ACSI 2026 HIST PRELIM P1 MS

1 ACS INDEPENDENT 2026 Y4 HISTORY P1 PRELIM Suggested Answers a) Study Sources A and B. How far does Source A agree with Source B? Explain your answer. 6m L1 Mismatch 1m L2 No BOC, Valid comparison but with no evidence/Difference in provenance only/weak purpose. 2m L3 Similarity and/or difference in content explained. (Award 3m max if only evidence provided but no explanation, 4m for 1 analysis and 5m for both Sim and Diff) Both sources agree that the Reichstag Fire was exploited by Hitler to establish a dictatorship. • Source A shows Hindenburg telling Hitler, "This is a heaven -sent opportunity... If you can't be a dictator now you never will." This suggests that the fire provided Hitler with the perfect excuse to seize dictatorial powers. The scroll labelled "Emergency Powers" further shows that Hitler used emergency legislation following the fire to strengthen his control. • Source B similarly states that the Reichstag Fire became "the excuse for the persecution of Communist and Social Democratic workers" and explains that the "Decree on the Protection of People and State" was used to "cancel the essential basic rights incorpo rated in the constitution of the Weimar Republic." This likewise suggests that Hitler exploited the fire to remove democratic freedoms and establish authoritarian rule. • Therefore, both sources agree that the Reichstag Fire was not merely a fire itself but became the justification for Hitler's rapid consolidation of power. The sources disagree over the extent of Hitler's actions following the Reichstag Fire. • Source A focuses mainly on Hitler's acquisition of dictatorial power. Hindenburg tells Hitler, "This is a heaven -sent opportunity... If you can't be a dictator now you never will," while the scroll labelled "Emergency Powers" suggests that the Reichstag Fi re gave Hitler the legal opportunity to concentrate power in his own hands. The cartoon therefore emphasises Hitler's political ambition and the establishment of dictatorship. • Source B, however, goes much further by arguing that the Reichstag Fire was used not only to establish dictatorship but also to launch widespread persecution of the political left. It states that the fire became "the excuse for the persecution of Communist and Social Democratic workers," that "thousands of people" were arrested, and that left -wing newspapers were confiscated and banned. This shows that Hitler used the fire to eliminate organised opposition, particularly Communists and Social Democrats. • Therefore, while Source A concentrates on Hitler using the Reichstag Fire to become a dictator, Source B emphasises the systematic repression of left-wing political opponents as the key consequence of the fire. 3- 5m

2 L4 Explain difference in purpose. (Award 5m only if impact/evidence lacking in purpose explanation). The sources differ in their purposes . Source A was published in a British newspaper on 8 March 1933, only days after the Reichstag Fire when Hitler had just begun using emergency powers to restrict civil liberties. Its purpose is to warn the British public about the danger of Hitler exploiti ng the communist threat to establish a dictatorship. This is conveyed through Hindenburg's remark, "This is a heaven -sent opportunity, my lad. If you can't be a dictator now you never will," while the scroll labelled "Emergency Powers" symbolises the legal powers Hitler was acquiring after the fire. By portraying Hindenburg as encouraging Hitler to seize this opportunity, the cartoon suggests that the Reichstag Fire was being used as a convenient pretext rather than a genuine national emergency. T he intended impact was to alert British readers to the erosion of democracy in Germany and to encourage them to view Hitler's growing power with suspicion and concern. In contrast, Source B was published in 2001 by an online organisation that promotes world socialism, so it presents events from a Marxist perspective. Its purpose is to criticise the Nazi regime and show that it deliberately used the Reichstag Fire to destroy the political left. This is supported by the source's claim that the fire became the “excuse for the persecution of Communist and Social Democratic workers,” that “thousands” were arrested, and that emergency decrees cancelled the “essential basic rights” of the Weimar Constitution. By highlighting Nazi repression of Communists and other left-wing groups, the source aims to convince readers that the Nazis used the Reichstag Fire to eliminate socialist opposition and strengthen their dictatorship. 5-6m

3 b) Study Source C. Are you surprised by this source? Explain your answer. (5m) L1 Identifies content which surprise/does not surprise but no reason given/ unsupported explanation/ Provenance only explained. 1 L2 Surprise/lack of surprise based on ‘common sense’/ undeveloped purpose analysis I am surprised by the purpose of Source C because, although Hitler had already become increasingly authoritarian by 1934, the author still praised him as "the saviour from economic and social disaster." It is surprising that the source presents Hitler so positively despite his growing dictatorship. 2 L3 Surprise/ lack of surprise supported with source evidence only. I am not surprised by the content of Source C because it reflects why many (conservative) Germans initially supported Hitler. The source describes Hitler as "the saviour from economic and social disaster," "the unifier of the German people," and the man "restoring its honour abroad." 3 L4 Surprise/lack of s urprise supported with source evidence and cross - referencing to CK or other sources OR purpose only explained. NOT SURPRISED: I am not surprised by the content of Source C because it reflects why many (conservative) Germans initially supported Hitler. The source describes Hitler as "the saviour from economic and social disaster," "the unifier of the German people," and the man "restoring its honour abroad." This is consistent with contextual knowledge. When Hitler became Chancellor in January 1933, Germany was still suffering from the effects of the Great Depression, with around six million unemployed. Hitler's government introduced public works programmes such as the Autobahn, reduced unemployment through rearmament and labour schemes, restored political stability after years of weak coalition governments, and rejected the humiliating restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles. These early achievements convinced many Germans, especially conservatives and nationalists, that Hitler had rescued Germany. Therefore, it is not surprising that the author viewed Hitler as Germany's "saviour." Additional point: Furthermore, the source states that this positive impression lasted "to the first large scale violation of all law, the Rohm purge," showing that the author's support declined after the Night of the Long Knives in June 1934, when Hitler ordered the murder of Ernst Röhm and many perceived enemies without trial. This also agrees with contextual knowledge, as the purge exposed Hitler's willingness to use violence outside the law. OR SURPRISED: I am surprised by the extent to which the author praises Hitler, calling him "the saviour from economic and social disaster," "the unifier of the German people," and the man who restored Germany's honour. While contextual knowledge shows that Hitler did red uce unemployment and increased his popularity through economic recovery and nationalist policies, there was already evidence by early 1933 –1934 3-4

4 that he was suppressing democracy. The Reichstag Fire Decree and the Enabling Act had removed civil liberties and parliamentary checks, while political opponents, especially Communists and Social Democrats, had been arrested or imprisoned. Therefore, it is surprising that the author portray s Hitler in such overwhelm