Germany, 1871-1990: United, Divided and Reunited | Edexcel A-Level History (9HI0)

Germany, 1871-1990: United, Divided and Reunited

187 questions
19 subtopics
Paper 3: themes in breadth with aspects in depth, one option of sixteen
Paper 3

A Paper 3 option combining aspects in breadth on German society, women, industry and government economic policy across 120 years with aspects in depth on the founding of the Empire, its collapse in 1918, the Nazi state, the making of the Federal Republic, and reunification..

It covers changes in class structure and prosperity, 1871–1990, the changing role of women, 1871–1990, strength in manufacturing and agriculture's slow decline, 1871–1990, government policy and economic change, 1871-1990, impact of the new Germany's constitution, the Reichstag and the political parties, attempts to consolidate the new Germany, strains of war, tensions and military dictatorship 1917, constitutional reforms from above 1918, the attempt to achieve unity through democracy, gleichschaltung, 1933–34, hitler's role as Führer, the nature of the new Nazi state, the creation of the FRG and its Constitution, adenauer, the CDU and the SPD, de-Nazification and coming to terms with the past, the flood of refugees from the GDR in 1989, the revolution in the GDR, 1989 and reasons for and problems of reunification.

Sample questions from Germany, 1871-1990: United, Divided and Reunited

Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.

Changes in class structure and prosperity, 1871–1990

How fast did the urban working class grow after 1871?

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Germany's population rose from 41 to 68 million by 1914 while the share in agriculture fell below a third, so industrial towns absorbed the increase.
Strength in manufacturing and agriculture's slow decline, 1871–1990

What natural advantages did German industry have?

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Ruhr and Silesian coal, iron ore, a large domestic market after the Zollverein and unification, and navigable rivers linked by canals.
Impact of the new Germany's constitution

Why was the constitution described as an unfinished building?

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Because it combined universal male suffrage with a government not responsible to parliament, so its democratic and authoritarian elements were never reconciled.
Attempts to consolidate the new Germany

How did Bismarck use nationalism to consolidate the Reich?

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He appealed to national unity and identified 'enemies of the Reich' – Catholics and later socialists – against whom Germans could be rallied.
Constitutional reforms from above 1918

What was Rosa Luxemburg's role?

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A Spartacist (communist) leader whose Spartacist Rising of January 1919 was crushed, after which she and Karl Liebknecht were murdered.
Gleichschaltung, 1933–34

How were political parties and trade unions abolished in 1933?

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Trade unions were dissolved in May 1933 and replaced by the DAF, and by July 1933 all other parties were banned, leaving the Nazi Party the only legal party.
The nature of the new Nazi state

What was the Volksgemeinschaft?

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The idea of a racially pure national community transcending class and region, promoted through Strength Through Joy, the Winter Relief and mass rituals.
Adenauer, the CDU and the SPD

How did the SPD change in this period?

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The Godesberg Programme of 1959 dropped Marxism, accepted the market economy and repositioned the SPD as a broad reformist party.

The 19 subtopics

One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.

Subtopic	What it covers	Questions
Changes in class structure and prosperity, 1871–1990	Recall questions on the growth of the urban working class, the Junkers, the Mittelstand, the effect of inflation and slump, and the post-war middle class.	10
The changing role of women, 1871–1990	Recall questions on the civil code of 1900, wartime work, Weimar rights and their limits, Kinder Kuche Kirche, the Trummerfrauen, and the contrast between the FRG and the GDR.	10
Strength in manufacturing and agriculture's slow decline, 1871–1990	Recall questions on Germany's natural advantages, the role of the great banks, cartels, the decline of agriculture, the 1920s farm slump, and export strength by 1990.	10
Government policy and economic change, 1871-1990	Recall questions on the tariffs of 1879 and rye and iron, naval building, Nazi rearmament and the Labour Front, and the effect of the CAP.	10
Impact of the new Germany's constitution	Recall questions on the structure of 1871, the Kaiser's powers, what the states kept, the Chancellor's anomalous position, the Prussian franchise, and how far it succeeded.	10
The Reichstag and the political parties	Recall questions on what the Reichstag could and could not do, why Bismarck granted universal male suffrage, the main parties, the Anti-Socialist Laws, and social insurance.	10
Attempts to consolidate the new Germany	Recall questions on the Kulturkampf and why it failed, the treatment of Poles and Danes, Alsace-Lorraine, and the use of foreign policy scares.	9
Strains of war, tensions and military dictatorship 1917	Recall questions on the blockade and the turnip winter, the silent dictatorship of Hindenburg and Ludendorff, the Hindenburg Programme, and the Peace Resolution.	10
Constitutional reforms from above 1918	Recall questions on the October reforms and why they were made, Prince Max of Baden, the Kiel mutiny and the November revolution, and Ebert and Scheidemann.	9
The attempt to achieve unity through democracy	Recall questions on the Weimar constitution, proportional representation, Article 48, the number of governments, and how far the constitution caused the collapse.	10
Gleichschaltung, 1933–34	Recall questions on the Enabling Act, the coordination of the states and professions, the Night of the Long Knives, and how complete Gleichschaltung was.	10
Hitler's role as Führer	Recall questions on the merging of the offices in 1934, his working method, the end of cabinet government, working towards the Fuhrer, and the strong dictator debate.	10
The nature of the new Nazi state	Recall questions on party and state, the Volksgemeinschaft and how far it was achieved, the Nuremberg Laws, racial policy after 1935, and the churches' response.	10
The creation of the FRG and its Constitution	Recall questions on how the Federal Republic was created, why it was a Basic Law, the constructive vote of no confidence, the five per cent hurdle, and militant democracy.	10
Adenauer, the CDU and the SPD	Recall questions on Adenauer's Westbindung, why he preferred integration to reunification, the Elysee Treaty, the Bad Godesberg programme, and what made the CDU new.	10
De-Nazification and coming to terms with the past	Recall questions on how de-Nazification worked and why it failed, the 131 Law, the silence of the 1950s, the trials of the 1960s, and Brandt at Warsaw.	10
The flood of refugees from the GDR in 1989	Recall questions on why people left, Hungary's border, the embassy occupations, the numbers involved, and why the GDR could not seal itself in.	10
The revolution in the GDR, 1989	Recall questions on the Monday demonstrations, why 9 October was decisive, how the Wall came to open, the effect on the Federal Republic, and Kohl's Ten Point Plan.	9
Reasons for and problems of reunification	Recall questions on the Two Plus Four Treaty, why the Soviet Union agreed, British and French reservations, currency union, the Treuhand, and the costs.	10

Germany, 1871-1990: United, Divided and Reunited is 187 of the 6,832 questions in the guide.Get the guide, £9

How the guide is worked

Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.

Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.

Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.