a global power, an idea called Weltpolitik, or world policy; and Wilhelm wanted Germany to compete with Britain and France for overseas territories and trade dominance. This included a series of navy laws, which increased the size of both the navy and the army, which heightened tensions with Britain.
Katie: And how was this funded? By taxes. More and more money was ploughed into the navy and the army and new German colonies.
Datshiane: And the happier the Kaiser and his patriotic supporters became.
Katie: Yes, but more and more debt was being piled up by the German government and the economy went into deficit as the national debt spiralled.
Datshiane: Whoops. At the same time, the growth in German industrialisation led to huge social change. Many German workers were unhappy with low wages and poor working conditions, and they turned to the new socialist political party, the Social Democratic Party or SPD, which became more and more popular. By 1914, over three million German workers had joined trade unions, and some even wanted to overthrow the Kaiser and start a revolution. It's time to call up our time-travelling reporter to find out more. Jordan, where and when are you?
Jordan: Hi, Jordan here, reporting from the streets of industrial Germany, 1912. The air is thick with tension and noise. Just behind me, the gates of the steel factory are locked tight; workers are out on strike, organised by the local trade union, and I'm here to figure out what's going on. I've just spoken to a worker who's been in a factory since he was a young teenager; he told me that life in the factories is hard, too many hours for too little pay. He hasn't seen a wage increase in years, despite the company profits going up. In the distance, you can hear the clanging of machinery inside, but there are chants of Gerechtigkeit - justice! - coming from the strikes outside. One thing I keep hearing is that the workers are tired of being ignored. They say the Kaiser and the factory owners seem to care more about expanding Germany's military and empire than improving conditions for the millions of industrial workers making the country's wealth. With no rights, no power, and no end to the exploitation in sight, they're looking for new ideas. The younger generation especially, see socialism as a way to have a voice in a system that's been stacked against them. It's no wonder workers are demanding better conditions, shorter hours and higher wages. The socialist party, the SPD, has grown rapidly to become the largest party in the Reichstag, and earlier today, I heard a speech by August Bebel, one of the founders of the SPD who said, "We stand here for the exploited and the oppressed. We demand social justice in a world where the capital thrives on the misery of the working class." This promise to fight for workers' rights is why so many are turning to them right now. This is Jordan, reporting for Bitesize GCSE History, back to the studio.
Katie: So, trouble was brewing at home, and trouble was brewing overseas too as Germany's rise as a military and industrial power, coupled with its aggressive foreign policy, created an atmosphere of distrust amongst European nations, who divided Europe into two armed camps.
On one side, we had the Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy, and on the other side we had the Triple Entente: France, Russia, Britain. And the distrust between them eventually led to a war, because, Datshiane?
Datshiane: Because Austria-Hungary was in conflict with Serbia following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914. Germany supported Austria-Hungary and this was a key factor in the escalation of the crisis that led to World War One.
Katie: Fast forward four long drawn out bloody years that devastated the continent and Germany’s eventual defeat in late 1918.
Datshiane: Yes, by this time, Germany's population had become increasingly disillusioned with the war effort and the country was now facing collapse from food shortages. On top of that, the German economy was getting worse with inflation and debt spiralling. On November the 9th, in the face of revolutionary unrest and pressure from military leaders, the Kaiser abdicated - this was a huge turning point for Germany politically. Two days later, on November the 11th, Germany signed the armistice with the allies, ending the fighting.
Datshiane: War over, Germany defeated; what were the immediate impacts on life, Katie?
Katie: Well, it wasn't great for many Germans. Germany was virtually bankrupt due to the vast sums of money that had been borrowed to pay for the war. Society was divided even further; some factory owners had done very well whilst the workers' wages had been frozen.
And the country was rapidly becoming politically unstable with mutiny and talk of revolution across the nation. Many people also felt a sense of betrayal by the German surrender. All this social unrest became worse thanks to the Treaty of Versailles - the peace settlement that the victorious allies had drawn up.
Datshiane: This knowledge might help an exam question which asks you to write about the ways that the First World War impacted the lives of German people. You might want to pause here and summarise some of the ways that their work and society was affected by the war.
Katie: Remember to use those words beginning with C: Cause, consequence, change and continuity, that we look at in the Exam Skill series, have another listen if you need a reminder.
Datshiane: The Treaty of Versailles imposed harsh conditions on the country. Katie, I know you like your mnemonics, what have got for us?
Katie: A good way to remember conditions of the Versailles treaty are by the word "BRAT" B-R-A-T. B is for blame - the infamous 'war guilt' clause, Article 231. R is for reparations - a massive 6.6 billion pounds to be paid to Britain and France. A is for armed forces, which were to be hugely reduced. German land was taken away to form new European countries, like Czechoslovakia, and recreating others, like Poland. And its overseas colonies were handed over to the allies. Remember B-R-A-T, BRAT, if you're asked to write about the Treaty of Versailles.
Datshiane: And not surprisingly, the Treaty of Versailles caused deep resentment amongst Germans; economically, the reparations crippled Germany's post-war recovery, leading to hyperinflation and widespread social unrest. Politically, the treaty fuelled nationalist anger, paving the way for extremist movements, including the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party; and in turn, World War Two.
Katie: But that is all to come in the following episodes in this series.
Datshiane: Of course. But for now, how about a quick test based on this episode? Three questions, five seconds to answer, or hit pause if you need to have a little more time. Here we go. What were the four layers of the German government prior to World War One?
Katie: The Kaiser, the Chancellor, the Bundesrat and the Reichstag.
[correct bell sound]
Datshiane: What was the name given to the Kaiser’s plan for Germany to become a global power?
Katie: That would be Weltpolitik, or world policy.
[correct bell sound]
Datshiane: And what were the broad terms of the Treaty of Versailles?
Katie: BRAT! B for blame, R for reparations, A for armed force reduction, and loss of T - territory.
[correct bell sound]
Datshiane: Great! I'm sure you did brilliantly.
Katie: Quick summary, Datshiane?
Datshiane: Yes, please.
Katie: Okay, so during this period there were factors that contributed to Germany's growth as a world power, but also factors that contributed to political and social problems.
Datshiane: The parliamentary government was headed by the powerful Kaiser, Wilhelm the Second.
Katie: German industrialisation, growth of its military and empire expansion, fed into his Weltpolitik, which created an atmosphere of distrust and rivalry amongst Britain and its European allies.
Datshiane: And don't forget, low wages and working conditions resulted in many Germans turning to the Socialist Democratic Party.
Katie: After the loss of World War One and the Kaiser’s abdication, Germany was made to sign the Treaty of Versailles.
Datshiane: Remember BRAT? Blame, reparations, army and territory.
Katie: There's more background on this subject and quizzes to test you on the Bitesize website.
Datshiane: And in the next episode, we'll look at the strengths and weaknesses of the Weimar Republic.
Katie: Thanks for listening.
Quiz
Try the quiz below to test your knowledge of the First World War and its impact on Germany from Episode 1.
Listen on BBC Sounds.
Episode 2 - The Weimar Republic
In this episode, Datshiane and Katie a take a look at the establishment of the Weimar Republic, its strengths, weaknesses and how this fed into the economic recovery and German culture.
Announcer: BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.
Datshiane: I'm Datshiane Navanayagam.
Katie: and I'm Katie Charlwood.
Datshiane: And this is Bitesize GCSE History.
Katie: This is the second episode in a nine-part series on 20th-century Germany.
Datshiane: In this episode, we'll be looking at the establishment of the Weimar Republic, the German government established following World War I, its strengths and weaknesses and how this fed into the economic recovery and German culture.
Katie: We'll be checking in with our time-travelling reporter and there’ll be a short test, a summary and hints and tips along the way. As always, it may be useful to have a pen and paper or laptop and keyboard handy to make revision notes, and you can find loads more useful knowledge on the Bitesize website.
Datshiane: So, Katie, the Weimar Republic. Give us the basics: what, when, where and who?
Katie: The Weimar Republic was the democratic government established in Germany after World War I, lasting from 1919 to 1933. It was named after the city of Weimar, where its constitution was drafted.
Datshiane: Thanks. So, let's talk a bit about that constitution, because if you remember, before the war, Germany was ruled by the unelected Kaiser Wilhelm II, who was pretty powerful, and he could ignore laws passed by the German government. In comparison, the Weimar Republic was much more democratic. Katie, tell us why.
Katie: Right, so, for the first time all Germans over the age of 20 had equal rights, including the right to vote. Elections for the president and the German Parliament, or Reichstag, took place every four years. And this time, unlike under the Kaiser, almost all the power lay with the politicians in the Reichstag, and the results were a Bill of Rights which gave every German freedom of speech.
Datshiane: Taken together, this democracy, power of the government and the Bill of Rights can be thought of as major strengths of the Weimar Republic. But what were some of its weaknesses?
Katie: Well, the system by which the government was voted in was a proportional representation system. That means that every party got the same proportional number of members in the Reichstag as they got in proportion of votes.
Datshiane: You might want to make a note of that. So, if they got half the votes, they got half the members. That sounds pretty fair to me, Katie, don't you think?
Katie: Well, that sounds like a good idea, but this often led to unstable coalition governments, making it difficult to pass laws and govern effectively. Datshiane, give us an analogy of why this might be the case.
Datshiane: Well, I guess it's a bit like if I go out with a large group of my friends, trying to get a decision as to what restaurant to go to or which film to watch, which everyone is happy with, can be a nightmare. So, just imagine what it must have been like in a coalition government trying to get agreement on decisions that affect people's lives when all those parties want different policies.
