AQA_2024: A-level History - Component 2O Democracy and Nazism: Germany, 1918–1945 (Merged Question Paper and Marking Scheme)

AQA_2024: A-level History - Component 2O Democracy and Nazism: Germany, 1918–1945 (Merged Question Paper and Marking Scheme) A-level HISTORY Component 2O Democracy and Nazism: Germany, 1918–1945 Friday 7 June 2024 Materials For this paper you must have:  an AQA 16-page answer book. Instructions Afternoon Time allowed: 2 hours 30 minutes  Use black ink or black ball-point pen.  Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is 7042/2O.  Answer three questions. In Section A answer Question 01. In Section B answer two questions. Information  The marks for questions are shown in brackets.  The maximum mark for this paper is 80.  You will be marked on your ability to: – use good English – organise information clearly – use specialist vocabulary where appropriate. Advice  You are advised to spend about: – 1 hour on Question 01 from Section A – 45 minutes on each of the two questions answered from Section B. IB/M/Jun24/G4006/E5 7042/2O A-Level History: Component 2O - Democracy and Nazism: Germany, 1918–1945 Exam Summary This component explores the political, social, and economic developments in Germany from the end of World War I to the conclusion of World War II. Key themes include:  The Weimar Republic (1918–1933): The establishment of Germany’s democratic Weimar Republic after WWI, the challenges it faced, including hyperinflation, political extremism, and the Great Depression, and the eventual collapse of democracy.  Rise of the Nazi Party (1933–1939): The factors that led to Adolf Hitler's rise to power, including the economic and political instability of the Weimar Republic, the appeal of Nazi ideology, and the Nazis' methods of gaining and consolidating power, such as the Reichstag Fire and the Enabling Act.  Nazi Dictatorship (1933–1939): The establishment of a totalitarian state under Hitler, with the suppression of political opposition, the implementation of anti-Semitic policies, and the indoctrination of society through propaganda and the militarization of German life.  World War II and the Holocaust (1939–1945): The events leading to and during WWII, Germany’s role in the conflict, and the Holocaust—the systematic genocide of six million Jews, as well as other persecuted groups, under Nazi rule.  Impact and Legacy: The impact of Nazi policies on German society and the world, including the destruction of democracy, the militarization of German culture, and the lasting consequences of WWII and the Holocaust on Germany and Europe. This exam assesses students’ ability to analyze the collapse of democracy in Germany, the rise of Nazi totalitarianism, and the devastating effects of Nazi rule, both in Germany and across Europe. 2 IB/M/Jun24/7042/2O Section A Answer Question 01. Source A From lyrics to ‘Raise the Flag’, by SA officer, Horst Wessel, 1929. Horst was murdered in 1930; verse four was added in his honour. This became a popular Nazi song. Raise the flag! The ranks tightly closed! The SA marches with calm steady step. Comrades shot by the Red Front march in spirit within our ranks. Clear the streets for the brown battalions, clear the streets for the Storm Division men! Millions are looking upon the swastika, full of hope. The day of freedom and of bread dawns! For the last time, the call to arms is sounded! For the fight, we all stand prepared! Already Hitler’s banners fly over all streets. The time of oppression will only last a little while now! Receive our salute; Horst died an honourable death! Horst Wessel fell, but thousands newly arise. The anthem roars ahead of the brown army: the Storm Divisions are ready to follow his path. The flags are lowered before the immortal dead. The Storm Divisions swear, their hands clenched into fists, that the day will come for revenge, not mercy, and Sieg Heil will ring through the Fatherland. 5 10 Source B From a speech by Adolf Hitler to a conference of business owners and industrialists in Düsseldorf, a city in the northern Rhineland, 27 January 1932. Some say that the National Socialist Movement is hostile to business. I am the champion of the German economy, leading a revival through work, through industry, and through ability, so that Germany can rise again. We will not recover unless we stop blaming foreign powers for our problems. I know quite well, gentlemen, that you grumble when you see our hundreds and thousands of young folk march in the evening, saying, “Why must the Nazis always make such trouble?” What you have not realised is that these volunteers work hard every evening, protecting meetings and taking part in marches to inspire their neighbours, and then get up early to work equally hard in workshops and factories. It is these men who are changing the fatal pessimism of the German people so that we can get Germany back onto a new and secure path, ready to start producing, buying and selling, creating a great economy inside Germany and protecting German economic success in overseas trade. 