ACSI 2026 H(E) QP

1 Name: ________________________________ ( ) Class: ________________ Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION 2026 YEAR FOUR (O-levels) HUMANITIES (HISTORY) (2261/02) Friday 14 August 2026 1 hr 50min INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES • Do not open this examination paper until instructed to do so. • Section A: Answer all parts of Question 1. • Section B: Answer two questions. • If you use more than one sheet of writing paper, fasten them together. Attach the answer cover page to the TOP of your answers. • Be careful to number all questions attempted correctly. • The maximum mark for this examination paper is [50 marks]. Section A: __________/30 marks Section B: __________/20 marks Total marks obtained: __________/ 50 marks Parent/ Guardian’s Signature and Date: ____________________ This question paper consists of 7 pages, including the cover page.

2 Section A: Source-Based Case Study Study the Background Information and the sources carefully, and then answer all the questions. You may use any of the sources to help you answer the questions, in addition to those sources you are told to use. In answering the questions, you should use your knowledge of the topic to help you interpret and evaluate the sources. 1 (a) Study Sources A and B. Which source is more useful for understanding how Nazi policies affected the lives of German women ? Explain your answer. [6] (b) Study Source C. Why did Joseph Goebbels make this speech at that time ? Explain your answer. [5] (c) Study Source D. Are you surprised by this source? Explain your answer. [5] (d) Study Sources E and F. How far does Source E prove that Source F is wrong about the impact of Nazi policies on German women ? Explain your answer. [6] (e) Study all the sources. "German women benefited from Nazi rule." How far do the sources support this view? Use the sources and your knowledge to explain your answer. [8]

3 Women in Germany during the Third Reich BACKGROUND INFORMATION Read this carefully. It may help you to answer some of the questions. The impact of the Third Reich (1933 -45) on German women was significant as the regime sought to confine women to traditional roles centred on the family. Through the Nazi slogan Kinder, Küche, Kirche (“Children, Kitchen, Church”), women were encouraged to focus on marriage and motherhood rather than careers or higher education. The government introduced incentives such as marriage loans and the Mother’s Cross to reward women who produced large familie s, which provided some families with greater financial security and social recognition. However, women were discouraged from pursuing careers in professional and white-collar jobs such as law and medicine, limiting their educational opportunities and employment to areas such as agriculture and domestic service . Although these policies reduced women's independence, the demands of rearmament and war eventually forced the Nazi regime to employ more women in factories and other sectors. Overall, Nazi policies provided incentives for marriage and motherhood while placing greater emphasis on women's domestic and family roles, influencing their participation in education and employment. Considering this, did German women genuinely flourish under the Nazis? Source A: From an oral interview by a German Gertrud Draber, who attended an elite bridal school in Berlin and was selected to marry a Schutzstaffel (SS) officer. The S S had established bridal schools. This interview was conducted by a historian for a book on Nazi women published in 2001. I wanted to be a perfect housewife. And I wanted to do something different with my life, not just be a working girl in an office... None of us had a clue about running a household. So, we were taught everything that was necessary to be a woman; house -keeping, being a mother, and being a good wife... My main aim as a woman was above all, and as soon as possible... to become a mother. That was my main ambition.

4 Source B: A cartoon published in Czechoslovakia in 1935. The caption states, “Introducing Frau Mueller, who up to now has brought 12 children into the world.” Czechoslovakia was a democracy with a free press, allowing publications to comment on developments in foreign countries. Source C: A speech by Joseph Goebbels, Nazi Minister for Propaganda, delivered to German women in Munich in 1934. Women have the task of being beautiful and bringing children into the world, and this is by no means as harsh and old-fashioned as one might think. The female bird preens herself for her mate and hatches her eggs for him. In exchange, the mate takes care of gathering the food and stands guard and wards off the enemy. Hitler Frau Mueller

5 Source D: A Social Democratic Party (SPD) poster published in Germany for the Reichstag election in September 1930. The poster states, "Women, this is what it will be like in the Third Reich!" and concludes with the slogan, "Fight the Nazis – Vote for Social Democracy!" * Feder was an early Nazi Party leader who strongly supported traditional gender roles, believing that women's primary duties were to the home, marriage, and motherhood, rather than politics or professional careers. The woman must become a maid, and servant again says the Nazi leader, Feder*. That’s why there are no women represented in the Nazi parliamentary faction.

6 Source E: Comments by an American journalist writing in 1937 about female employment in Nazi Germany, drawing on statistics from the German Department of Labour. How many women workers did the Fuhrer send home? According to statistics of the German Department of Labour, there were, in June 1936, 5,470,000 employed women, or 1,200,000 more than in January 1933… The vigorous campaign against the employment of women has not led to their increased domesticity and security but has been effective in squeezing them out of better paid positions into sweated trades. Needless to say, this type of labour, with its miserable wages and long hours, is extremely dangerous to the health of women and degrades the family. Source F: An oral history interview with a German mother from the industrial city of Oberhausen, conducted in the 1980s in which she recalled her experiences of living under Nazi rule during the 1930s. In 1933, I already had three children with a fourth on the way. When ‘child-rich’ people were in the party the children had a great chance to advance. I got 30 marks per child from the Hitler government and 20 marks per child from the city. That was a lot of money. I sometimes got more ‘child money’ than my husband earned.

7 Section B: Essays Answer two questions. 2 ‘The Nazi-Soviet Pact was the most important reason why war broke out in Europe in 1939.’ How far do you agree? Explain your answer. [10] 3 ‘The D-Day landings in 1944 were the main reason for the Allied victory in Europe during World War II. ’ How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer. [10] 4 ‘North Korea’s confidence that it could successfully take over South Korea was the main reason for the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950.’ How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer. [10] Copyright Acknowledgements: Source A Haste, Cate. Nazi Women: Hitler's Seduction of a Nation. London: Channel 4 Books, 2001. Source B Mr. Lupton History website: Lessons, resources and more for KS3 and