Katie: So, you had a collection of political parties ranging from the Communist Party on one side who were supported mainly by the working class, to the Centre Party, supported by the middle class businessmen, to the National Socialist German Workers Party, or Nazis, supported by many unemployed former soldiers.
Datshiane: And another weakness of the Weimar Republic was something in the constitution called Article 48. This meant that the president could pass laws in an emergency without them going through the Reichstag. Though it didn't clearly define what kind of emergency this applied to, it meant that in the wrong hands this could justify something that looked undemocratic. Therefore, Article 48 was looked at with suspicion by many people.
Katie: So, weaknesses: proportional representation and Article 48. An exam question might ask you to write about these; so grab a pen, hit pause and write down those definitions as a revision aid. As well as the weaknesses that came from the system and constitution itself, many people were against the Weimar Republic from the start. Many Germans hated that the government had signed the Treaty of Versailles in November 1918, calling the government 'the November criminals', as they did not believe that Germany had lost the war. The Republic was also never fully supported by all groups in society, with many longing for a return to the good old imperial rule and days of the Kaiser.
Datshiane: But that's not all. The government also faced challenges from the extremist political parties, which came from both the left and right wings.
Katie: You can find more details about three uprisings against the Weimar Republic on the Bitesize websites. These were: the left-wing Spartacist Uprising in Berlin, 1919, by a communist-led group, and then there were two right-wing uprisings: one, the Kapp Putsch, again in Berlin in March 1920; and the Munich Putsch by Adolf Hitler's party, the National Socialist German Workers Party, or NSDAP, in 1923. The problems caused by these political instabilities were compounded by the huge economic problems the nation was facing.
Datshiane: The Treaty of Versailles had imposed £6.6 billion of reparations on Germany to pay the winning Allies for the damage caused by World War I and although Germany managed to scrape together the first payment in 1921, the next payment in 1922 was missed. Germany had lost important industrial land in the treaty, so it simply didn't have the means to make the payment.
Katie: This led to a standoff with France and Belgium, who said that they didn't believe that Germany couldn't afford the payment and decided to take back what they felt they were owed; in this case, by marching 60,000 soldiers into Germany's most productive areas, the Ruhr region, and taking control of every factory, mine and railway.
Datshiane: So, more political upheaval, which fed into more economic woe. The German government ordered its workers in the Ruhr region to go on strike and not to cooperate with the French and Belgian soldiers. The government promised to keep paying the striking workers their wages by printing more and more money, as well as paying the France and Belgium governments the reparations they owed, but this led to hyperinflation.
Katie: How? Because more and more money being printed meant that German workers could spend that in the shops.
Datshiane: Which meant that shopkeepers kept putting up their prices.
Katie: Which meant that the German government had to keep printing more and more money.
Datshiane: Which meant that the workers could spend that in the shops.
Katie: Which meant that the shopkeepers could put up their prices even more.
Datshiane: Uh-oh…
BOTH: Hyperinflation.
Katie: Let's head back in time and hear from our time-travelling reporter Kitty who we've sent back to 1923 Germany.
Kitty: Hi, Kitty here, reporting from the streets of post-war Germany 1923. People are not happy and I'm here to find out why. We're four years into the rule of the Weimar Republic and things are chaotic. I've just met a woman pushing a wheelbarrow full of cash, not because she was super rich, but because this is what she needs just to buy a loaf of bread. And a journalist I spoke to named Friedrich Kroner told me that rice was 80,000 Marks a pound yesterday, but costs 160,000 Marks today and tomorrow perhaps twice as much and after that, maybe no rice. Although not everyone has been affected badly. I spoke to one businessman who was able to pay back his entire 10,000 Mark loan taken out two years ago with just one bank note last week. Just a few examples of the hyperinflation we've all been hearing about. Money is almost worthless and as I'm watching people are literally walking round with bags full of money that will buy them barely anything. I'm hearing a lot of folks blaming this on the Weimar Republic government for agreeing the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. That woman with the wheelbarrow told me that she couldn't believe they made Germany accept full blame for the war and pay huge reparations. Others blame it on encouraging the Ruhr region workers to strike. But there might be some hope in the coming months, in 1924, with talk of loans from the USA called the Dawes Plan. These are supposed to stabilise the economy. Fingers crossed it works. This is Kitty, reporting for Bitesize GCSE History. Back to the studio.
Katie: Thanks, Kitty. And the economy did indeed begin to recover under the leadership of Foreign Minister Gustav Stresemann who had become German Chancellor in August 1923. He introduced a new currency called the Rentenmark to stabilise the economy and negotiated the Dawes Plan in 1924.
Datshiane: This provided loans from the USA to rebuild the economy, and industry grew during this period, especially in sectors like coal and steel.
Katie: International relations also improved with Germany joining the League of Nations in 1926 and signing treaties like the Locarno Pact, which guaranteed borders with France and Belgium.
Datshiane: The Weimar Republic was also a period of vibrant cultural creativity. Berlin became a centre for experimental art, literature, architecture and cinema.
Katie: However, this cultural freedom also provoked a backlash from conservatives and nationalists who viewed these changes as a sign of moral decay. Time for a quick Weimar Republic test. Three questions, five seconds - or hit pause for more time. We'll never know! Here goes.
Datshiane: Name two weaknesses of the Weimar Republic political structure.
Katie: The system of proportional representation and Article 48.
[correct bell sound]
Datshiane: What was the name given to the left-wing communist rebellion in 1919?
Katie: That would be the Spartacist Uprising.
[correct bell sound]
Datshiane: And who was the leading politician responsible for Germany's recovery between 1924 and 1929?
Katie: That would be Foreign Minister Gustav Stresemann.
[correct bell sound]
Datshiane: Great. I'm sure you all did brilliantly. Now it's time for a quick summary.
Katie: The Weimar Republic was the Democratic government established after Germany's defeat in World War I.
Datshiane: Its system of proportional representation led to unstable coalition governments.
Katie: And it faced political violence from left-wing and right-wing extremists, along with economic crises like hyperinflation in 1923.
Datshiane: Economic recovery was thanks to Gustav Stresemann through the Dawes Plan.
Katie: And Berlin became a centre of arts and culture, with developments in film, art and architecture.
Datshiane: There's loads more 20th-century Germany revision hints and tips at the Bitesize website and in the other episodes in this series.
Katie: In the next episode, we'll look at how the abrupt end of the Weimar Republic paved the way for the rise of the Nazis. Thanks for listening.
Datshiane: Bye.
Question
What was the Weimar Republic?
The Weimar Republic was the democratic government established in Germany after World War I.
Listen on BBC Sounds.
Episode 3 - The rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party, 1920-1933
Join Katie and Datshiane in this episode as they look into life in Germany during the rise of the Nazi Party between 1920-1933.
Announcer: BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.
Datshiane: I'm Datshiane Navanayagam.
Katie: And I'm Katie Charlwood.
Datshiane: And this is Bitesize GCSE History.
Katie: This is the third episode in a nine-part series on 20th-century Germany.
Datshiane: In this episode we'll be looking at life during the rise of the Nazi Party between 1920 and 1933.
Katie: We'll compare the reasons for this, including impacts of the Depression, the political system and unhappiness with the Weimar government.
Datshiane: And our time-travelling reporter will be giving us their eyewitness account from history, and we'll have hints and tips as to how to answer exam questions on this topic, a test and summary of the main takeaways too. Do have something to take notes along the way and feel free to press pause and rewind if you need to.
Katie: But don't fast-forward, otherwise we speak in double speed and get all out of breath.
Datshiane: Too right. OK, Katie, set the scene for us.
Katie: In the last episode we looked at the Weimar Republic in Germany in the 1920s. If you need a reminder, have a listen to that episode.
Datshiane: But right from its creation the Weimar Republic face serious enormous political and economic challenges. The constitution had a number of potential weaknesses, and combined with the growth and reorganisation of the Nazi Party, this created an atmosphere where the Nazi Party was able to flourish. Let's look at those one by one.
Katie: OK, let's look at the weaknesses of the constitution first. First up, the German Reichstag, or Parliament, was made up from many parties, all voted in by proportional representation. This led to small fringe parties becoming part of unstable coalition governments.
Datshiane: This also meant that extremist groups like the Nazis and Communists could exploit the system to gain power, even though their goals were to destroy the democratic structure.
Katie: And we also saw in the previous episodes that the law Article 48 allowed the president to rule by decree in times of emergency, without parliamentary approval.
Datshiane: And that successive presidents defined what an emergency was for their own benefit and they used Article 48 to bypass democratic processes. This eventually paved the way for authoritarian rule under Adolf Hitler.
Katie: Next up, the economic problems. We saw that by 1924 the German economy was improving and this was mainly due to loans from foreign banks, especially American ones.
Datshiane: Katie, do you think the loans from America were a good thing for the German economy?
Katie: Well, it's both good and bad, I'd say. On one hand, the loans meant foreign investment which helped the German economy recover which boosted German industries creating more jobs and a better quality of life for German workers.
Datshiane: And on the other hand?
Katie: Well, it meant that the German economy was completely dependent on the success of the American economy, which is great if everything’s going well, which it was; but in 1929, along comes a huge financial crisis, the Wall Street Crash, which then led to the Great Depression.
Datshiane: And now Americans can't afford German goods, American banks demanded the money they had lent to Germany back; and the German banks, they try to get this money from German businesses, many of whom go bankrupt.
Katie: And this leads to mass unemployment and widespread poverty.