5 10 3 Source C From the autobiography, ‘The Broken House: growing up under Hitler’, written by Horst Krüger, 1966. Krüger was a teenager living in a Berlin suburb when Hitler came to power. My earliest memory of Hitler starts in March 1933 with people cheering. It came from the radio, in a broadcast from Berlin city centre. It was a cold night and the radio announcer, who was actually sobbing in a loud voice more than he was reporting, must have been experiencing something tremendous. People must have poured into the city, from what I could hear, to pay their respects to the elderly Field Marshal and his young Chancellor. There was chanting and shouting and the sobbing voice on the radio talking about Germany’s awakening and how everything was going to change. My parents heard it all with surprise and a hint of fear. My father went to bed slightly perplexed. But gradually, the doubters grew quieter and people became optimistic. We had been through a storm, and now a different storm, a storm of German revival, arrived in our suburb like springtime, or a fairy tale. Who wouldn’t want to be swept along with that? 5 10 0 1 With reference to these sources and your understanding of the historical context, assess the value of these three sources to an historian studying the appeal of Nazism in the years 1929 to 1933. [30 marks] Turn over for Section B IB/M/Jun24/7042/2O Turn over ► 4 IB/M/Jun24/7042/2O Section B Answer two questions. 0 2 ‘Germany’s territorial losses were the most damaging consequence of the Treaty of Versailles for the Weimar Republic in the years 1919 to 1923.’ Assess the validity of this view. [25 marks] 0 3 How successful were Nazi economic policies in the years 1933 to 1939? [25 marks] 0 4 How significant was the impact of war, in the years 1939 to 1945, on the lives of women and girls in Germany? [25 marks] END OF QUESTIONS Copyright information For confidentiality purposes, all acknowledgements of third-party copyright material are published in a separate booklet. This booklet is published after each live examination series and is available for free download from Permission to reproduce all copyright material has been applied for. In some cases, efforts to contact copyright-holders may have been unsuccessful and AQA will be happy to rectify any omissions of acknowledgements. If you have any queries please contact the Copyright Team. Copyright © 2024 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. A-level HISTORY 7042/2O Component 2O Democracy and Nazism: Germany, 1918–1945 Mark scheme June 2024 Version: 1.0 Final MARK SCHEME – A-LEVEL HISTORY – 7042/2O – JUNE 2024 Mark schemes are prepared by the Lead Assessment Writer and considered, together with the relevant questions, by a panel of subject teachers. This mark scheme includes any amendments made at the standardisation events which all associates participate in and is the scheme which was used by them in this examination. The standardisation process ensures that the mark scheme covers the students’ responses to questions and that every associate understands and applies it in the same correct way. As preparation for standardisation each associate analyses a number of students’ scripts. Alternative answers not already covered by the mark scheme are discussed and legislated for. If, after the standardisation process, associates encounter unusual answers which have not been raised they are required to refer these to the Lead Examiner. It must be stressed that a mark scheme is a working document, in many cases further developed and expanded on the basis of students’ reactions to a particular paper. Assumptions about future mark schemes on the basis of one year’s document should be avoided; whilst the guiding principles of assessment remain constant, details will change, depending on the content of a particular examination paper. No student should be disadvantaged on the basis of their gender identity and/or how they refer to the gender identity of others in their exam responses. A consistent use of ‘they/them’ as a singular and pronouns beyond ‘she/her’ or ‘he/him’ will be credited in exam responses in line with existing mark scheme criteria. Further copies of this mark scheme are available from Copyright information AQA retains the copyright on all its publications. However, registered schools/colleges for AQA are permitted to copy material from this booklet for their own internal use, with the following important exception: AQA cannot give permission to schools/colleges to photocopy any material that is acknowledged to a third party even for internal use within the centre. Copyright © 2024 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. 2 MARK SCHEME – A-LEVEL HISTORY – 7042/2O – JUNE 2024 Level of response marking instructions Level of response mark schemes are broken down into levels, each of which has a descriptor. The descriptor for the level shows the average performance for the level. There are marks in each level. Before you apply the mark scheme to a student’s answer read through the answer and annotate it (as instructed) to show the qualities that are being looked for. You can then apply the mark scheme. Step 1 Determine a level Start at the lowest level of the mark scheme and use it as a ladder to see whether the answer meets the descriptor for that level. The descriptor for the level indicates the different qualities that might be seen in the student’s answer for that level. If it meets the lowest level then go to the next one and decide if it meets this level, and so on, until you have a match between the level descriptor and the answer. With practice and familiarity, you will find that for better answers you will be able to quickly skip through the lower levels of the mark scheme. When assigning a level, you should look at the overall quality of the answer and not look to pick holes in small and specific parts of the answer where the student has not performed quite as well as the rest. If the answer covers different aspects of different levels of the mark scheme you should use a best fit approach for defining the level and then use the variability of the response to help decide the mark within the level, ie if the response is predominantly Level 3 with a small amount of Level 4 material it would be placed in Level 3 but be awarded a