The Night of the Long Knives
Information, sources and tasks outlining how and why Hitler crushed the SA.

A.

The Nazi Police State

B.

Nazi Economic Policies

C.

Nazi Social Policies

Nazi Social Policies [1]: Overview
Students are divided into groups to investigate Nazi social policies towards undesirables and untermenschen. They are instructed how to organise a PowerPoint show to give to the rest of the class and the findings are recorded in a grid.

Nazi Social Policies [2]: The European Dimension
A stimulating worksheet in which students are shown how many of Hitler's ideas stemmed from theories and practices in Europe and America which were popular at the time (and since). A crucial worksheet which helps students get away from the idea that Hitler was a peculiarly "German" problem.

Social Policies [3]: The Moral Maze
Students are presented with a logical defence of the principles of Eugenics and Social Darwinism as they existed in Hitler's Third Reich. They are then asked how they would nevertheless challenge some of its assertions both on rational and on moral grounds. One to get them thinking and debating!

D.

Nazi Youth Policies

Nazi Youth Policies: [1] Schools in Hitler's Third Reich
GCSE history students match entries from Nazi School Textbooks to the subjects they describe, then each student in the class has a "Napola" school report written for them by several people in the class.

Youth Policies: [2] Youth Organisations in Hitler's Third Reich
GCSE history students compare the Hitler Youth and the League of German Maidens by constructing a dialogue designed to highlight the positive and negative features about each.

E.

Nazi Women's Policies

Nazi Policies towards Women
In this task GCSE history students analyse one of Hitler's speeches to determine how the Third Reich justified the Nazi policy of "Kinder, Kirche, Kuche". They then categorise his actions according to whether they encouraged women to stay at home or have more babies.

F.

Nazi Religious Policies

Nazi Religious Policies
By means of a venn diagram, students investigate the various ways in which the Nazis tried to control replace and weaken the Catholic and Protestant Churches.

G.

Nazi Propaganda Policies

Nazi Propaganda
An in-depth analysis of a whole range of Nazi propaganda techniques including sport, posters and cinema. For each, students have to assess evidence of success and failure.

Recommended DVDs re. Nazi Propaganda Policies
The Wonderful Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl | Triumph of the Will | Olympia

H.

Opposition to the Nazis

Opposition to the Nazis - PowerPoint Starter
Opposition to the Nazis - Main Worksheet
Opposition to the Nazis - Factual Test
After looking at the different versions of the famous Niemoller poem in the powerpoint starter, Students use the main worksheet to compare how different social groups opposed the Nazis, and then use this information to complete one of several suggested tasks after completing a factual test. My own students produced "Hollywood Trailers" which can be found on the ActiveHistory YouTube Channel.

I.

The Jews and the Holocaust

Why did Hitler Hate the Jews? - Main worksheet
This worksheet explains not merely why Hitler hated the Jews, but also why the Jews have been persecuted throughout the ages in countries across Europe. Students connect these factors in a flow diagram and categorise them as religious, racial, economic and social. This worksheet is supported by this antisemitic propaganda for children, and antisemitic propaganda for adults.

Nazi Policies for Jews, 1933-39
Students consider whether each antisemitic policy in Hitler's Third Reich was designed to threaten, humiliate or physically weaken the Jewish people. They consider how the international community responded to Nazi policies. They then consider what the law should really be regarding the treatment of immigrants and national minorities.

Nazi Policies for Jews, 1939-45
The development of the Final Solution in the Third Reich is examined and students produce their own classroom presentation.

Who was Responsible for the Holocaust?
A thorny subject, but an important one: were the German people "Hitler's Willing Executioners"? GCSE History Students consider the evidence for both sides to reach their own judgement.

The Legacy of the Holocaust: Israel and Palestine
This worksheet encourages students to consider how the Arab-Israeli conflict is in large part Hitler's most lasting legacy.

How Should we Commemorate the Holocaust?
Students consider the purpose of commemoration and then design their own Holocaust memorial after looking at a wide range of examples from around the world.

Recommended DVDs re. Nazi Jewish Policies
Holocaust Box Set | Shoah Box Set | Conspiracy | The Nazis and the Final Solution
Life is Beautiful | The Pianist | Schindler's List

Interactive Revision for GCSE History