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GCSE · EDEXCEL

EDX.WN2 Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1924-1929: The Recovery of the Republic

EDEXCEL 1HI0 · Calculators not allowed · about 75 minutes

Total Marks

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Answer ALL questions. Question 15 refers to Source A. Questions 17, 18 and 19 refer to Interpretation 1 and Interpretation 2. Write in full sentences for Questions 16, 17, 18 and 19. You are advised to spend about 75 minutes on this pack.

Source A, and Interpretations 1 and 2

Source A was written for Revision Library. It is an original text representative of a magazine advertisement from the culturally lively Berlin of the mid-to-late 1920s. It is not a reproduction, translation or paraphrase of any surviving advertisement, and no genuine publication or business is named. Interpretation 1 and Interpretation 2 were also written for Revision Library, in the style of history textbook extracts discussing how far Germany genuinely recovered between 1924 and 1929; they are not the work of any real, named historian.

SOURCE A: a magazine advertisement written for Revision Library, representative of the kind of entertainment and consumer advertising found in Berlin magazines during the mid-to-late 1920s.

Berlin by night! Join the crowds at the city's newest cabaret theatre, now open every evening with music, dancing and the finest jazz band this side of the Atlantic. Ladies, ask about our new season of shorter fashions, fresh from the great department stores. Gentlemen, your wireless set awaits: tune in to the latest radio broadcasts direct from Berlin. Trains run late for theatregoers, and the trams are running better than ever. Germany is working again, and Berlin has never felt more alive. Advance booking recommended, as tables are filling fast for the new season.

INTERPRETATION 1: from a history textbook written for Revision Library, discussing how far Germany genuinely recovered between 1924 and 1929.

The years 1924 to 1929 represented a genuine and substantial recovery for Germany. Gustav Stresemann's foreign policy transformed the country's international standing: the Dawes Plan of 1924 reorganised reparations and brought in vital American loans, the Locarno Treaties of 1925 normalised relations with France and Belgium, and Germany's admission to the League of Nations in 1926 marked its return as a respected power. At home, industrial production recovered to above pre-war levels by 1928, and the flourishing of cinema, art and cabaret culture in cities such as Berlin reflected a society that was, for the first time since the war, confident and prosperous.

INTERPRETATION 2: from a history textbook written for Revision Library, discussing how far Germany genuinely recovered between 1924 and 1929.

The recovery of these years was real but shallow, resting on foundations that were never secure. Industrial growth depended heavily on short-term loans from the United States under the Dawes Plan, which could be recalled at any time, and Germany's own farmers did not share in the prosperity, remaining in a slump throughout the decade. Support for extremist parties fell during this period, but it never disappeared, and unemployment was already rising again by 1929 even before the Wall Street Crash. The recovery therefore masked, rather than solved, Germany's underlying economic weaknesses.

Name the German politician who served as Chancellor in 1923 and then as Foreign Minister from 1923 to 1929, and who is most closely associated with Germany's recovery in this period.

(Total for Question 1 is 1 mark)

Give the year in which the Dawes Plan reorganised Germany's reparations payments and arranged US loans to Germany.

(Total for Question 2 is 2 marks)

Give the year in which the Locarno Treaties were agreed, and name one other country, besides Germany, that accepted its western borders under the treaties.

(Total for Question 3 is 2 marks)

Give the year in which Germany joined the League of Nations and gained a permanent seat on its Council.

(Total for Question 4 is 1 mark)

Give the year in which the Young Plan reduced the total amount of reparations Germany had to pay.

(Total for Question 5 is 2 marks)

Name the temporary currency introduced in November 1923 to end the hyperinflation crisis, which paved the way for economic recovery.

(Total for Question 6 is 1 mark)

Name the modernist school of art, architecture and design founded by Walter Gropius in 1919, which became a symbol of Weimar Germany's cultural life.

(Total for Question 7 is 1 mark)

State two ways in which culture and entertainment flourished in Germany, particularly in Berlin, between 1924 and 1929.

(Total for Question 8 is 2 marks)

State two ways in which the position of women changed in German society during the mid-to-late 1920s.

(Total for Question 9 is 2 marks)

Give the year in which industrial production in Germany recovered to above its pre-war (1913) level.

(Total for Question 10 is 1 mark)

Give the month and year in which Gustav Stresemann died.

(Total for Question 11 is 1 mark)

State one group in German society that did not share fully in the prosperity of the recovery years 1924 to 1929.

