1.3 The jewish question

Social sciences

History

Grade 9

Human rights during the second world war

Module 4

The jewish question

SOURCE A

In one of his very first speeches, Hitler blamed the Jews for all the problems in the world.

“The Jews have already ruined Russia and now they want to do the same to Germany. They want to destroy German nationalism because of envy.”

Hitler, July 1922

SOURCE B

ARTICLE 1: Marriage between Jews and non-Jews is hereby declared prohibited. Existing marriages therefore are invalid as from today.

ARTICLE 2: Extra-marital relationships between Jews and German citizens are therefore forbidden.

ARTICLE 3: Jews are forbidden to have persons of German origin employed as servants in their homes.

ARTICLE 4: Jews are forbidden to display the German flag or colours, but may display Jewish symbols and colours without special permission.

ARTICLE 4(1): Jews may not become German citizens and may therefore not cast their votes in an election.

ARTICLE 5: A Jew is a person who is descended from three generations of persons who were Jewish

THE NÜRNBERG LAWS, CITIZENSHIP AND RACE , Sep – Nov 1935. (Source: Snyder, L: Fifty Major Documents)

SOURCE CA French prisoner described the way in which Jews were gassed in Auschwitz.

“The men stood to one side, the women to the other side. They were addressed in a very friendly manner – You are on a journey, you have to clean yourselves now and have a bath. Take your clothes off quickly.” Towels and soap were distributed. Then the guards’ attitude changed and they chased the Jewish men and women a few hundred metres to the hall, wielding batons. The doors were locked and SS Unterscharführer Moll dropped the poison gas through the hatch into the shower room. You could hear the terrified screams, a few minutes afterwards a deathly silence. Twenty minutes later the doors and windows were thrown open, the bodies put in ovens to be incinerated. Dentists examined the mouth of every body to extract gold from teeth. The hair of the women was removed for industrial purposes.

Source-related activity

Lo 1 : knowledge and understanding of history

1. What is Mein Kampf and who wrote it?

2. Which characteristics of Hitler’s domestic policy are introduced in Sources B and C?

3. Source B provides a good example of the historical concept of cause and effect. Explain what the connection is in this instance.

4. The historical tendency of continuity / tendency of historical continuity can be observed from sources A to C. Explain this concept and the connection in this instance.

5. Which historical principle is exhibited in Source B?

Lo 2 : skills to start investigating both the past and the present

6. Study sources A to C. Explain, with reasons, whether they are examples of primary or secondary sources.

7. By also drawing on your existing knowledge, explain Hitler’s race policy as encountered in Source B. What did this policy comprise?

8. Which of these sources will be regarded as the most trustworthy by a historian studying the history of Nazi Germany.

9. Study sources C. What is the most disturbing element in this source?

Assessment

Learning outcomes (LOs)

LO 1

Historical investigation

The learner is able to use research skills to investigate both the present and the past.

Assessment standards (ASs)

We know this when the learner:

1.1 investigates a topic by asking key questions and identifies a variety of relevant sources to explore this topic [finding sources];

1.2 asks significant questions to evaluate the sources (e.g. to identify bias and stereotypes, omissions and gaps) [working with to sources];

1.3 analyses the information in sources [working with sources];

1.4 presents an independent line of argument in answering questions posed, and justifies (using evidence) the conclusions reached [answering the question];

1.5 communicates knowledge and understanding by constructing own interpretation and argument based on the historical sources; uses information technology where available and appropriate [communicating the answer].

LO 2

Knowledge and Understanding of History

The learner is able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of history.

We know this when the learner:

2.1 places events, people and changes in the periods of history studied within chronological framework [chronology and time];

2.2 identifies categories of cause and effect (e.g. immediate and long-term, direct and indirect) [cause and effect];

2.3 explains and analyses the reasons for and results of events in history [cause and effect];

2.4 recognises that change and development does not always mean progress [change and continuity].