Datshiane: So, an exam question might ask about the impact that the Great Depression had on Germany, and we can see that these were some of the economic and social impacts, but Katie, have you thought there might be important political impacts too?
Katie: Oh yeah, many Germans lost faith in democracy as the Weimar government struggled to respond to the Depression and so many turned to alternative ideas of extremist parties, especially the Communist and National Socialist German Workers or Nazi Party.
Datshiane: The Nazi party was led by Adolf Hitler, and he capitalised on this discontent by promising to restore national pride, create jobs and oppose communism.
Katie: In the elections for the German Parliament, the Reichstag, the Nazis went from being the eighth largest party in 1928 with only 2.6% of the votes and 12 seats, to the largest party in 1933 with nearly 44% of the votes and a massive 288 seats, though they still lacked an outright majority. OK, so let's take a step back to look more into what it was about the Nazi party that made them so popular and took Hitler to the brink of power. It wasn't just about discontent with the Weimar Republic.
Datshiane: No, it wasn't. They also used tactics to appeal to the masses with clever use of propaganda to get their message across. Don't forget, Hitler had tried to overthrow the Weimar Republic in 1923 in the Munich Putsch which had resulted in his arrest. Subsequently, he changed tactics by using the democratic system to win power legally. The Nazis then set up offices across Germany to spread their message and they made use of the new media such as radio and cinema and they bought newspapers to reach a wide audience. Younger German boys were also encouraged to join Hitler youth organisations.
Katie: So, let's head back in time to 1933 to our time-travelling reporter Kitty for more.
Kitty: I've come to find out why some Germans are turning to support the Nazi Party. Farmers first: they're struggling with poor crop prices and debt and are drawn to promises of land reforms and better prices for their produce. I met Wilhelm, who told me that he'd got no help from the Weimar government and had had enough and that the Nazis were promising higher prices for crops. But it's not just farmers. The youth are also full of enthusiasm. I spoke with a young man, maybe 19 or 20, who told me that he was looking forward to a brighter future. He said that he wanted the chance to rebuild Germany. He was at a Nazi campaign rally and was impressed to hear Hitler say that "millions of Germans find themselves in misery today. We National Socialists will end this misery and bring work to every hand." Middle-class shop owners and professionals, hurt by the hyperinflation of the 1920s, also see the Nazis as their saviours, and women, many of whom lost their husbands and sons in the war, are drawn to Hitler's image of a future where the family is protected and supported. Then there's the wealthy class, industrialists who fear the growing influence of communism. Hitler's promise to restore national pride, bring jobs and rebuild a broken Germany is reaching many parts of society, but there's also a darker side to why people are supporting Hitler. Many are blaming the Jewish people for Germany's problems. Antisemitism has been around for centuries and Hitler's using this old prejudice to unite people by giving them someone to blame. Jewish people are being scapegoated for things from the economic crisis to Germany's defeat in the last war, and that's pulling even more people into his movement. This is Kitty reporting for Bitesize History. Back to the studio.
Datshiane: Thanks, Kitty. An exam question might ask you to consider or explain the reasons for Nazi support and think about which was the most important one. Press pause here and have a go at an exam question yourself.
Katie: But please do remember to press play again or we'll be sitting here for ages.
Datshiane: In the 1932 election, Hitler challenged President Hindenburg for the presidency of Germany. Although he won 13.4 million votes, Hindenburg won the election by securing 19.3 million.
Katie: In the parliamentary elections of the same year, the Nazis became the largest party, winning 230 seats.
Datshiane: Remember the features and problems associated with proportional representation in the Weimar constitution? Well, these helped to open the door for Hitler, and ultimately, they failed to protect Germany's democracy.
Katie: See, as a result of this success, Hitler demanded that Hindenburg make him Chancellor, but Hindenburg initially refused, as he was suspicious of the disruptive nature of the Nazis and he used his emergency power, Article 48 of the constitution, to appoint a number of different chancellors.
Datshiane: But eventually, after more political instability, in January 1933 Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany. Hindenburg was convinced that with other conservative elites they could control him.
Katie: Hmm, I think history might prove otherwise.
Question
Name two potential weaknesses of the Weimar constitution.
Proportional representation - The German Reichstag or Parliament was made up from many parties all voted in by proportional representation. This led to small, fringe parties becoming part of unstable coalition governments.
Article 48 - This allowed the President to rule by decree in times of emergency without parliamentary approval. This eventually paved the way for authoritarian rule under Adolf Hitler.
Listen on BBC Sounds.
Episode 4 - Nazi consolidation of power, 1933-1934
In this episode of the series, Katie and Datshiane examine how Hitler and the Nazi Party consolidated their power and transformed Germany into a dictatorship.
Announcer: BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.
Datshiane: I'm Datshiane Navanayagam.
Katie: And I'm Katie Charlwood.
Datshiane: And this is Bitesize GCSE History.
Katie: This is the fourth episode in a nine-part series on 20th-century Germany.
Datshiane: In the previous episode, we looked at Hitler and the Nazis' rise to power, up until 1933. In this episode, we're going to see how that power was consolidated and led to a dictatorship.
Katie: Get your pen and paper ready to take notes and fingers to press pause and rewind as and when you need to, to go over the tips and revision hints again. Listen back to the previous episode if you need a recap as to how Hitler had become Chancellor of Germany by 1933. And remember that although he was Chancellor, Hindenburg was the President. Datshiane, what happens next?
Datshiane: Okay. So, it all gets a bit sinister. Because, once he's in power, Hitler quickly works to dismantle the democratic structure of the Weimar Republic using legal and political means to consolidate his authority. He calls for a general election in February 1933, hoping that the Nazis finally get a majority of seats in the Reichstag; using propaganda to spread their message, and the SA, which was the Nazi's paramilitary group which he used to intimidate voters and opposition parties.
Katie: Mysteriously, one week before the election, the Reichstag was burned down. The blame was put on an unemployed Dutch construction worker Marinus van der Lubbe. But some have claimed he was brought to the scene of the crime by Nazi agents.
Datshiane: Well, whatever the truth, the fire gave Hitler the pretext to blame the Communist Party. And he declares a state of emergency convincing President Hindenburg to sign the Reichstag Fire Decree which effectively suspended the Weimar Constitution and with it, civil liberties. This allowed for the arrest of political opponents, particularly communists.
Katie: He banned their newspapers, banned popular communists from standing in the election and then jailed four thousand more.
Datshiane: So that by the election in March 1933, the Nazis got more votes than ever. But, even so, they were only able to form a majority government with the support of the Centre Party. And, very quickly Hitler began to consolidate power by using the features of proportional representation to cement his power and create a dictatorship.
Katie: The Enabling Act allowed Hitler to pass laws without the Reichstag's approval or the President's signature. Effectively giving him ultimate powers. Hitler used intimidation and political manoeuvring to ensure the act was passed, including banning communist members from the Reichstag and pressuring other parties. This allowed the Nazis to rapidly implement their policies without opposition; and at the same time to eliminate opposition.
Datshiane: Exactly, the Communist KPD and the Social Democrats (SPD) were banned. And many of their leaders were arrested or forced into exile. Other political parties - well they were either dissolved or voluntarily disbanded. And, in signing the law against the formation of new parties, by mid-1933 Germany had become a one-party state. Also, all trade unions were banned.
Katie: Dealing with external opposition was one thing. But Hitler also felt threatened by individuals and groups within the Nazi party. Especially his private army, the SA, the very group who had helped Hitler achieve power, and its leader Ernst Rohm whom Hitler viewed was becoming too powerful.
Datshiane: This perceived opposition was dealt with during the Night of the Long Knives in June 1934 when Hitler purged his rivals.
Katie: In other words, they were murdered.
Datshiane: Exactly. And when President Hindenburg died in August 1934 at the age of 86, Hitler immediately abolished the role and position of the President. He merged its powers with that of the Chancellor, which conveniently was his, under the title of the Fuhrer.
Katie: It feels like Hitler's eventual ultimate power, oh, Datshiane let's call it what it is - he was a dictator, was down to a variety of factors. From the proportional representation system, political scheming, violence and intimidation and a fair degree of chance and opportunity. An exam question might ask you to think about those factors and say how they allowed Hitler to gain ultimate power.
Datshiane: I bet Katie, that you've thought up a good mnemonic to remembering the key events of 1933 and 1934.
Katie: Well, naturally! You know I love a mnemonic to remember things. And in this case the word is R-E-N-D. REND. Because these events rendered power to Hitler and the Nazis. R is the Reichstag Fire. E is the Enabling Act. N is the Night of the Long Knives and D is the death of Hindenburg.
Datshiane: Katie, I think it's time for a test. Three questions on the Nazis' rise to power. Five seconds to answer and no prizes but the glory of just being right. Here we go.
Katie: Okay. So, which law gave Hitler the power to pass laws without Reichstag approval?
Datshiane: That's easy. The Enabling Act.
[correct bell sound]
Katie: And who was the main target of the Night of the Long Knives in 1934?
Datshiane: So, those were the opponents within the Nazi Party. Particularly, the SA and its leader Ernst Rohm.
[correct bell sound]
Katie: And, what title did Hitler eventually give himself when he became President as well as Chancellor?
Datshiane: The Fuhrer.
[correct bell sound]
Katie: So, how did you do? I'm sure you all aced it. So, quick final summary on how the Nazis rose to power. Datshiane, you want to start?
Datshiane: Sure. The Reichstag fire in February 1933 was blamed on communists leading to the suspension of civil liberties through the Reichstag Fire Decree.