mark near the top of the level because of the Level 4 content. Step 2 Determine a mark Once you have assigned a level you need to decide on the mark. The descriptors on how to allocate marks can help with this. The exemplar materials used during standardisation will help. There will be an answer in the standardising materials which will correspond with each level of the mark scheme. This answer will have been awarded a mark by the Lead Examiner. You can compare the student’s answer with the example to determine if it is the same standard, better or worse than the example. You can then use this to allocate a mark for the answer based on the Lead Examiner’s mark on the example. You may well need to read back through the answer as you apply the mark scheme to clarify points and assure yourself that the level and the mark are appropriate. Indicative content in the mark scheme is provided as a guide for examiners. It is not intended to be exhaustive and you must credit other valid points. Students do not have to cover all of the points mentioned in the Indicative content to reach the highest level of the mark scheme. An answer which contains nothing of relevance to the question must be awarded no marks. 3 MARK SCHEME – A-LEVEL HISTORY – 7042/2O – JUNE 2024 Section A 0 1 With reference to these sources and your understanding of the historical context, assess the value of these three sources to an historian studying the appeal of Nazism in the years 1929 to 1933. Target: AO2 [30 marks] Analyse and evaluate appropriate source material, primary and/or contemporary to the period, within the historical context. Generic Mark Scheme L5: L4: L3: Shows a very good understanding of all three sources in relation to both content and provenance and combines this with a strong awareness of the historical context to present a balanced argument on their value for the particular purpose given in the question. The answer will convey a substantiated judgement. The response demonstrates a very good understanding of context. 25–30 Shows a good understanding of all three sources in relation to both content and provenance and combines this with an awareness of the historical context to provide a balanced argument on their value for the particular purpose given in the question. Judgements may, however, be partial or limited in substantiation. The response demonstrates a good understanding of context. 19–24 Shows some understanding of all three sources in relation to both content and provenance together with some awareness of the historical context. There may, however, be some imbalance in the degree of breadth and depth of comment offered on all three sources and the analysis may not be fully convincing. The answer will make some attempt to consider the value of the sources for the particular purpose given in the question. The response demonstrates an understanding of context. 13–18 L2: L1: The answer will be partial. It may, for example, provide some comment on the value of the sources for the particular purpose given in the question but only address one or two of the sources, or focus exclusively on content (or provenance), or it may consider all three sources but fail to address the value of the sources for the particular purpose given in the question. The response demonstrates some understanding of context. 7–12 The answer will offer some comment on the value of at least one source in relation to the purpose given in the question but the response will be limited and may be partially inaccurate. Comments are likely to be unsupported, vague or generalist. The response demonstrates limited understanding of context. Nothing worthy of credit. 1–6 0 4 MARK SCHEME – A-LEVEL HISTORY – 7042/2O – JUNE 2024 Indicative content Note: This content is not prescriptive and students are not obliged to refer to the material contained in this mark scheme. Any legitimate answer will be assessed on its merits according to the generic levels scheme. Students must deploy knowledge of the historical context to show an understanding of the relationship between the sources and the issues raised in the question, when assessing the significance of provenance, the arguments deployed in the sources and the tone and emphasis of the sources. Descriptive answers which fail to do this should be awarded no more than Level 2 at best. Answers should address both the value and the limitations of the sources for the particular question and purpose given. Source A: in assessing the value of this source, students may refer to the following: Provenance, tone and emphasis  Source A was written by an officer in the SA and subsequently added to. It is therefore valuable because it represents the confidence and swagger of the SA which was so attractive to many, especially young men.  as a popular Nazi song, it was sung at rallies and parades and broadcast across the radio. An example of such all-pervasive propaganda about the power and purity of Nazism is valuable because it was an important method of indoctrination  students may comment on the importance of singing as a tool through which the Nazis developed a sense of national community  the song has a proud tone, embracing sacrifice and struggle. Students may comment on the way that Hitler fostered a sense of national victimhood, to which Nazism appeared to be the solution. Content and argument  the lyrics refer to the ‘Red Front’ as an enemy that has been overcome. Students may comment on the street fighting that frequently broke out between extremists; they may decide that this is valuable for showing the deeply felt fear of Communism that motivated many middle-class Germans to prefer Nazism’s right-wing ideology  students