AQA AS HISTORY Democracy and Nazism: Germany, 1918–1945 Component 2O The Weimar Republic, 1918–1933 Tuesday 23 May 2023

AQA AS HISTORY Democracy and Nazism: Germany, 1918–1945 Component 2O The Weimar Republic, 1918–1933 Tuesday 23 May 2023 Afternoon Time allowed: 1 hour 30 minutes Materials For this paper you must have: • an AQA 16-page answer book. Instructions • Use black ink or black ball-point pen. • Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is 7041/2O. • Answer two questions. In Section A answer Question 01. In Section B answer either Question 02 or Question 03. Information • The marks for questions are shown in brackets. • The maximum mark for this paper is 50. • 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: – 50 minutes on Section A – 40 minutes on Section B. Section A Answer Question 01. Source A From an article in a Berlin newspaper, by Hugo Preuss, 14 November 1918. Preuss was a liberal politician who worked on the draft of the Weimar Constitution in late 1918. Our new constitution will bring new life to the broken German state because it is based on equality. We have to make sure that the ordinary people are represented properly, or we will soon find ourselves in the grip of a communist terror. We also must not allow our old authoritarian state to return because it would unleash lawless violence. A communist or an authoritarian government would prevent our economic recovery. We do not need to be worried about completely democratic elections because the ordinary people do not want extremist governments. Democracy gives us a way for the difficult issues of modern life to be vigorously debated in a fair and peaceful way. 5 Source B From ‘The Third Empire’ by Arthur Moeller van den Bruck, published 1923. Bruck was a nationalist whose work influenced the Nazi movement. I observe the disorder and conflict into which our political parties have fallen. Our nation’s worst enemy is herself: her trustfulness, her unshakable optimism. The German people were scarcely defeated when we heard, “We shall arise again”. There are Germans who say that the new constitution has made Germany democratic, republican and complete. They do not realise that we are a chained and badly treated nation, perhaps on the edge of collapse. Our constitution says there is rule in the name of the people, but democracy weakens our politics and our national strength. The German nationalist wants democracy for the future but knows it must be led from above, with roots in the past and security in the present. 5 0 1 With reference to these sources and your understanding of the historical context, which of these two sources is more valuable in explaining attitudes to the Weimar Constitution in the years 1918 to 1923? [25 marks]