Katie: The Enabling Act gave Hitler dictatorial powers allowing him to pass laws without Reichstag approval.
Datshiane: The Nazis then banned all political parties and silenced opposition, establishing a one-party state.
Katie: Hitler solidified his control through events like the Night of the Long Knives removing internal threats.
Datshiane: Remember REND - R E N D - if you need a reminder of the factors that led to his eventual control.
Katie: R is for the Reichstag fire. E is the Enabling Act. N is the Night of the Long Knives. And D is the death of Hindenburg.
Datshiane: And there's loads more 20th-century Germany revision hints and tips at the Bitesize website. And, in the other episodes in this series.
Katie: In the next episode, we'll begin to look at the experiences of German people during the Nazi dictatorship.
Datshiane: In the remaining episodes of the series, we'll continue to revise topics which have some distressing themes including the suffering of millions of innocent people. And some of the content may be upsetting or difficult to hear.
Katie: And, if at any point you feel overwhelmed, please take a break or speak to someone you trust. Remember, it's okay to feel emotional about these events. And it's important to approach this subject with great care and respect. Thanks for listening.
Datshiane: Bye.
Question
What was the significance of the Enabling Act?
The Enabling Act allowed Hitler to pass laws without the Reichstag’s approval or the president's signature, effectively giving him dictatorial powers.
The Communists (KPD) and Social Democrats (SPD), were banned, and many of their leaders were arrested or forced into exile. Other political parties were either dissolved or voluntarily disbanded, and in signing the Law Against the Formation of New Parties, by mid-1933 Germany had become a one-party state. All trade unions were also banned.
Listen on BBC Sounds.
Episode 5 - Life in Nazi Germany 1933-1945
Delve deeper into how German people's lives were affected by the Nazi dictatorship and control. In this episode, Datshiane and Katie explore the key themes of terror, totalitarianism and the economy.
Announcer: BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.
Katie: I'm Katie Charlwood.
Datshiane: And I'm Datshiane Navanayagam.
Katie: And this is Bitesize GCSE History.
Datshiane: This is the fifth episode in a nine-part series on 20th-century Germany.
Katie: In this episode we'll be revising how German people's lives were affected by the Nazi dictatorship and control.
Datshiane: And by the significant changes in the German economy.
Katie: We'll be hearing from our time-travelling Bitesize reporter who'll give their eyewitness report from this period.
Datshiane: Katie, let's get going. Katie, take us back to Germany in 1933. Who, where, when and what do we need to know?
Katie: Okay. So, in 1933, Hitler is the Chancellor and by August 1934 he is the Fuhrer. And the Nazis have total control. It's a dictatorship. If you need to know how they got there, have a listen back to the previous episode.
Datshiane: And this era reshaped the lives of the German people in profound and often devastating ways. The Nazi regime's grip on the country influenced every aspect of daily life, as the state employed both fear and propaganda to maintain its power.
Katie: At the same time, Germany's economy underwent significant changes as the Nazis implemented policies that appeared to reduce unemployment and stimulate growth. And they did this by funding expansions in the military.
Datshiane: Exactly, Katie. Key sectors were mobilised to support the production of tanks, aircraft, ships and ammunition. Factories were repurposed to produce armaments on a large scale.
Datshiane: Let's look at the economic changes.
Katie: When the Nazis came to power in 1933, German unemployment had reached catastrophic levels. Around six million people, which was about 30% of the workforce, were unemployed. Industries were collapsing and this had added to the wide social unrest.
Datshiane: The Nazis had also promised to rebuild the economy, create jobs and restore national pride. And remember, these promises to the German people helped the party's rise to power. So, what did they do? And how successful were they?
Katie: Well, in order to reduce unemployment, the Nazis brought in several strategies. They launched large-scale public works programmes such as the construction of the highways or autobahns, bridges and buildings such as hospitals, schools and public buildings. And this helped create around a hundred thousand jobs. And these infrastructure projects were also highly visible symbols of the regime's promise to restore Germany to greatness.
Datshiane: Next, they pursued a policy of military rearmament. Effectively, that means the rebuilding of the German Army which significantly increased employment in the arms, steel and other related industries.
Katie: A National Labour Service (in German, the Reicharbeitsdienst or RAD), was introduced, which was compulsory for all German men aged 18-25 to join. Let's cross over in time and space to Jordan with their report from the scene for more on this.
Jordan: Hi, this is Jordan, reporting from the outskirts of a National Labour RAD camp, 1936. It's early morning and the crisp air echoes with the sounds of men marching in uniform. I talked to one of them who fought in World War I. He told me that he gets up at dawn, eats a quick breakfast, and then heads out to work on a construction project to build a new road. It's hard, physical work but he said that he's helping to rebuild Germany and that makes him proud, even though it's compulsory. This is Jordan, reporting for Bitesize History. Back to the studio.
Katie: Thanks Jordan. So, for six months German men in the RAD - R A D - would plant forests, mend hedges or work on farms. And once out of the RAD, they were enrolled or conscripted into the military for another two years.
Datshiane: Conscription into the military had been introduced in 1935. This also reduced the number of unemployed men. And the 1.4 million men already in the army at this time weren't counted in unemployment figures.
Katie: Yeah, but what about unemployed women? Well, many women who did paid work were forced to give up their jobs to men. And women who gave up work to have a family didn't count as unemployed. They were a part of what's called 'invisible unemployment.'
Datshiane: And there were others too. Jewish workers, and other groups which the Nazis deemed were racially and socially inferior, were also excluded from employment statistics. They called these groups 'undesirables.'
Katie: This Nazi terminology also referred to people with mental or physical disabilities, homosexuals, Poles and other Slavic people, Roma and Sinti people, Jehovah's Witnesses and communists.
Datshiane: Under the Nazis many of these people had been sacked and their jobs taken up by Germans who fit in with the Nazi racial policies.
Katie: So, lots of different schemes there which the Nazis used to reduce the employment figures. An exam question might ask you to describe some of these. A useful mnemonic to remember them is A RAD RUN.
Datshiane: I love your mnemonics, Katie. A rad run! Take us through those letters.
Katie: A is for autobahns which relates to the public works schemes. RAD is that National Labour Service which translates into the German abbreviation R A D. And R U N , RUN is the rearmament. U is the undesirables they left out of the unemployment figures and N is no women in the figures.
Datshiane: If that helps, write it down. Or if not, think of your own way of remembering these schemes in your revision notes. So, it appeared that Nazi policies were reducing unemployment. But in reality, large sections of the workforce are missing from the statistics. So, what about those who did have work, Katie?
Katie: Well, you see the Nazi policies affected them in different ways. The Nazis had this carrot and stick policy towards workers: rewarding high production but a loss of many rights because trade unions - they had been banned.
Datshiane: But it nearly always followed the wishes of employers rather than employees. But DAF also promised a scheme for workers to save up for an affordable people's car. Or, in German, Volkswagen, which had some of Hitler's design suggestions. Workers were told that ' Five marks a week you must set aside if in your own car you wish to ride.'
Katie: That's a catchy wee rhyme there! A nice wee quote you can use if you're asked about Nazi policies towards workers in an exam. And one that sounded just a wee bit too good to be true.
Datshiane: It was because no one ever received a car. And the money was used to build military weapons.
Katie: So, German workers did have more work. But this was at the cost of their rights and working longer hours. And, ultimately, unless you were working in the armament industry, your living standard hadn't really improved by 1939. An exam question might ask you about the various policies and whether German workers were better or worse off. So, make sure you know about each of these schemes and their effect on workers. Check out the Bitesize website for more info.
Datshiane: But, what about others in different levels of society? Well, the rural workers had in general been supporters of the Nazis' and Hitler's rise to power. His policies tried to reward this but with mixed results.
Katie: The biggest beneficiaries of Nazi economic policy were the big business owners; especially those involved in the armament industry. They saw their profits increase by half between 1933 and 1939. Okay. So, a quick summary test on employment and the economy. Three questions. Five seconds to write those answers down. Here we go.
Datshiane: First question. What was the state of the German economy when the Nazis came to power?
Katie: It was pretty bad. Very high unemployment and industries were collapsing.
[correct bell sound]
Datshiane: In what two ways did the Nazis create jobs in this period, Katie?
Katie: Well, they had public work schemes such as the autobahns. And then rearmament.
[correct bell sound]
Datshiane: And unemployment seemed to reduce dramatically under the Nazis but were these statistics reliable?
Katie: Absolutely not. *[correct bell sound]*Lots of people were excluded. Women who were mothers or women whose jobs were taken by men, men in the army and Jewish workers. And of course, others whom the Nazis labelled in their terms as 'undesirable.'
Datshiane: So, it seems as if these Nazi policies were supported by some German people in this period. But it is difficult for us to tell how many people didn't agree with them. Because Germany had become a police state. That's one where the police and organisations close to it were given huge amounts of power. Individual freedoms were severely restricted and descent - well that was ruthlessly crushed. Let's look at how the Nazis used fear and terror to eliminate dissent and opposition.
Katie: The SS, headed by Heinrich Himmler, was the most important of the organisations creating this climate of fear and terror. They were originally Hitler's personal bodyguards and were extremely loyal to him. They were responsible for setting up the first concentration camps, initially for political prisoners, which were prison camps where inmates were forced to undertake hard labour.
Datshiane: In later episodes, we'll look at the expansion of the concentration camp system, extermination camps and the Holocaust. And there'll be more specifically on the persecution of Jewish people and minorities in other episodes.