may discuss the phrase ‘freedom [and] bread’, recognising that this was one of the main Nazi slogans which appealed to Depression-struck Germany, helping propel Hitler to power in 1933. They may also discuss the ‘time of oppression’ with reference to Nazi views on Weimar Germany  students may reflect on the powerful imagery referenced in the lyrics, including the Swastika, flags, banners and salutes. They may recognise this is valuable as an example of the effective marketing of the NSDAP, honed by Goebbels and Speer  the lyrics celebrate the ‘brown battalions’, signifying a strong military influence and students may comment on the pride that Nazism rekindled, for Germany’s martial past. They may reflect on the fact that, while the song portrays militaristic power in a positive light, many Germans were appalled by the brute force exhibited by the SA. 5 MARK SCHEME – A-LEVEL HISTORY – 7042/2O – JUNE 2024  Source B is an extract from a speech by Hitler. Students may note that his distinctive oratorical skills were crucial for causing people to support the NSDAP and to stay entranced by Nazism despite later setbacks  students may comment on the location of this speech, to reflect on the particular challenges faced by Germany’s industrial centres throughout the preceding decade to note how crucial it was that the NSDAP gained support there.  students may note that industrialists and business people had been typically wary of the NSDAP during the 1920s because of its associations with thuggery and disorder, recognising that this was a crucial audience for Hitler to win over, making this a particularly valuable source for exploring his political skills  Hitler’s speech shows his rhetorical skill, unafraid to use a direct and somewhat critical tone, in order to build an effective argument. 6 S ource B: in assessing the value of this source, students may refer to the following: Provenance, tone and emphasis Content and argument  Hitler describes a perception that the NSDAP was hostile to business. There is clear evidence of distrust from wealthy corporate elites who saw Hitler as a social upstart and the party as a disruptive force coming from within Germany’s conservative, agrarian regions  students may comment on Hitler’s positioning of himself as both champion of workers and industry. They may be able to draw a connection to the struggle to reconcile these two wings, leading to the Bamberg Conference, and thereafter as Goebbels in particular brought northern, industrial Germany, into the Nazi fold  Hitler refers to the need to cease ‘blaming foreign powers’, which students may find surprisingly valuable given the ongoing Nazi rhetoric of the oppression of Germany by the victors of the First World War. They may recognise that Nazi ideology required economic revival to come from within Germany, as an act of patriotic nationalism, rather than through global collaboration and they may comment on the powerful message of German agency that Hitler intended to convey  students may reflect on Hitler’s assertion that he can control the ‘young folk’ of the working class, encouraging them into greater productivity as being a valuable example of the crucial component of his appeal to the business and industrialist classes who feared the masses coalescing around Communism. MARK SCHEME – A-LEVEL HISTORY – 7042/2O – JUNE 2024 Source C: in assessing the value of this source, students may refer to the following: Provenance, tone and emphasis  Horst Krüger was a young teenager when Hitler came to power and therefore was subjected to the full blast of Nazi indoctrination of the youth; his insight is all the more valuable because he also captures a young person’s perspective on the impact of Nazism on those adults around him  Krüger strives to show how the concerns of his parents were gradually diminished by the positive experiences of Nazism felt by the wider community. Writing in the 1960s, this is valuable because it shows the enduring impact of his intense experiences of the 1930s  Krüger’s tone is valuable because it so typically reflects the optimism that so many Germans shared as their hope rose for the rebuilding of their nation under the Nazis following the catastrophes of Versailles and Depression. Content and argument  Krüger demonstrates the impact of radio broadcasts in the Nazi rise to power. Students may draw conclusions about the value of this source for showing how effectively the powerful atmosphere in Berlin was spread on the radio. They may develop their commentary by discussing Goebbels’ skill with emerging mass media.  students may discuss the authority held by Hindenburg which he transferred to the ‘young Chancellor’ as being crucial in explaining the appeal of Nazism to traditional Germans, within and beyond Berlin. They may recognise how valuable this source is for showing that Hindenburg’s miscalculation about Hitler opened the door for the surge in Nazi support  Krüger’s commentary on his parents’ response to the speech is valuable because it captures, albeit briefly, the generational differences in how Germans responded to Hitler. Students may develop their commentary to discuss why older Germans may have been fearful of the re-emergence of an extremist movement in these years  students may recognise the value of Krüger’s perception that the Nazis brought about a surge in national confidence in the wake of the turmoil caused by the Depression. They may accurately speculate that Krüger was describing the ‘Day of National Awakening’. They may reflect on his use of ‘swept along’ to capture the speed with which the Nazis rose to power and they may be able to connect this to the effectiveness of the party’s c