NCERT Questions & Answers
Q1. Describe the problems faced by the Weimar Republic.
→ The Weimar Republic, set up after WWI, faced several challenges. The Treaty of Versailles imposed heavy reparations, territorial losses, and the War Guilt Clause. Politically, proportional representation led to unstable coalition governments, while Article 48 allowed the President to rule by decree. Economically, Germany suffered hyperinflation in 1923 and was hit hard by the Great Depression in 1929, causing massive unemployment. The Republic was also criticised by nationalists as the creation of “November criminals”. These problems weakened democracy and paved the way for Hitler’s rise.
Q2. Why did Nazism become popular in Germany by 1930?
→ The Great Depression created unemployment, poverty, and discontent. Hitler promised jobs, national revival, and an end to the humiliation of Versailles. Nazi propaganda projected him as a saviour, holding mass rallies, using radio, posters, and symbols like the swastika. His promises of strong leadership, racial purity, and expansion appealed to many. Weakness of the Weimar Republic and fear of communism also helped. By 1932, the Nazis became the largest party in the Reichstag.
Q3. What are the peculiar features of Nazi thinking?
→ Nazi ideology believed in racial hierarchy, with Aryans as the “master race” and Jews, Gypsies, and Slavs as undesirables. It glorified war, conquest, and militarism. It rejected democracy and promoted one-party dictatorship. Nazis emphasised Lebensraum (living space) and expansion eastwards. They believed in total control over society, culture, education, and media. Women were confined to motherhood, while youth were indoctrinated through Nazi schools and organisations.
Q4. Explain why Nazi propaganda was effective in creating hatred for Jews.
→ Nazi propaganda used films, posters, radio, and speeches to spread stereotypes of Jews as greedy, conspiratorial, and unpatriotic. Textbooks were rewritten to portray Jews as enemies. Rallies glorified Hitler and vilified minorities. The Nazis manipulated people’s fears during economic crisis, blaming Jews for both capitalism and communism. This constant repetition and visual imagery convinced many Germans to see Jews as responsible for Germany’s problems.
Q5. Explain the role of women in Nazi society. Compare with the French Revolution.
→ Women in Nazi Germany were seen as mothers and bearers of the Aryan race. They were encouraged to have many children, awarded crosses for large families, and discouraged from careers. Women who had relations with Jews or bore “undesirable” children were punished. In contrast, during the French Revolution, women actively participated in political clubs and demanded equality, though rights were limited. Thus, while revolutionary women sought political rights, Nazi women were confined to domestic roles.
Q6. How did the Nazi state establish total control over its people?
→ Hitler used the Enabling Act of 1933 to establish dictatorship. Political parties and trade unions were banned. The Gestapo, SS, and concentration camps suppressed dissent. Education and media were controlled to spread Nazi ideology. Youth organisations trained children in obedience and militarism. Surveillance, propaganda, and terror ensured that ordinary Germans followed Nazi policies. The state controlled economy, culture, and even private life, creating a totalitarian regime.
Long Answer Questions
Q1. Discuss the impact of the Treaty of Versailles on Germany.
The Treaty of Versailles (1919) had devastating effects on Germany. It held Germany responsible for WWI through the War Guilt Clause and forced it to pay £6 billion in reparations. Germany lost territories like Alsace-Lorraine, overseas colonies, 75% of its iron and 26% of its coal reserves. The Rhineland was demilitarised. The army was restricted to 100,000 men. These harsh terms caused humiliation and resentment among Germans. Nationalists blamed the Weimar Republic for accepting such a treaty, calling them “November criminals”. Economically, reparations strained Germany’s finances, leading to hyperinflation in 1923. The treaty crippled German pride, weakened democracy, and created conditions in which extremist ideologies like Nazism could grow. Thus, the Treaty of Versailles directly contributed to Hitler’s rise by creating anger, poverty, and a desire for revenge.
Q2. How did the Great Depression help the rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party?
The Great Depression of 1929 severely hit Germany, which was dependent on American loans under the Dawes Plan. When loans stopped, banks collapsed, businesses shut down, and unemployment soared to 6 million. Poverty, homelessness, and despair spread rapidly. The Weimar government failed to provide relief, and people lost faith in democracy. Hitler and the Nazis exploited this crisis through propaganda. They promised jobs, bread, and restoration of national pride. Nazi rallies projected Hitler as a strong leader who could rescue Germany. Their anti-communist stance reassured industrialists, while their promises to workers and peasants attracted the masses. By 1932, the Nazis emerged as the largest party in the Reichstag. Thus, the Depression was the turning point that converted Nazism from a fringe movement into a mass political force.
Q3. Explain the features of Nazi racial ideology and its consequences.
Nazi ideology was based on racism and belief in Aryan superiority. Hitler believed Germans were a pure Nordic Aryan race destined to dominate the world. Jews were considered the worst enemies, blamed for Germany’s defeat, economic problems, and social decay. Other groups like Gypsies, Slavs, blacks, and the disabled were seen as “undesirable”. This ideology led to systematic persecution. Jews were excluded from citizenship by the Nuremberg Laws (1935), boycotted, ghettoised, and finally exterminated in concentration camps during the Holocaust, where 6 million Jews were killed. Gypsies, political opponents, and the disabled were also massacred. Children of occupied territories were kidnapped and “racially examined”. Thus, Nazi racial ideology created one of the darkest chapters of human history, marked by genocide and crimes against humanity.
