A brief comparison of the social and cultural climates of Weimar and Nazi Germany, towards conducting a historical inquiry.

1. HTAV VCE CONFERENCE 2020
UNIT 1 AOS2
SOCIAL & CULTURAL CHANGE
IN NAZI GERMANY
TOWARDS DEVELOPING A
HISTORICAL INQUIRY

2. AOS2 – SOCIAL & CULTURAL
CHANGE
OVERVIEWKEY QUESTIONS:
• What continuity and what change is evident between the 1920s
and 1930s in social and cultural life?
• How did ideologies affect the daily lives of people?
• How did cultural life reflect and challenge the prevailing political,
economic and social circumstances?

3. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
OVERVIEWOUTCOME:
Explain patterns of social life and cultural change in the context of
Germany during the Weimar and Nazi periods, and analyse the
factors which influenced changes to social life and culture.

4. AOS2 – SOCIAL & CULTURAL
CHANGE
OVERVIEWKEY KNOWLEDGE:
• The influence of change on the ways in which society was
organised and how people lived their lives;
• The role of race, class, ethnicity, political affiliation and gender;
• The extent to which certain groups were excluded from
participation in society, and how this was manifested;
• The ways in which cultural expression influenced and reflected
social, political and economic change;
• Attempts by governments to control cultural expression.

5. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
OVERVIEWASSESSMENT:
A historical inquiry in the form of a formal essay including correct
citation of sources.
You will select a social group or an aspect of culture and research
the extent of change experienced under the Nazi regime.
This will involve developing 3-4 inquiry questions to guide your
research and essay structure.
To be written in two class periods (100 minutes) with a detailed plan

6. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
OVERVIEWAOS STRUCTURE:
1. Culture during the Weimar period
2. Social life under the Nazi regime
3. Changes to culture during the Nazi period
4. The persecution of the Jews

7. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
GERMANY PRE-WWISOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS
• Great social change in some regions
• Increased industrialisation
• Growing urbanisation
• Decreasing agricultural sector
• Some regions experienced little change
• Growth of liberal democratic attitudes and political parties
• Trade union membership tripled between 1900-1913
• Jewish people played an integral role in all aspects of life,
especially in professional occupations and the arts

8. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
GERMANY PRE-WWISOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS cont.
• Nevertheless:
• Aspects of an absolute monarchy remained
• Politically and socially conservative
• Imperialism supported by most Germans
• Arms race with Britain

9. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
GERMANY PRE-WWICULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS
• Radical, experimental arts scene defined by:
• Sexual liberation
• Expressive immediacy
• Influential expressionists e.g. Kirchner, Kandinsky
• Artists should produce ‘modern art’ but also take direct
action in society
• Film
• From 1895 seen as entertainment for lower classes
• From 1910 cinema was seen as ‘artistic’

10. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
GERMANY PRE-WWIINFLUENCE OF WWI ON CULTURE
• ‘May [war] purify our public life…’ – Admiral von Müller
• ‘The mood is brilliant’ – Hermann Häfker
• War boosted the film industry and demand for cinema
• Foreign films became unavailable leading to ready employment
for directors, actors and technicians
• Frontline footage and propaganda films in high demand
• Artists gradually began to paint anti-war themes

11. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
WEIMAR PERIODCHALLENGES TO WEIMAR
• Attempted Communist revolution (Spartacists)
• Right-wing opposition (Kapp Putsch)
• Attitudes to the Treaty of Versailles
• Consequences of the Treaty of Versailles
• Hyperinflation

12. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
WEIMAR PERIODWEIMAR CULTURE 1919-1933
• Extraordinary cultural and artistic flourishing
• Visual arts (Expressionism)
• Theatre (Brecht, Reinhardt, Cabaret)
• Literature
• Cinema
• Music (Kurt Weill, introduction of Jazz)
• Architecture and design (Bauhaus)
• Modern dance

13. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
WEIMAR PERIODWEIMAR CULTURE 1919-1933
• Characteristics:
• Emphasis on ordinary people and everyday themes
• Anti-war and anti-military attitudes
• ‘Live for today’ atmosphere
• Social alienation related to the growth of cities
• Simplicity and practicality in building and design
• Use of art and literature as a vehicle for social criticism

14. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
WEIMAR PERIODWEIMAR CULTURE 1919-1933
• Why so much change?
• Berlin became a commercial and business centre, supporting
the growth of artistic pursuits
• Censorship had ceased and new ideas were freely discussed
• German universities open to Jewish students who provided
great intellectual and academic stimulus
• Challenges to Weimar undermined ‘old’ values leading to a
different attitude to life, experimentation and new ideas

15. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
WEIMAR PERIODGERMAN EXPRESSIONISM
• A reaction against industrialisation and the social alienation
brought about by the growth of cities
• Key artist – Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944)
• Expression of feelings through abstract choice of colours and
lines vs imitation of nature

16. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
WEIMAR PERIODGERMAN CINEMA
• Broke new ground in content and style
• Key films include:
• The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920)
• Metropolis (1927)
• Nosferatu (1922)
• Premonitions of Hitler and the Nazis were common themes
• Films reflected German social and economic conditions

17. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
WEIMAR PERIODBAUHAUS
• A revolutionary artistic movement starting in 1919
• Unite art and technology/move away from traditional styles
• Literally based in the Weimar region
• Aimed to integrate art and crafts with technology
• Bold experimentation and imagination encouraged
• Utilitarian – how will objects be used?
• Tubular steel chairs, geometric furniture, flat-
roofed/square/oblong shaped buildings
• Glass walls, exposed concrete structures

18. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
WEIMAR PERIODCABARETS AND NIGHTCLUBS
• No censorship and a ‘live for today’ hedonistic attitude led to an
explosion in German cabaret
• Strip clubs, options for sexual preferences, nudity, overt same-
sex entertainment available
• Rise in the number of Berlin prostitutes related to hyperinflation
• Anita Berber an example of the decadence of German cabaret

19. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
WEIMAR PERIODCONTINUITY AND CHANGE
• Weimar did not change everything for everybody
• The economy recovered strongly by 1929 e.g. car ownership
rose from 82,700 in 1922 to over 500,000 by 1930
• The Great Depression had a severe effect on Germany,
reminding people of the hardships of hyperinflation
• As times became more difficult, right-wing pressures increased
and censorship of the arts returned
• From 1933, the Nazis would have a profound effect on every
aspect of German social cultural life

20. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
NAZI GERMANY 1933-
1939
WELTANSCHAUUNG The way one sees the world
• Extreme nationalism
• Anti-Semitism
• Anti-Communism
• A contempt for liberal democracy and the parliamentary system
• The Führer Principle
• Social Darwinism
• Propaganda and control
• Lebensraum

21. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
NAZI GERMANY 1933-
1939
GLEICHSCHALTUNG coordination
• A single centralized government
• Control of the public service
• Abolish the upper house of parliament (Reichsrat)
• Maintain but neuter the Reichstag
• Control of the legal system
• Abolish trade unions and replace with the German Labour Front
• Abolish all political parties – a single party state
• Deal with the SA
• Win the support of the German army

22. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
NAZI GERMANY 1933-
1939
VOLKSGEMEINSCHAFT The People’s Community
• A revolution to change German society
• Harmonious, classless, no social conflict
• Promote national unity
• Devotion to the charismatic super leader
• The Volk – racially pure, loyal German citizens
• All aspects of German society would reflect Nazi values

23. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
NAZI GERMANY 1933-
1939
WOMEN
• Should be focused on the home; wives and mothers
• Financial incentives and laws introduced to increase the birth
rate
• Workplace discrimination – many professions denied entry to
women
• Kinder Kirche und Küche (children, church and kitchen)
• Lebensborn (Spring of Life program – giving a child to the Führer)
• ‘Intelligence, in a woman, is not an essential thing’ (Hitler)

24. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Nazi_Germany#/media/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_146-1973-010-31,_Mutter_mit_Kindern.jpg accessed 18.02.2020

25. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
NAZI GERMANY 1933-
1939
CHILDREN
BOYS GIRLS
6-10 years – The Little Fellows (Pimpf) 10-14 years – League of Young Girls
(Jungmadelbund)
10-14 years – The German Young People
(Deutsches Jungvolk)
14-18 years – League of German Maidens
(Bund Deutscher Madel)
14-18 years – The Hitler Youth (Hitler Jugend)

26. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
NAZI GERMANY 1933-
1939
JEWS
• Restrictive laws passed 1933-35
• April 1933 boycott of Jewish businesses
• Nuremberg Laws of 1935
• Kristallnacht 9th November 1938
• Ghettoisation in Poland and occupied territories 1939-
• Einsatzgruppen death squads in Eastern Europe 1939-1945
• Wansee Conference and planning the Final Solution 1941-1942
• Death Camps 1941-1945

27. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
NAZI GERMANY 1933-
1939
OTHER SOCIAL & CULTURAL GROUPS/MOVEMENTS
• Education and teachers; Nazi curriculum
• Religion – Catholics, Protestants, Jehovah’s Witnesses
• The Arts – literature, music, cabaret, architecture, art
• German workers – the economic recovery, Four-Year Plan, autarky; Beauty
of Labour, Strength Through Joy movements
• Media – the press, radio, cinema, propaganda
• Political groups esp. Communists
• Minority groups incl. homosexuals, Roma people, mentally ill and physically
disabled, the feebleminded – untermenschen
• Resistance movements – Sophie Scholl and the White Rose

28. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
A HISTORICAL INQUIRYCurrent AOS2 Outcome:
Explain patterns of social and cultural change [in the context of
Germany] and analyse the factors which influenced changes to
social life and culture in the inter-war years.
New SD AOS2 Outcome:
Explain patterns of social and cultural change in everyday life in
the first half of the twentieth century, and analyse the
conditions which influenced these changes.

29. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
A HISTORICAL INQUIRYOxley 11 History Unit 1 AOS2 assessment
The SAC for Unit 1 AOS2 is a historical inquiry into the
experience of a specific group living under Nazi rule between
1933-1939. You will investigate continuity and change for this
group. This historical inquiry will take the form of an essay.

30. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
A HISTORICAL INQUIRYSTEP ONE
Choose your topic
This can be general or very specific. You could consider children,
Jews, women, artists (musicians, painters, architects, film
makers), teachers, Christians, homosexuals, Communists,
ordinary German workers etc. Your choice will be limited only
by the availability of resources.

31. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
A HISTORICAL INQUIRYSTEP TWO
Develop three inquiry questions to help guide your research
You could ask: What was life for your selected group like under
Weimar? How did things change? Why did things change? Why
did they make changes? Were they better or worse off than
before? How did the changes reflect Nazi ideology? You need to
develop your own detailed questions and submit them for
checking before beginning your research.

32. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
A HISTORICAL INQUIRYSAMPLE ONE: Josh – German cinema
1. What were the characteristics of the German film industry
during the Weimar period?
2. How and why did the Nazis seek to change and control the
industry from 1933 to 1939?
3. What was the importance of film according to the Nazis and
how did they use it as a form of propaganda?

33. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
A HISTORICAL INQUIRYSAMPLE TWO: Jessica – Homosexuals
1. What was the status of homosexuals during the Weimar
period?
2. Why did Nazi Ideology target homosexuals (and how was
this shown?)
3. Individual case study on Ernst Röhm.

34. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
A HISTORICAL INQUIRYSAMPLE THREE: Harry – Architecture & design
1. What was the architectural landscape during the Weimar
period?
2. What action was taken to limit the expressions displayed
through architecture and design under Nazi rule?
3. Why did the Nazi Party and Adolf Hitler in particular want to
so drastically reform architecture and design in Germany?

35. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
A HISTORICAL INQUIRYSAMPLE FOUR: Callum – Scientists
1. Science during the Weimar period, the boom of new
scientific discoveries such as quantum mechanics and the
theory of relativity.
2. The changes in Science during the Nazi period, the
popularity of pseudoscience and the new focus on war
related science.
3. A case study on Albert Einstein, who was a German Jewish
scientist who left Germany when the Nazis came to rule.

36. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
A HISTORICAL INQUIRYSAMPLE FIVE: Jews
1. What was the status of Jews in Germany during the Weimar
period?
2. How and why did the Nazis persecute German Jews from
1933?
3. Case study – focus on the experience of an individual and
how their life changed.

37. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
A HISTORICAL INQUIRYSTEP THREE
Locate your resources
These should include books, or non-book material such as images,
posters, documentaries, films, Internet resources or eyewitness
accounts. We have many excellent resources you can borrow. There
are some good starting points on SEQTA. Use both the textbooks as
sources. Record the details of your sources. If using a website,
record the address and the date accessed. If referring to images,
please include them in an appendix.

38. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
A HISTORICAL INQUIRYHELPFUL BOOK RESOURCES
• Evans, Richard J., The Third Reich in Power, Penguin Books,
New York, 2005
• Johnson, Eric A., Nazi Terror – the Gestapo, Jews and
ordinary Germans, Basic Books, New York, 2000
• Rees, Lawrence, The Holocaust, Penguin Random House,
London, 2017

39. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
A HISTORICAL INQUIRYHELPFUL INTERNET RESOURCES
• https://alphahistory.com/weimarrepublic/weimar-republic-topics/
• https://alphahistory.com/nazigermany/
• https://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/nazi-germany/
• https://spartacus-educational.com/GERnazigermany.htm
• https://www.ushmm.org/

40. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
A HISTORICAL INQUIRYSTEP FOUR
Take notes from your resources
Don’t just highlight – write down the relevant information in
dot point form according to your inquiry questions. PLAN your
essay thoroughly*. You may bring a detailed handwritten plan
to the SAC. You will be asked to sign the VCAA authentication
form declaring your notes are the result of your own research.
* Graphic organisers can be very helpful, especially for students with a learning difficulty.

41. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
A HISTORICAL INQUIRYSTEP FIVE
Complete a bibliography/reference list
You must reference all resources you have used. List books and
websites in separate lists using the correct format. If you refer
to an image in your essay, please include a copy in an appendix.
If you are unsure of how to record your resources, please see
the guide on SEQTA (intranet) or ask for extra help.

42. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
A HISTORICAL INQUIRYSTEP SIX
Write an essay
Write an essay of at least 600 words on your selected topic during
the allocated SAC periods. You will need to use in-text referencing in
your essay – this will be explained in class. Read the assessment
rubric carefully so you are aware of what to include in your essay.
You may bring in 1 single sided A4 page of handwritten
planning/notes. Take note of feedback from your last SAC to see
where you could improve.

43. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
A HISTORICAL INQUIRYSTRUCTURE
1. INTRODUCTION: 50-100 words. State the main subject of
your essay, followed by a brief summary of the three
questions you will be answering. No specific evidence.
2. TOPIC PARAGRAPHS: 3 paragraphs of 200+ words each.
Topic sentences, lots of evidence, clear explanation.
3. CONCLUSION: 50-100 words. Sum it all up. Restate your
main points. Finish strong – with a quote that foreshadows
what is to come. No new information.

44. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
A HISTORICAL INQUIRYIN-TEXT REFERENCING
• When referring to a book in your essay, include the author, date of the book and
page number (Mason, 2005, p.44). Readers can cross-reference this with your
bibliography.
• When referring to website, you need to make sure they are numbered in the
bibliography and refer to them like (website 1).
• You should provide a reference not only for direct quotes, but also for any other
information which is not general knowledge.
• For each point you make, you should provide evidence.
• All your bibliography and referencing prep should be completed before the SAC so
you can just concentrate on writing.

45. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
A HISTORICAL INQUIRYUSING PRIMARY SOURCE QUOTES
Quotes are vital. It shows that you have researched widely and indicates
an ability to use evidence to drive home a point. When you use a quote
in an essay, make sure that it is relevant to the point you are making. It is
also recommended that you only use the part of the quote you need to
make your point. Use an ellipsis to shorten your quote e.g. Ludendorff
stated 'Hitler... will lead us into the abyss.' The ellipsis indicates that you
have left words out. Embed the quotes - integrate them into sentences.
Don't just dump them in by themselves like poor little word orphans.

46. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
A HISTORICAL INQUIRYEXTRA ADVICE
• Plagiarism will result in an automatic UG. This includes both
direct copying of information without citation.
• Handwrite your research notes.
• Read the attached assessment rubric so you are aware of
the criteria.
• Record the details of resources used as you research.
• Ask for help whenever you need it.

47. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
A HISTORICAL INQUIRYFINAL WORD
The key to success is in the preparation. If you
spent time getting your essay plan and notes
ready, you will have a good idea of what the final
word count will be. The better prepared you are,
the easier it will be to write your essay.

48. AOS2 – SOCIAL &
CULTURAL CHANGE
REFERENCES• Carrodus, Geraldine et al, Twentieth Century 1: Between the
Wars, HTAV, Melbourne, 2016
• Malone, Richard, Analysing Twentieth Century Units 1 & 2,
Cambridge University Press, Melbourne, 2015
• Mason, K.J., Germany 1918-1945, Nelson Cengage learning,
Melbourne, 2014
• Mason, K.J., Republic to Reich: A History of Germany 1918-
1939, McGraw Hill, Sydney, 2007
Special thanks to Dr. Catherine Hart for permission to use her excellent tips on conducting a historical
inquiry from a previous HTAV conference. Follow her on Twitter @CatherineRHart