"I am going to fail A2 Edexcel Unit 3: Germany 1900-1945" -- OFFICIAL thread.

Well, the question I had (from the textbook) was:
To what extent was moderate reform the most important factor in keeping the status quo, 1900-1914? (or something along those lines)

So, you obviously have all of your moderate reforms, and then the other policies:

Primat der Innenpolitik = Welt+Flottenpolitik
The nationalism in the country - even the SPD supported that [there's even a quote on that, can't remember]
The army being above the law (zabern incident)
Kaiser's powers (and personality, to an extent)
Lack of power of the Reichstag
How the PR system made it so that most of the seats went to the right wing anyway
Pressure groups like the Agrarian League and the Fatherland Party

That gives you quite a lot to work with..


The responsibility question's easy since you have the sources to use if you ever forget a factor/blank out! [and you have all of Fischer's thesis if you can't understand a source ]

And the polarisation one is one I haven't tried yet, I'll do it tomorrow, then. Although it's pretty common-sense-like, right?

Oh, maybe I need to look at the second reich as well then but I thought that was more of an introductory chapter and that there wont be questions on it?

My teacher said, that the way he sees it, it's split up into 4 sections for his part (up to the Stresseman years) :
Pre- WW1
The war guilt
the Weimar's bad years
the Weimar's 'good' year
the last two would probably go together

And also, sorry if this sounds stupid but what does Primat der Innenpolitik have to do with reform? I thought that was the idea that German Foreign policy was dictated by internal issues?

the question has more to do with whether or not reforms were the key to keeping the status quo. The way I've learned it - yes they are, but there are other factors. Primat der Innenpolitik would be the 'other factors' [and quite an important one, at that]

And yeah, polarization and Unit 3 is something I plan to tackle tomorrow. From what I remember, I would make mention of the SPD/USPD split with Luxembourg and Liebknecht although maybe mention as a counter argument to this point that Liebknecht voted against War Credits(or some ****) at the beginning of the war, so there was always an element of left wing radicalization, it just picked up pace as the war progressed. Id also make mention maybe about the increase in far right politics and maybe nationalism with the whole stab in the back myth and soldiers who later joined the Freikorp and far right parties having felt betrayed at their countries surrender. Somewhere ill add in the stuff about Ersatz and other economic **** ups. You reckon this sounds okay?

that's all after the war begins - I might have messed up my dates, but I'm sure that it's up to before the war begins. Sorry for my misinformation.

Also, are you just using the edexcel text book?

Hey, I just wondered if most people here had studied the whole 1900-1945?
Cause we didn't do 1900-1919 and I'm a bit worried.
Also the first bit will be 2 questions, which is a choice, and part B is source 1933-39 right?

Hey, I just wondered if most people here had studied the whole 1900-1945?
Cause we didn't do 1900-1919 and I'm a bit worried.
Also the first bit will be 2 questions, which is a choice, and part B is source 1933-39 right?

Hey, I just wondered if most people here had studied the whole 1900-1945?
Cause we didn't do 1900-1919 and I'm a bit worried.
Also the first bit will be 2 questions, which is a choice, and part B is source 1933-39 right?

It is actually worrying since question of German responsibility for the outbreak of WWI is a vital question, a classic argument but exam board might word it differently, even though it will be the same question. And really without looking back as far as 1871, the latter developments in Germany can be very confusing

Thanks to that we have two teachers and they divided this module into two parts 1900-1933 and 1933-1945 amongst themselves so we don't miss out on anything although we are going bit fast through WWII years which is very big area ! I feel quite confident about this unit to be honest. I won't improve my essay skills massively in a week but I try to remember clever phrases and structure.

i am trying to learn everything to give myself choice and now i'm freaking out!

can anybody suggest a good plan for each of the controversies just like what each paragraphs could roughly be about?

Well this is not really a plan in paragraphs but if you make sure you cover these it will be fine (hopefully).

WW1 controversy- Germany foriegn policy, july crisis, how each country (including USA, Serbia, Austria-Hungary, Germany, France and GB) are responsible/ played apart in the war and a few historian views would help.

Nazi popularity- conest and consensus, resistenz, loyal reluctance, terror state, denunciations, oppostition from women, church, youth, etc and popular policies such as work schemes and general knowledge of historian views. interpretation e.g. Mommsen.

Nazi chaos, etc- Hitler- stron or weak dictator, Hitler's lifestlye, struggle between party and state, leading Nazis and their roles/ ambitions, divide and rule policy (choas delibrate or accident), working towards the Fuhrer, cumulative radicalisation ans social darwinism.

Hope this helps!! I know it looks a lot but some parts are quiete small, have you any useful tips on structure or what they may come up/ hardes topics???

Nazi

can anyone give a brief idea what these other countries did which can be seen to cause war?.