Q4. Analyse the role of Nazi propaganda in strengthening Hitler’s control.
Propaganda was central to Nazi control. Hitler understood the power of symbols, speeches, and media in shaping public opinion. Huge rallies with swastika flags, military parades, and Hitler’s charismatic oratory created mass appeal. Radio, films, and posters portrayed Hitler as Germany’s saviour. Jews were depicted as greedy, dangerous, and unpatriotic. School textbooks were rewritten with racial science, teaching children to hate minorities. Propaganda glorified motherhood for Aryan women and militarism for men. Even art and cinema were used to spread Nazi ideas. Through constant repetition, Nazi propaganda created an atmosphere where people accepted dictatorship, believed in Hitler’s messiah image, and participated in persecution. It turned lies into accepted truths and manipulated emotions to establish totalitarian control.
Q5. What was the Holocaust? Why is it remembered as one of the greatest crimes against humanity?
The Holocaust was the mass extermination of Jews and other “undesirable” groups by the Nazis during WWII. Between 1941–1945, millions of Jews were deported from ghettos to concentration camps like Auschwitz, Treblinka, and Sobibor, where they were gassed, starved, or worked to death. Gypsies, Poles, Russians, political prisoners, and the disabled were also victims. The Nazis carried out genocide with chilling efficiency, using trains, gas chambers, and crematoria. Over 6 million Jews perished, alongside millions of others. The Holocaust was not only a tragedy for the Jewish people but also a moral failure of humanity, as many nations remained silent. Today, it is remembered through memorials, literature, and museums as a warning against racism, hatred, and blind obedience. It remains one of history’s greatest crimes against humanity.
MCQs
-
The Weimar Republic was established in:
(a) 1918
(b) 1919
(c) 1920
(d) 1921
Answer: (b) -
The Treaty of Versailles was signed in:
(a) 1917
(b) 1918
(c) 1919
(d) 1920
Answer: (c) -
Germany was forced to pay reparations of:
(a) £2 billion
(b) £4 billion
(c) £6 billion
(d) £8 billion
Answer: (c) -
Hyperinflation in Germany occurred in:
(a) 1921
(b) 1922
(c) 1923
(d) 1924
Answer: (c) -
The Great Depression began with the Wall Street Crash in:
(a) 1928
(b) 1929
(c) 1930
(d) 1931
Answer: (b) -
Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in:
(a) 1929
(b) 1932
(c) 1933
(d) 1934
Answer: (c) -
The Enabling Act was passed in:
(a) 1932
(b) 1933
(c) 1934
(d) 1935
Answer: (b) -
Which Nazi organisation was the secret state police?
(a) SS
(b) Gestapo
(c) SA
(d) SD
Answer: (b) -
The Nazi salute and swastika were symbols of:
(a) Socialism
(b) Communism
(c) Nazi ideology
(d) Liberalism
Answer: (c) -
Who was the Nazi propaganda minister?
(a) Himmler
(b) Goering
(c) Goebbels
(d) Hindenburg
Answer: (c) -
The Nuremberg Laws were passed in:
(a) 1933
(b) 1934
(c) 1935
(d) 1936
Answer: (c) -
Hitler’s autobiography was titled:
(a) My Life
(b) Mein Kampf
(c) Struggle
(d) Nazi Germany
Answer: (b) -
Which concept meant “living space” in Nazi ideology?
(a) Volk
(b) Lebensraum
(c) Aryanhood
(d) Reich
Answer: (b) -
The Holocaust refers to:
(a) Nazi rise to power
(b) Nazi racial policies
(c) Mass killing of Jews
(d) WWII battles
Answer: (c) -
The famous concentration camp Auschwitz was located in:
(a) Germany
(b) Poland
(c) Austria
(d) France
Answer: (b) -
The Nazi youth organisation was called:
(a) Hitler Youth
(b) Young Germany
(c) Aryan Youth
(d) Storm Youth
Answer: (a) -
Which group was NOT considered “undesirable” by Nazis?
(a) Jews
(b) Gypsies
(c) Aryan Germans
(d) Disabled persons
Answer: (c) -
WWII began when Germany invaded:
(a) Austria
(b) France
(c) Poland
(d) USSR
Answer: (c) -
The Holocaust ended in:
(a) 1943
(b) 1944
(c) 1945
(d) 1946
Answer: (c) -
Hitler committed suicide in:
(a) April 1944
(b) April 1945
(c) May 1945
(d) June 1945
Answer: (b)
Fill in the Blanks
-
The Weimar Republic was established in 1919.
-
The Treaty of Versailles imposed war guilt on Germany.
-
The Great Depression began in 1929.
-
Hitler became Chancellor on 30 January 1933.
-
The Enabling Act gave Hitler dictatorial powers.
-
The Nazi secret police was called Gestapo.
-
The Nazi youth organisation was Hitler Youth.
-
The Nuremberg Laws denied Jews citizenship.
-
The Nazi ideology emphasised Aryan racial superiority.
-
The Holocaust killed about 6 million Jews.