Katie: The Gestapo were the Nazi secret police whose role was to protect the Nazi regime and perpetrate Nazi crimes. And they were helped by ordinary German people. And children were encouraged to inform on their neighbours, friends and even teachers.
Datshiane: The SD looked after the security of Hitler and other high-ranking Nazis. And they could arrest anyone for any reason.
Katie: So, Datshiane, do you want another way to help remember those organisations?
Datshiane: Absolutely, how can I refuse?
Katie: Himmler's Sight Gradually Spreads. Himmler was the head of the police state. Site is for the SS. Gradually is the Gestapo. And spreads is the SD.
Datshiane: Himmler's sight gradually spreads. Thanks, Katie. Alternatively, I also find it useful to draw a diagram showing how the various organisations in the police state were connected together. If that works for you, this is a great time to hit pause and start mapping the connections.
Katie: The legal system was also taken over by the Nazis so that crimes committed by Nazis were ignored. And judges had to swear an oath of loyalty to Hitler. They could even send people to concentration camps for anti-Nazi political comments or jokes.
Datshiane: Most Germans were Christian and Nazi policies towards the church involved a mixture of cooperation, control and suppressions. The Nazis didn't want to alienate this large group in society and some Christians did support the Nazis due to their family-focussed ideology and Hitler's promise to defeat communism.
Katie: So, Nazi policies towards the Christian church involved a mixture of cooperation, control and suppression. Don't forget to write that down in your revision notes. Check out the Bitesize website for more info. Okay, so it's time for a summary on German control and suppression.
Datshiane: Remember, totalitarian control was overseen by the SS, the Gestapo and the introduction of concentration camps.
Katie: And policies of cooperation, control and suppression eventually brought the Christian church under Nazi control. In the next episode, we'll continue our look at the experiences of German people during the Nazi dictatorship; specifically at women and children.
Datshiane: In that and the remaining episodes of this series, there will be topics with distressing themes including the suffering of millions of innocent people. And some of the content may be upsetting or difficult to hear.
Katie: And, if at any point if you feel overwhelmed, please take a break or speak to someone you trust. Remember, it's okay to feel emotional about these events and it's important to approach this subject with great care and respect. Thanks for listening.
Question
How high was German unemployment in 1933?
When the Nazis came to power in 1933, German unemployment had reached catastrophic levels. Around 6 million people – that's about 30% of the workforce - were unemployed. Industries were collapsing and this had added to wide social unrest.
Listen on BBC Sounds.
Episode 6 - Life in Nazi Germany - women, young people and propaganda
In this episode, Datshiane and Katie look into how the lives of German women and young people changed between 1933 -1945 in Nazi Germany and explore how Hitler's use of propaganda kept opposition to a minimum.
Announcer: BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.
Datshiane: I'm Datshiane Navanayagam.
Katie: And I'm Katie Charlwood.
Datshiane: And this is Bitesize History.
Katie: This is the sixth episode in a nine-part series on 20th-century Germany in which we'll be looking at the experiences of German people during the Nazi dictatorship in the years 1933 to 1945.
Datshiane: We'll be focusing on how the lives of women and young people changed during this period and how Hitler's use of propaganda kept opposition to a minimum.
Katie: Feel free to hit pause along the way to write things down or press rewind to listen again so that those key facts stick.
Datshiane: So, over the past few episodes, we've looked at how Hitler achieved his rise to power in Germany in the 1930s. If you need a quick refresh of those events, do go back and listen to these episodes. In this episode, we'll revise the consequences of everyday life, now that Hitler has total control.
Katie: Let's start with how the lives of women changed in Nazi Germany. Hitler wanted to create a German empire that would last forever, otherwise known as his Thousand-Year Reich, to secure the future of the Aryan race. This was a concept with no scientific basis used by Nazis and other racists to describe people of white European origin.
Datshiane: Previously, in the Weimar Republic women had more independence with the right to vote, work and pursue education, but under Nazi rule women were encouraged to leave the paid workforce and focus on traditional roles as wives and mothers, supporting the idea of a strong Aryan family, and they definitely were not encouraged to go to work.
Katie: All these policies can be summarised as the three K’s: Kinder, Küche, Kirche, or children, kitchen and church. Write those three Ks down in your revision notes to remember that. The Mother's Cross Awards was given to women for having as many children as they could. The Nazis also brought in the Law for the Prevention of Diseased Offspring, which forced women whom the Nazis thought unfit to be mothers to be sterilised.
Datshiane: And there was also the Law for the Encouragement of Marriage, where young couples were loaned 1000 Marks when they got married.
Katie: So, I've got this translation here of Hitler's words from 1935 in which he summarises his ideology about women. Datshiane, do you want to read it?
Datshiane: OK. So here Hitler's saying: "The so-called granting of equal rights to women which Marxism demands in reality does not grant equal rights but constitutes a depravation of rights since it draws the woman into an area in which she will necessarily be inferior. The woman has her own battlefield. With every child that she brings into the world she fights her battle for the nation."
Katie: That may be useful if you need a source to quote from in an exam question.
Datshiane: Now, what about employment? Remember, not all woman's experiences were the same. As the Second World War progressed, many women were called upon to fill roles in factories, offices and the military, as men went off to fight, and this created a tension between Nazi ideology and the practical demands of wartime; leading to some contradictions in policy regarding women's roles.
Katie: So, that's how the lives of women were affected during this period. And remember that these policies were all brought in to help towards Hitler's ideas of a Thousand-Year Reich.
Datshiane: One example of an exam question might ask you: "To what extent do you agree with this statement? Nazi policies towards women were primarily aimed at encouraging motherhood and reducing their role in the workforce." Remember, use specific examples of Nazi policies to support your answer. Grab yourself a pen and have a think about how you might answer that. Katie, do you have any thoughts?
Katie: Oh, I have plenty. This is one of those questions asking about how much you agree or disagree with the statement, and we had some great tips on answering these questions in the Exam Skills series. It's asking for your specific knowledge, so make sure you get those key facts down and link each to the statement.
Datshiane: For example, remember the award of the Mother’s Cross Medal. You should define what the medal was and that its purpose was to encourage women to have more children, and how this particular policy backs up the original statement.
Katie: Absolutely, and remember, it's important that you end your answer with whether you agree or not with the original statement. It's OK to disagree, but justify whether you do or do not, or maybe partially by using your arguments based on the evidence. Go for it.
Datshiane: So, everyday life for women had changed hugely, but it also had for younger people. Younger German boys, for example, were encouraged to join the Hitler Youth, and German girls, they could join the German League of Maidens.
Katie: For the boys, the Hitler Youth Organisation was a place where they would meet several times a week after school and where they learned how to march, fight and keep fit, aiming to prepare the boy for a future role as a soldier. And for the girls, the League of German Maidens was where they were prepared to fulfil the Nazi idea of motherhood. So, this involved things like cooking and sewing.
Datshiane: There were many young people who embraced these organisations, but we should also say there were also those who resisted, such as the Edelweiss Pirates and the Swing Youth. These resistance movements rejected Nazi control and cultural restrictions, and as a consequence, anyone found to be a member was treated harshly, with some members arrested or even executed.
Katie: Whilst the Edelweiss Pirates engaged in both cultural and political defiance, the Swing Youth rejected Nazi cultural control through their embrace of swing music and jazz.
Datshiane: Schools and education also changed dramatically for children and young people. That's because all teaching had to reinforce Nazi ideology. Even school textbooks were rewritten in an attempt to rewrite history. Education was also used as a propaganda tool by the Nazis to reinforce racist stereotypes and indoctrinate the German youth from a young age. There's evidence of this in children's books and cartoons from the time.
Katie: Nowhere more so than in the study of race, or eugenics, where students were taught that the Aryan race was somehow superior. Again, this has no basis in science, but it did feed into the Nazi propaganda and helped indoctrinate younger Germans into accepting Nazi ideas from a young age.
Datshiane: Let's have a closer look at how the Nazis used propaganda and censorship to control the population.
Katie: In the previous episode, we looked at how the SS and Gestapo used fear and terror to control the population. Some German people partly or fully supported Nazi ideas and policies.
Datshiane: In fact, propaganda was a powerful tool used by the Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, who played a central role in crafting messages that glorified Hitler, promoted Nazi ideology and targeted minorities through lies and misinformation. The regime used all forms of media (think: films, newspapers, radio posters and public rallies) to shape public opinion and ensure support for Nazi policies.
Katie: Newspapers were only allowed to print pro-Nazi stories. Films, books and plays had to portray Nazis, especially Hitler, in a heroic way. Books deemed as un-German were banned, especially those by Jewish writers. We'll look in more detail at the persecution of Jewish people and other minorities in the next episode.
Datshiane: And if you were listening to radio at the time, well, radio stations could only broadcast Nazi ideas. Cheap, affordable radios had only one station, a Nazi-controlled one.
Katie: And loudspeakers were placed in workplaces and in the street to blare out Nazi ideology. And everywhere you went, you'd see the same infamous swastika symbol and pictures of Hitler.
Datshiane: Mass rallies were organised to demonstrate Nazi and Hitler's supposed greatness, with shows including choirs, speeches and fireworks. Head to BBC Bitesize to find out more information about the extent of the Nuremberg rallies and how they were used as a propaganda tool.
Datshiane: Time for a quick recap. Three questions on this episode, five seconds to answer, here goes question 1. Katie, what were the three K policies the Nazis brought in relating to women?
Katie: Those were Kinder, Küche, Kirche, or children, kitchen and church.
[correct bell sound]
Datshiane: What was the Mother's Cross?