(Total for Question 12 is 2 marks)

Give two reasons why support for extremist parties, including the Nazi Party, fell during the mid-to-late 1920s.

(Total for Question 13 is 4 marks)

Give two weaknesses in Germany's economic recovery between 1924 and 1929 that made it vulnerable to future crisis.

(Total for Question 14 is 4 marks)

Give two things you can infer from Source A about life in Germany during the recovery years of the mid-to-late 1920s. Support each inference with a detail from the source.

(Total for Question 15 is 4 marks)

Explain why Germany experienced a period of recovery between 1924 and 1929.

(Total for Question 16 is 12 marks)

What is the main difference between Interpretation 1 and Interpretation 2 about how far Germany genuinely recovered between 1924 and 1929? Explain your answer, using details from both interpretations.

(Total for Question 17 is 4 marks)

Suggest one reason why the authors of Interpretation 1 and Interpretation 2 might have different views about how far Germany's recovery was genuine.

(Total for Question 18 is 4 marks)

Which interpretation do you find more convincing about how far Germany genuinely recovered between 1924 and 1929? Explain your answer, using Interpretation 1, Interpretation 2 and your own knowledge.

(Total for Question 19 is 16 marks)

Mark scheme · EDX.WN2 Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1924-1929: The Recovery of the Republic

Question 1

B1 Gustav Stresemann
Answer: Gustav Stresemann

Question 2

B1 1924
B1 correctly identifies that it provided American loans to Germany
Answer: 1924, and it arranged American loans for Germany.

Question 3

B1 1925
B1 France (accept Belgium)
Answer: 1925; France (or Belgium).

Question 4

B1 1926
Answer: 1926

Question 5

B1 1929
B1 correctly identifies that it reduced the total reparations bill and spread payments over a longer period
Answer: 1929; it reduced the total reparations bill and spread payments over a much longer period.

Question 6

B1 the Rentenmark
Answer: The Rentenmark

Question 7

B1 the Bauhaus
Answer: The Bauhaus

Question 8

B1 cinema flourished, e.g. German directors such as Fritz Lang made internationally acclaimed films
B1 cabaret, jazz and nightlife thrived in Berlin, and radio broadcasting expanded rapidly after starting in 1923
Answer: Cinema flourished under directors such as Fritz Lang, and Berlin's cabaret, jazz and radio culture expanded rapidly.

Question 9

B1 more women entered paid employment, particularly in offices, retail and new industries
B1 fashions and social attitudes changed, e.g. shorter hair and skirts and greater social freedom for the so called 'New Woman'
Answer: More women worked in offices, retail and new industries, and fashions/social attitudes became noticeably more liberal.

Question 10

B1 1928 (accept a figure in the range 1927-1928)
Answer: 1928

Question 11

B1 October 1929
Answer: October 1929

Question 12

B1 farmers, e.g. German agriculture
B1 remained in a slump throughout the decade, with falling prices for produce and continuing rural poverty
Answer: German farmers, whose incomes remained depressed throughout the recovery years despite falling prices for their produce.

Question 13

B2 economic recovery meant fewer Germans were suffering hardship severe enough to turn to extreme parties promising radical solutions
B2 Stresemann's foreign policy successes, such as Locarno and League of Nations membership, restored a sense of national pride and stability that undercut extremist arguments that the Republic was weak and humiliated
Answer: Economic recovery reduced hardship, and Stresemann's foreign policy successes restored national confidence, both weakening the appeal of extremist parties.

Question 14

B2 the recovery depended heavily on short-term American loans under the Dawes Plan, which could be recalled at short notice, leaving the economy exposed
B2 German agriculture remained in depression throughout the period, and unemployment was already beginning to rise again by 1929, even before the Wall Street Crash
Answer: Dependence on short-term, recallable American loans, and a continuing agricultural depression alongside rising unemployment by 1929.

Question 15

B1 inference 1, e.g. entertainment and consumer culture were thriving, with money to spend on leisure
B1 supporting detail for inference 1 from the source, e.g. the advert promotes a 'cabaret theatre', 'jazz band' and 'new season' with 'tables filling fast'
B1 inference 2, e.g. modern technology and transport were becoming more widely available, improving everyday life
B1 supporting detail for inference 2 from the source, e.g. it mentions a 'wireless set' for radio broadcasts and that 'trains run late' and 'trams are running better than ever'
Answer: Entertainment and consumer culture were thriving (cabaret, jazz, booking demand); and modern technology/transport were improving daily life (radio, trains, trams).

