Starter quiz
- Which keyword describes the German Empire (1933 to 1945)?
- 'Third Reich' ✓
- Who did Hitler blame Germany’s problems on?
- Christian people
- Jewish people ✓
- weak politicians ✓
- Allied politicians
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- Why did Hitler's speeches become popular during a period of Germany’s national weakness?
- He praised the Treaty of Versailles.
- He called for peace and reconciliation.
- He condemned the Treaty of Versailles. ✓
- He called for stronger, one person led government. ✓
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- What event in 1929 sent the American economy into meltdown?
- 'Wall Street Crash' ✓
- Who was Hitler inspired by?
- The American Democrat leader Franklin D. Roosevelt
- The British Labour leader James Ramsay MacDonald
- The Italian fascist leader Mussolini ✓
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- Which of the following methods did Hitler use to consolidate his power?
- He allowed free elections.
- He censored the media. ✓
- He allowed freedom of speech.
- He imprisoned his political opponents. ✓
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Exit quiz
- Which keyword describes an area in which military forces have been removed?
- 'demilitarised' ✓
- Which of the following did Hitler believe in?
- liberialism
- perpetual struggle ✓
- democracy
- appeasement
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- Complete the sentence: In 1936, Hitler moved troops into the ______, the response emboldened him to acquire more 'living space' for Germany.
- 'Rhineland' ✓
- How did Hitler aim to build a ‘thousand-year Reich’?
- His plan was to convince neighbouring countries to convert to fascism.
- His plan was to go to war with Britain and take her empire.
- His plan was to retake the German lands lost after World War One. ✓
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- Who in Britain was arguing for increased military spending and preparations for war in response to Hitler's actions in 1934?
- the Labour Prime Minister James Ramsay MacDonald
- the dictator Benito Mussolini
- the Conservative MP Winston Churchill ✓
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- What was Chamberlain’s policy of appeasement?
- a policy of bending to some of Hitler’s demands in order to avoid a war ✓
- a military policy to rapidly expand territory needed for the Reich
- an economic policy to improve life in German post-WW1
- a policy of not allowing any of Hitler’s demands in order to avoid a war
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Worksheet
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Hitler believed in perpetual struggle: nations that were hard-working would prosper, those that did not would fade away.
- In 1936, Hitler moved troops into the Rhineland, the response emboldened him to acquire more 'living space' for Germany.
- Countries like Britain followed a policy of appeasement with Hitler.
- Hitler annexed Austria and Czechoslovakia, securing Germany’s eastern border.
- War broke out in 1939 when Hitler invaded Poland, whom Britain had promised to defend.
Common misconception
At the time, everyone knew Hitler was a tyrant, so appeasement was clearly wrong.
The international community was divided. Many wanted to avoid a repeat of World War One. Furthermore, many thought that Germany had been treated harshly after WWI, and it seemed fair for Germany to take back some of its territory.
Keywords
Colonise - to send people to live in and govern another country
Reich - meaning ‘empire’, there had been two German empires previously, so the Nazis described their empire as the ‘Third Reich’
Demilitarised - an area in which military forces have been removed
Annexation - taking possession of a piece of land or a country, usually by force or without permission
Appeasement - the act of giving the opposing side in a war an advantage that they have demanded, in order to prevent further disagreement