Katie: It was an award given to women who had large families.
[correct bell sound]
Datshiane: And finally, who was the Nazi Minister of Propaganda?
Katie: That was Joseph Goebbels.
[correct bell sound]
Datshiane: Well done if you got them all right and don't worry if you didn't. Simply press pause and listen back over again whilst we go through a quick summary of this episode.
Katie: So, Nazi policies affected the everyday lives of women and the youth.
Datshiane: Women were encouraged to stay at home and have lots of children.
Katie: And young people were indoctrinated with Nazi beliefs through the Hitler Youth for boys.
Datshiane: And the League of German Maidens for girls.
Katie: Schools were made to teach Nazi beliefs in all subjects.
Datshiane: And propaganda and censorship of the arts and media enabled the Nazis to have control over what the population were able to watch, listen to and read. In the next episode, we'll look at revision relating to one of the darkest chapters in recent history, the persecution of Jewish people and minorities and the Holocaust.
Katie: In that and the remaining episodes of this series there will be topics with distressing themes, including the suffering of millions of innocent people and some of the content may be upsetting or difficult to hear.
Datshiane: Please remember, if at any point you feel overwhelmed, take a break or speak to someone you trust. Remember, it's OK to feel emotional about these events, and it's important to approach this subject with great care and respect. Thanks for listening. Bye.
Question
What were the 3 'K' policies the Nazis brought in relating to women?
Kinder, Kuche and Kirche or children, kitchen and church.
Listen on BBC Sounds.
Episode 7 - Nazi persecution, 1933-1939
This episode sees Datshiane and Katie examining the Nazi antisemitic and racial persecution in Germany between 1933 and 1939.
Announcer: BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.
Katie: I'm Katie Charlwood.
Datshiane: And I'm Datshiane Navanayagam.
Katie: And this is Bitesize GCSE History.
Datshiane: Before we begin today's episode, we wanted to let you know that we will be discussing the Holocaust, one of the darkest periods in human history; this topic involves deeply distressing themes, and the suffering of millions of innocent people. Whilst it's crucial to learn about this period to understand the impact of hatred and intolerance, some of the content may be upsetting or difficult to hear.
Katie: And if at any point you feel overwhelmed, please just take a break or speak to someone you trust. Remember it's okay to feel emotional about these events, and it's important to approach the subject with respect and care.
Datshiane: In this episode, we'll examine the Nazi persecution against Jewish people between 1933 when Hitler gained total power, up until the beginning of the war in 1939.
Katie: And we'll have the usual hints and tips for revision and exam questions along the way; and get those pens, paper or your digital equivalent handy to take notes.
Katie: So antisemitism has existed for centuries, and can be traced as far back as biblical times. When the Nazis came to power in Germany in 1933, they began transforming their antisemitic ideology into dangerous antisemitism laws, and Jewish people were being stripped of their jobs, their possessions, and their citizenship.
Datshiane: We've looked at how they did this in previous episodes, and how their policies changed everyday life for Germans.
Katie: Hitler and the Nazis believed in the idea of the Aryan race; this was a concept with no scientific basis used by Nazis and other racists to describe people of white European origin.
Datshiane: And it was this idea that fed into the Nazis' belief and policies shaped by eugenics.
Katie: They used these false racist ideas to claim that German society was under threat from so called inferior or non-Aryans, whom they said included Jewish people, Roma and Sinti, but also other groups such as Slavs from Eastern Europe, black people, homosexuals, Jehovah Witnesses, and even disabled people.
Datshiane: Now, as soon as they were in power the Nazis began to persecute these groups. This might be a good time to grab a pen because there's a timeline of important dates and events.
Datshiane: Okay, in March 1933, the first concentration camp was built in Dachau. Originally this was intended to imprison political opponents of the Nazis, such as communists.
Katie: On the first of April 1933, the Nazis began boycotts of Jewish businesses. Jewish shops were all singled out with a yellow Star of David or the German word for Jew, Jude.
Datshiane: Also in April 1933, German law restricted the number of Jewish students at German schools and universities.
Katie: And in schools the science lessons included the teaching of race studies, indoctrinating pupils in Nazi ideas and the belief that Jewish people were enemies of the so-called Aryan race.
Datshiane: Now September 1935, the Nuremberg Laws were passed. These laid the legal foundation for the persecution of Jewish people in Nazi Germany. These laws stripped Jewish people of their German citizenship, forbade marriage or sexual relations between Jewish people and Aryans, and took away all their civil and political rights.
Katie: Essentially, the Nuremberg Laws isolated Jewish people from the rest of German society, now making them legally inferior, and opening the door to further discrimination and violence.
Datshiane: The next month, in October 1936, Jewish teachers were banned from working in state schools, and by November 1938, Jewish children were forbidden to go to non-Jewish state schools. In July 1938, Jewish doctors were banned from first treating non-Jewish patients, and then eventually they were stripped of their rights to practise medicine at all.
Katie: Then, by August 1938, all Jewish men were forced to change their first name to Israel, and all women to Sara.
Datshiane: In October 1938 all Jewish owned property had to be given away to non-Jewish people, and all Jewish passports had to be stamped with the letter J.
Katie: But it was Kristallnacht or the Night of Broken Glass on the 9th of November 1938 that the escalation culminated with intimidation and erosion of Jewish rights, with violent attacks on a large scale. So, let's have a look at those events. On that evening Nazi activists and security forces used news of the assassination of the German ambassador to France by a Jewish person, as an excuse to organise attacks on Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues all over Germany.
Datshiane: In fact, over 1400 synagogues were damaged or destroyed and Jewish cemeteries and homes were desecrated. The violence led to at least a hundred Jewish deaths, though some estimates suggest there could be even higher numbers; and 30,000 Jewish men were sent to concentration camps and held there until they agreed to emigrate from Germany.
Katie: For Jewish people, Kristallnacht caused widespread fear and trauma, the violence and destruction were a clear sign that Jewish people were no longer safe in Germany, leading to heightened anxiety and despair amongst the community.
Datshiane: I've got here a primary source: it's a transcript from an interview with Hanne Hirsch Liebmann whose parents owned a photographic shop; she's remembering the morning after Kristallnacht when she was a schoolgirl. She says, "I went to school in the morning, Jewish school obviously, and something seemed wrong yet I didn't know what. And when I came to school and I mentioned that I saw the fire engines standing in front of a building, and in the back of this building was the Orthodox synagogue I was told, 'Don't you know what's going on?' And I said, 'No I don't.' The teachers, other than the female teachers, did not come in, the male teachers were arrested, and then they sent us home. And when I came home, all our shop windows had been smashed. Next to us was a store that dealt in oriental carpets. The shop windows were gone, inks were thrown over the carpets. My mother was sweeping up the street, I remember the taunts and harassment of the people. It was impossible."
Katie: That is a powerful source. Thanks, Datshiane. How can we use our words to analyse the events in the aftermath of Kristallnacht?
Datshiane: Well analysing sources is something we look at in the Exam Skill series. We look there at the provenance of the source, so who wrote it, when, and why, and how to cross reference that to our knowledge so that we can make a judgment on how useful the source is. In this case Hanne was remembering an event from her youth, it's first person evidence because she was there, and she describes what she saw. We know that those events happened because there are multiple documents and testimonies that back up Hanne's description.
Katie: Absolutely, I find her words even more powerful as you can get a sense of her confusion and fear as the events in the day after Kristallnacht unfold. Okay, so, many Jewish people sought to emigrate from Germany and Austria, although it was becoming more difficult due to restrictions.
Datshiane: Yes, some were able to leave even though emigration was becoming more difficult, due to the restrictions and the reluctance of many countries to accept Jewish refugees. By 1939, those people who were still in Germany were forbidden to even own a business. There's been lots of information to take in here and maybe if you feel the need, press pause here, and have a break to reflect on some of this.
Katie: So, let's tackle an example question based on this episode. Describe how the events of Kristallnacht marked a significant escalation in the Nazi regime's antisemitic policies, and its effect on Jewish communities. Have a think about this question yourself, and either press pause now or write your answer after the podcast. Datshiane, have you got any thoughts on how to begin?
Datshiane: Well, I think what you should always do is think about what the question is asking. And, if it helps, underline any key words that keep that in focus. So, the key words here are Kristallnacht, antisemitic policies and significant escalation.
Katie: Think about the specific evidence you know about Kristallnacht. It's important to show that knowledge as well as the causes leading up to it.
Datshiane: Yes, the question is also asking you to ask about Nazi antisemitic policies and how they escalated, so again there are marks to be gained by demonstrating your knowledge; in this case on the key policies before Kristallnacht such as the Nuremberg Laws, which were legal means to marginalise Jewish people.
Katie: Then I'd write about the antisemitic policies after Kristallnacht, which include the immediate organised violence actively encouraged by the Nazis, and I would explain the Nazi policies of Jewish ghettos, that would culminate in the Holocaust.
Datshiane: You might conclude that by linking your analysis back to the question. So, something like, Kristallnacht was a significant escalation in the Nazi regime's antisemitic policies, marking a shift from legal discrimination to violent persecution.
Katie: Okay, let's summarise this episode. Hitler and the Nazis believed that Germans were the so-called master race and that all other races were inferior and wanted them removed.
Datshiane: This was particularly related to Jewish people, but also to other minority groups.
Katie: Nazi policies towards Jewish people was a gradual process that escalated over time.
Datshiane: The Nuremberg Laws removed citizenship and banned the marriage of Jewish people to non-Jewish people.