Question 16

Level 1 (1-3): Identifies one or two general reasons for the recovery, with little or no supporting detail or explanation.
Level 2 (4-6): Identifies and begins to explain one or two reasons, supported by some accurate detail.
Level 3 (7-9): Explains two or three reasons for the recovery, each supported by accurate and relevant detail.
Level 4 (10-12): Explains three or more reasons in a well-developed, logically structured way, supported throughout by precise and accurate detail, showing how the reasons connect.
Indicative content:
- Currency stabilisation: the Rentenmark of November 1923, replaced by the Reichsmark in 1924, ended hyperinflation and restored basic confidence in German money, the essential first step before any wider recovery was possible.
- The Dawes Plan of 1924 reorganised reparations into affordable instalments and brought in substantial American loans, giving German industry the capital it needed to rebuild and modernise.
- Stresemann's foreign policy achievements, the Locarno Treaties of 1925 and League of Nations membership from 1926, reduced international tension and improved Germany's diplomatic and economic standing, encouraging further foreign investment.
- Industrial recovery followed directly from this stability and investment: production recovered to above pre-war levels by around 1928, and unemployment fell for most of the period.
- The Young Plan of 1929 further reduced the reparations burden, reinforcing the sense that Germany's economic position was becoming more secure, though this came right at the end of the period.
- These reasons connect in sequence: currency stability enabled the Dawes Plan loans, which funded industrial recovery, while Stresemann's diplomacy created the international conditions that made continued foreign investment and reduced reparations possible.

Question 17

B2 Interpretation 1 argues the recovery was genuine and substantial, citing Stresemann's diplomatic successes, industrial production above pre-war levels, and flourishing culture
B2 Interpretation 2 argues the recovery was shallow, resting on recallable American loans, a continuing farming slump, persistent extremist support and rising unemployment by 1929
Answer: Interpretation 1 sees the recovery as genuine and substantial; Interpretation 2 sees it as shallow and built on unstable foundations.

Question 18

B2 the authors may focus on different measures of recovery: Interpretation 1 emphasises headline achievements such as diplomacy and overall industrial output, while Interpretation 2 emphasises the underlying structure of the economy, such as loan dependency and unequal prosperity
B2 the authors may write with knowledge of what followed, so Interpretation 2 may be more influenced by hindsight of the Wall Street Crash of October 1929 and its devastating impact on a loan-dependent economy
Answer: They may focus on different measures of recovery (headline achievements vs underlying structural weaknesses), or Interpretation 2 may be more shaped by hindsight of the Wall Street Crash.

Question 19

Level 1 (1-4): States a simple preference for one interpretation, with little or no supporting reasoning or own knowledge.
Level 2 (5-8): Describes the content of one or both interpretations and gives a limited reason for a preference, with some own knowledge.
Level 3 (9-12): Explains reasons for a preference between the interpretations, using relevant own knowledge to support or challenge each one.
Level 4 (13-16): Evaluates both interpretations critically, using precise own knowledge to reach a sustained and well-supported judgement about which is more convincing, or how far each is convincing.
Indicative content:
- Evidence supporting Interpretation 1: industrial production exceeded its 1913 level by around 1928, the Locarno Treaties (1925) and League of Nations membership (1926) genuinely transformed Germany's international standing, and cultural life, cinema, the Bauhaus and Berlin's nightlife, flourished visibly.
- Evidence supporting Interpretation 2: the Dawes Plan loans were short-term and could be recalled, which is exactly what happened after the Wall Street Crash of October 1929, triggering rapid economic collapse; German farmers never shared in the recovery, and unemployment was already rising before the Crash.
- A convincing answer might note the two views are not fully contradictory: the recovery was real in the sense that production, diplomacy and culture all genuinely improved, but Interpretation 2 is right that this improvement rested on foundations, especially American loans, that proved unable to withstand a shock.
- Own knowledge of what followed, the almost immediate and severe collapse of the German economy after the Wall Street Crash, could be used to argue that the speed and scale of that collapse supports Interpretation 2's view that the recovery was shallow rather than secure.
- A full answer reaches a supported judgement, using the fragility exposed by 1929 to argue for one interpretation over the other, or for a combined view that the recovery was genuine but unsustainable.

Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1924-1929: The Recovery of the Republic - Worksheets, Questions and Revision