Katie: Kristallnacht was a turning point from intimidation to organised violent attacks. If today's episode has stirred difficult emotions, please know it's okay to feel this way. It's important to talk about what you've learned and if you need to, reach out to a teacher, a friend or a family member.
Datshiane: You might want to listen to the episode again and summarise your thoughts and subject knowledge. There's more information on the Bitesize website about the Holocaust; this was a dark period in history, but hopefully it also teaches us how to build a more compassionate future.
Question
What were the Nuremburg Laws?
In September 1935, the Nuremberg Laws were passed that which laid the legal foundation for the persecution of Jews in Nazi Germany. The laws stripped Jews of their German citizenship, forbade marriage or sexual relations between Jews and Aryans and took away all their civil and political rights.
Listen on BBC Sounds.
Episode 8 - The Holocaust
Katie and Datshiane examine the Holocaust, the murder of approximately six million Jewish men, women and children by Nazi Germany and its collaborators during World War Two.
Announcer: BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.
Katie: I'm Katie Charlwood.
Datshiane: And I'm Datshiane Navanayagam.
Katie: And this is Bitesize GCSE History.
Datshiane: Before we begin today's episode, we wanted to let you know that we will be discussing the Holocaust, one of the darkest periods in human history. This topic involves deeply distressing themes, and the suffering of millions of innocent people. Whilst it's crucial to learn about this period to understand the impact of hatred and intolerance, some of the content may be upsetting or difficult to hear.
Katie: And if at any point you feel overwhelmed, please take a break or speak to someone you trust. Remember it's okay to feel emotional about these events, and it's important to approach this subject with respect and care.
Datshiane: In the previous episode, we examined Nazi persecution against Jewish people between 1933 when Hitler gained total power, up until the beginning of the war in 1939. And in this episode we'll continue this timeline of persecution towards the horrors of the Holocaust: the murder of approximately six million Jewish men, women and children by Nazi Germany and its collaborators during World War II.
Datshiane: Okay, Katie, Germany 1939. Hitler and the Nazis have been in total control of Germany since 1933, and life for Jewish people has become intolerable.
Katie: In March 1939, Germany invaded Czechoslovakia, and on the 1st of September the Second World War broke out when Germany invaded Poland. The persecution of Jewish people intensified not just in Germany but now in countries occupied by the Nazis.
Datshiane: Helga Weiss was a nine-year-old Jewish schoolgirl. When the Nazis invaded Prague in Czechoslovakia, in her diary entry of March 1939, she wrote, worryingly: “Anti-Jewish orders are on the rise. The news that Jews couldn't be employed in government jobs any more caused an uproar in Jewish families. Then, no Aryan, previously an unfamiliar word, could employ a non-Aryan Jew. Now they keep coming time and time again, order after order, you barely know what you can and can't do. It is forbidden to visit cafés, cinemas, theatres, playgrounds, parks - there are so many things that I can't remember them all. Among others, there was also an order that really upset me, the expulsion of Jewish children from state schools. When I found out I was unhappy. After the holidays I was supposed to go into Year Five. I like school and the thought that I will never be able to sit at a school desk with other students brings tears to my eyes. But I have to bear up, there are other things waiting for me and many of them will undoubtedly be much worse."
Katie: Across Poland, the country with Europe's largest Jewish population, Jewish people were rounded up and made to live in ghettos: crowded walled-off sections of cities where they were isolated from the rest of the population. The largest ghetto was in Warsaw in Poland, and it had over 400,000 Jewish people living in appalling conditions, and it's estimated that up to 100,000 people died of starvation and disease there.
Datshiane: In June 1941, Germany invaded the Soviet Union, this was codenamed Operation Barbarossa, and it was the largest military invasion in history.
Katie: As the German Army advanced east they continued to commit atrocities against Jewish people.
Datshiane: The atrocities were committed by Nazi killing squads called the Einsatzgruppen, who followed the German Army into occupied territories.
Katie: Made up from 3,000 SS troops, the Einsatzgruppen carried out mass shootings.
Datshiane: The Einsatzgruppen sometimes worked with the Waffen SS.
Katie: Who were a Nazi military force fiercely loyal to Hitler.
Datshiane: And the Order Police.
Katie: Who were responsible for maintaining internal order and enforcing Nazi laws and policies.
Datshiane: They were also helped by local collaborators in the territories they occupied, as well as non-German police forces of occupied countries.
Katie: In September 1941, members of the Einsatzgruppen murdered almost 34,000 Jewish people over a two-day period at Babyn Yar, near the city of Kyiv in Ukraine. This was one of the many sites of mass murder of Jewish people across Eastern Europe.
Datshiane: It is estimated that by 1944 over two million Jewish people had been murdered in this way. Historians have referred to the Nazis' policy of committing mass murder by shooting as 'the Holocaust by bullets'.
Katie: In January 1942, a conference was held on the outskirts of Berlin in Wannsee. This was a high-level meeting of Nazi officials to coordinate the plan referred to as 'The Final Solution of the Jewish Question', or simply 'The Final Solution'. This was the Nazi euphemism for the plan to murder all European Jewish people.
Datshiane: While mass killings were already taking place, the Wannsee Conference marked a crucial step in translating Nazi antisemitic ideology into an industrialised process of mass murder of every Jewish person in German-occupied Europe.
Katie: From the spring of 1942, Jewish people from across Europe were deported to killing sites in Eastern Europe, especially German-occupied Poland. Most were sent to death or extermination camps including Belzec, Chelmno, Sobibor and Treblinka, where almost everyone was murdered in gas chambers as soon as they arrived.
Datshiane: Others were sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and death camp, where many Jewish people were also murdered in gas chambers, but some were selected to work and later died of forced labour, starvation, or executions. A concentration camp in Majdanek sometimes had a similar role.
Katie: Jewish people were transported there from the ghettos all over Europe, as were other groups deemed as undesirable to the Nazis, including Slavic people, Roma and Sinti, political opponents, homosexuals and black people.
Datshiane: Six million Jewish men, women and children were murdered by the Nazis during World War II, and this attempt to wipe out the Jewish people is the definition of the Holocaust.
Katie: Only Jewish people were targeted for complete extermination, but the Nazis also murdered members of additional groups deemed undesirable, including Slavic people, Roma and Sinti and Germans with disabilities.
Datshiane: They also persecuted some other groups within Germany itself, including political opponents, gay men, black people, and Jehovah's Witnesses. For example, several hundred mixed heritage people in the Rhineland region of Western Germany were forcibly sterilised to prevent them ever having children in the future.
Katie: It's important to remember that there was Jewish resistance to Nazis both within the ghettos and concentration camps. In Treblinka in 1943 a Jewish resistance group revolted, set fire to camp buildings; and despite facing machine gun fire several hundred managed to break out of the camp. Although many of them were captured and killed it is thought that around 70 survived the end of the war. And in the Warsaw Ghetto in April 1943, an uprising against the SS soldiers in charge lasted 43 days before the synagogue in the ghetto was destroyed.
Datshiane: On the 16th of April in 1943, Mordecai Anielewicz, one of the leaders of the uprising wrote to his friend Yizthak Zuckerman: "It is impossible to describe the conditions reigning in the ghetto. Very few could bear all this, all the others are destined to perish sooner or later, their fate has been sealed. In most of the bunkers where thousands of Jews are hiding it is impossible to light a candle because of the lack of air. What we have experienced cannot be described in words. We are aware of one thing only: what has happened has exceeded our dreams. The Germans ran twice from the ghetto. Perhaps we will meet again, but what really matters is that the dream of my life has come true. Jewish self-defence of the Warsaw Ghetto has become a fact. Jewish armed resistance and retaliation have become a reality. I have been witness to the magnificent heroic struggle of the Jewish fighters.”
Katie: Thanks, Datshiane, that's a powerful source describing first-hand the appalling events he is living through. This section has contained a heavy weight of history and information, so do feel free to reflect and pause before we move on.
Katie: Okay, let's summarise the key events from this episode.
Datshiane: As the Nazis occupied Europe Jewish people were forced to live in ghettos, and eventually they were transported to concentration, or death camps.
Katie: This was part of the Nazis' Final Solution, to exterminate every Jewish person in occupied Europe.
Datshiane: The Holocaust is the term given to the murder of six million Jews, in an attempt to wipe out the Jewish people.
Katie: If today's episode has stirred difficult emotions please know it's okay to feel this way. It's important to talk about what you've learned and if you need to reach out to a teacher, friend or family member.
Datshiane: You might want to listen and stop the episode again to summarise your thoughts and subject knowledge. There's more information on the Bitesize website about the Holocaust. Remember this was a dark period in history, but hopefully it also teaches us how to build a more compassionate future.
Katie: In the final episode of this series, we'll be revising the de-Nazification of Germany, and the emergence of East and West Germany. Thanks for listening.
Question
When did the Second World War break out?
In March 1939, Germany invaded Czechoslovakia and on September 1st The Second World War broke out when Germany invaded Poland. The persecution of Jewish people intensified not just in Germany, but now in countries occupied by the Nazis.
Listen on BBC Sounds.
Episode 9 - The De-Nazification of Germany
In this final episode of the series, Datshiane and Katie focus on the De-Nazification of Germany, the Nuremberg trials, the division of Germany into East and West, and its impact on daily life.
Announcer: BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.
Datshiane: I'm Datshiane Navanayagam.
Katie: And I'm Katie Charlwood.
Datshiane: And this is Bitesize GCSE History.
Katie: This is the final episode in a nine-part series on 20th-century Germany.
Datshiane: And in this episode, we'll be looking at the denazification of Germany, the removal of Nazi influence from the country after the Second World War.
Katie: How key Nazi leaders were put on trial after the war in Nuremberg.
Datshiane: We'll also be sending our time-travelling Bitesize reporter back in time to report from the scene there and then.
Katie: And we'll look at how the German nation was split into East and West and how that affected the everyday lives of the population.
Datshiane: There's the usual exam hints and tips, test and short summary of all those key facts too. Make notes along the way to help you revise.
Datshiane: Right Katie, give us a quick summary of where and when we are.
Katie: Right, it is 1945 and the war has been won by the Allies with the German surrender in May. Hitler is dead, having taken his own life.
Datshiane: That happened on April the 30th 1945. Hitler had taken shelter in the bunker beneath his government headquarters as the Russian army closed in on Berlin.
Katie: Germany is now occupied and divided into four zones controlled by each of the Allied forces; Britain, France and USA to the west of the country and the USSR to the East. And Berlin, the capital city, which was in the Russian-controlled eastern zone, was also divided four ways between the Allies.
Datshiane: OK, that sounds like it might have some potential problems for the future, but we'll get on to that later. First, let's look at how the Allies tried to remove the influence of Nazi policies and ideas from the country.
Katie: So, this process is called denazification, and it had three aims. First, the removal of Nazi influence. The Allies aimed to eliminate the Nazi Party and its ideology from Germany's political, social and economic systems.
Datshiane: The second was to promote democracy. Denazification was part of a broader effort to establish democratic systems in Germany, especially in the western zones.
Katie: Finally, accountability. Nazi leaders and war criminals were to be held accountable for the atrocities committed during the war, including genocide and war crimes.
Datshiane: OK, write down those three aims to help with your revision.
Katie: Let's look at how the Allies attempted to do this. Across Germany, Nazi laws were repealed and Nazi organisations banned and former members of the party were removed from positions of power, especially in the civil service, education and media.
Datshiane: Re-education programmes were set up in which the Allies introduced reforms to teach democratic values and counteract Nazi ideas, particularly focusing on the younger generation.
Katie: Since Germany was divided into those four zones controlled by the Allies, each zone implemented its own denazification policies. In the western zones…
Datshiane: …controlled by the USA, Britain and France…
Katie: …the Allies focused on rebuilding the economy and stabilising the region. Individuals in these zones were required to complete a detailed questionnaire about their involvement with the Nazi Party which determined their future role in society.
Datshiane: Yes, and in the Eastern zone, controlled by the Soviet Union, a more radical denazification was pursued, focusing on the redistribution of land and property and other socialist policies such as the nationalisation of industries and targeting of former Nazis and wealthy Germans.
Katie: Denazification was unpopular among many Germans. Many felt that they were being unfairly punished for crimes committed by Nazi leadership, especially in the western zones.
Datshiane: But others felt that it didn't go far enough, that as time went on the western Allies were becoming more focused on economic recovery, which led to more leniency towards former Nazis.
Katie: The denazification policy did however achieve some of its main goals, such as removing prominent Nazi leaders from power and holding key figures accountable, and this was done in the Nuremberg Trials held between 1945 and 1946.
Datshiane: These were a series of military tribunals overseen by judges from the Allied nations and held to prosecute prominent Nazi leaders on three types of crime.
Katie: War crimes, including the mistreatment of prisoners of war and killing civilians.
Datshiane: Crimes against humanity, which in this case was the mass murder of Jewish people, political opponents and other groups during the Holocaust.
Katie: And crimes against peace, which was the planning and waging of war, such as the invasions of Poland and other countries.
Datshiane: 24 high-ranking Nazi officials were tried, including Hitler’s second-in-command Hermann Göring.
Katie: Let's get a firsthand report from the trails from time-travelling reporter Jordan.
Jordan: It's November 21st 1945, the first day of the Nuremberg Trial. As the room filled, I watched the faces of the Nazi war criminals who stand before the International Military Tribunal charged with crimes against peace, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Justice Robert H Jackson, chief prosecutor, stated in his opening speech that: ‘The wrongs which we seek to condemn and punish have been so calculated, so malignant, and so devastating that civilization cannot tolerate they're being ignored.’ It is clear that these trials will go down in history. Guilty verdicts will see those former Nazi leaders sentenced to death. They may offer a grim sense of closure, but for many the wounds of the Holocaust will never heal. This is Jordan reporting for Bitesize GCSE History. Back to the studio.
Katie: Thank you, Jordan. Eventually, 12 defendants, including Göring, were sentenced to death.
Datshiane: These Nuremberg Trials set an important precedent for international law, establishing the principles that individuals, including government officials and leaders, could be held accountable for their actions during wartime.
Katie: And while we did not prosecute all war criminals, the trials were a landmark in the development of international justice and helped the world confront the horrors of the Nazi regime. OK, so in May 1949, the three western zones of Germany that had been occupied by USA, Britain and France merged to become the Federal Republic of Germany, also known as West Germany, and adopted democratic systems and capitalist economics.
Datshiane: In contrast, five months later, the area occupied by the USSR to the east of the country became a communist state known as East Germany, and this division was the beginning of the broader Cold War struggle between the Soviet Union and the West. The differences between East and West Germany would remain until reunification in 1990.
Katie: Let's reflect on how this division affected the lives of the population living on either side of the divide.
Datshiane: OK, time for an exam question. One might ask you to compare the lives of people in West and East Germany and describe the different political and economic systems they lived under, so you might find it useful to make some notes along the way. Katie, any thoughts?
Katie: Right. In West Germany, people experienced a growing economy thanks to the Marshall Plan, which was American economic aid as well as the development of democratic institutions. West Germans generally had more freedom, and their standard of living improved as the country became a strong industrial power in Europe.
Datshiane: Now, East Germany was a communist state with an economy controlled by the government. Whilst basic needs were provided for, there was less freedom and many people faced restrictions on travel and personal expression. The government used surveillance and censorship to maintain control and many East Germans tried to flee to the West, especially after the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961, which physically divided East and West Berlin.
Katie: In addition, the Soviet Union wanted Germany to pay reparations for the damages caused during the war, so they dismantled much of East Germany's industry, which was taken back to the USSR, and this left the East German economy shattered and weak. Having revised denazification and the division of Germany after the war, let's tackle an example exam question which might ask you to… Assess the impact of denazification on post-war Germany.
Datshiane: We looked at these kinds of questions in the series on exam skills, so do you have a listen back if you need some tips, but Katie, how might we tackle this one?
Katie: OK, so first I'd make sure I know what the question is asking. In this case, it's asking me to demonstrate my knowledge of events and policies relating to denazification and then to describe the consequences or impact of them. I might also underline the keywords 'denazification' and 'post-war Germany'.
Datshiane: Me too. I might start with an introduction that defines what denazification is as we've discussed it in this episode. Remember RAD, R-A-D: R for the removal of Nazi influence, A for accountability and D for democracy.
Katie: Then I'd take each one of those and write about their impact, both negative and positive.
Datshiane: So, the positive ones might include the arrest and removal of Nazi officials from power and the Nuremberg Trials, which demonstrated the commitment to justice.
Katie: And negative ones might include how it was applied differently by the Allies- and the Soviet-controlled parts of the country and also the tensions associated with the questionnaire system. And finally, I might conclude that denazification had both negative and positive impacts on post-war Germany, and whilst it caused economic and social disruption, it was also an essential part of removing Nazi influence and promoting justice.
Datshiane: Nice one. Have a go yourself after this podcast with that same question. Right, quick revision test, three questions, five seconds to answer. Katie, you start.
Katie: OK, After the war, who controlled Germany’s territory and where?
Datshiane: OK. So those were the four Allied nations: the USA, Britain, France to the West and the USSR to the East.
[correct bell sound]
Katie: What was the outcome of Hermann Göring's trial?
Datshiane: He was sentenced to death.
[correct bell sound]
Katie: And what type of government was established in East Germany after the division?
Datshiane: So that was a communist government.
[correct bell sound]
Katie: Well done if you got all three right, and if you didn't? Well, don't worry, just rewind and listen again or check out the Bitesize website for more revision hints and tips.
Datshiane: OK, summary time. Denazification is the term given to the aims of punishing Nazi leaders, restructuring German society and promoting democracy.
Katie: In the Nuremberg Trails, Nazi officials were put on trial for crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes against peace.
Datshiane: Remember, after the war, Germany was divided into four zones, three in the west, controlled by the USA, Britain and France, and one in the east, controlled by the Soviet Union.
Katie: And this led to two nations: West Germany with a more democratic government and East Germany with a communist one.
Datshiane: So, it makes sense that the post-war experience of Germans was different, depending on which country they now lived in.
Katie: Thanks for listening to this series, which has been difficult at times due to the seriousness of the topic.
Datshiane: Have a listen to some of the other Bitesize GCSE history series on other topics and good luck with your revision and with your exam.
Katie: I've been Katie Charlwood.
Datshiane: And I've been Datshiane Navanayagam.
BOTH: Bye.
Question
Name the three aims of De-Nazification.
Firstly, the removal of Nazi influence - the Allies aimed to eliminate the Nazi Party and its ideology from Germany's political, social and economic systems.
Secondly, to promote democracy - De-Nazification was part of a broader effort to establish democratic systems in Germany, especially in the Western zones.
Finally accountability - Nazi leaders and war criminals were to be held accountable for the atrocities committed during the war, including genocide and war crimes.
Listen on BBC Sounds.
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