The Comparing Interpretations Questions: Germany (Q1 & Q2) (AQA GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Natasha Smith
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Summary of Question One
Question One on Paper One, Section A, outlines an issue
The question asks you to explain how the content of two interpretations differ from each other concerning that issue
The interpretations used in Question One will be the same interpretations used in Questions Two and Three
Amount of marks | 4 |
|---|---|
The time that you should spend on the question | No more than 5 minutes |
An example of the type of question you may encounter can be seen below:
In previous years, this question has focused on the following topics in German history:
Year of Exam | Question Topic |
|---|---|
2018 | |
2019 | |
2020 | |
2021 | |
2022 | |
Sample 1 | Hitler’s appeal to the people of Germany |
Sample 2 | Life of young people in Nazi Germany |
What is an Interpretation Question?
An interpretation is an account based on a point of view of a historical event, person or group
Interpretations are used to explain the past by looking at history from different points of view
This type of question uses different types of interpretations
These interpretations could be accounts written:
After the event
During the event
By people who were there at the time
By historians
For the example question above, you will be given two interpretations in an insert
An insert is an additional booklet to your answer paper. It provides key sources or interpretations needed to answer specific questions in the exam
Question One - How are the Interpretations Different?
The interpretations used in question one will always be different, because of the interpretation's
Author
Point of view
Date of publication
Interpretations can be different based on their content
As the content will have a different point of view
In the Germany, 1890- 1945 option, interpretations are likely to be different based on the following themes across all the topic areas:
Social issues e.g. attitudes towards Jewish people
Economic policies e.g. the effects of the Depression on Germany
Political issues e.g. the reactions towards the Treaty of Versailles
"How are the Interpretations Different" Question Structure
You need to identify and explain one difference between the two interpretations’ content in your response
Your answer needs to:
Identify one way the interpretation content differs
Include a short quote or summary from each interpretation, highlighting their differences
Explain how they are different using your own knowledge
To achieve full marks you need to have extended reasoning within your answer
Worked Example of the Question One Interpretation Question
Worked Example
How does Interpretation B differ from Interpretation A about the appeal of Hitler?
[4 marks]
Interpretation A: Adapted from Jutta Rüdiger’s autobiography, published in 1999. In the interpretation, Jutta Rüdiger describes the appeal of Hitler the first time she heard him speak. At the time, Rüdiger had already joined the Nazi party and was a 22-year-old student of psychology. She became the leader of the League of German Maidens (BDM). “It was a huge rally in 1932 and everyone was waiting for Hitler to arrive as if he were a saviour. It was an electric atmosphere but when he went onto the stage it all went quiet. He began with a serious voice, speaking calmly and slowly but then became more and more enthusiastic. I can’t remember exactly what he said, but afterwards, I thought, ‘This is a man who does not want anything for himself, but only thinks of the German people’.” |
Interpretation B: Adapted from the autobiography of Christabel Bielenberg, published in 1968. In it she writes about life in Berlin under the Nazis. Christabel was an English woman who married a German lawyer, Peter Bielenberg. He was associated with the resistance against the Nazis and was arrested after the failed plot against Hitler’s life in 1944. Christabel was questioned by the Gestapo but lived through the war as a German citizen. “I gave up trying to read Mein Kampf after four pages. It had no appeal for me. However, in the autumn of 1932, I persuaded my husband to hear Hitler speak at a rally. We put up with the community singing, the drums, and the boring Nazi anthems. Halfway through Hitler’s speech my husband dragged me out and made one of his rare political statements, ‘you may think that Germans are political idiots but they won’t be so stupid as to fall for that clown’.” |
Answer:
Interpretation A finds Hitler appealing as it states Hitler creates appeal by “speaking calmly and slowly” (1). Hitler's speeches made Jutta Rüdiger think that Hitler only thinks of the German people”. Hitler used different media forms such as film, radio and speeches to appeal to millions of Germans (1).
Interpretation B differs as the author finds Hitler unappealing. B states that Christabel Bielenberg found Mein Kampf unappealing and that her husband found Hitler’s rallies “boring” (1). Not all Germans found Hitler appealing, and this was evident when Hitler lost the 1932 Presidential election to Hindenburg who won by 19 million votes to Hitler’s 13 million votes (1).
Summary of Question Two
Question Two on Paper One, Section A asks you to explain why the authors of the interpretations might have different views concerning the issue
The interpretations used in Question Two will be the same as those used in Questions One and Three
Amount of marks | 4 |
|---|---|
The time that you should spend on the question | No more than 5 minutes |
An example of the type of question you may encounter can be seen below:
In previous years this question has focused on the following topics in German history:
Year of Exam | Question Topic |
|---|---|
2018 | |
2019 | |
2020 | |
2021 | |
2022 | |
Sample 1 | Hitler’s appeal to the people of Germany |
Sample 2 | Life of young people in Nazi Germany |
Question Two - Why are Interpretations Different?
The interpretations used in Question Two will always be:
Different
From an opposing point of view
In the AQA Germany 1890 - 1945 course, you could have interpretations from those who supported the Nazis and their opposition, different political parties, and Germans who are for and against the Weimar Republic etc. as they have opposing interpretations in German history
Authors will have different interpretations due to their:
Background
For the example question, Interpretation B was written by Christabel Bielenberg who was an English woman living in Germany
Experiences
For the example question, Interpretation A was written by Jutta Rüdiger who was only 22 years old and a member of the Nazi Party. It is likely she was indoctrinated with Nazi ideology
Purpose of writing the interpretation
For the example question, both interpretations are autobiographies. The purpose of autobiographies is to share the writer's experiences to inform and entertain
Audience
Access to information
For the example question, both interpretations personally saw Hitler speak so both can comment on his appeal
Origin of information
First-hand account
Primary sources
Place and time of writing
For the example question, both interpretations were written after the collapse of Nazi Germany. This allows both authors to be more honest about their experiences
"Why are the Interpretations Different" Question Structure
You need to identify and explain one reason why the authors have different interpretations
In this question, you will need to refer only to the interpretation's provenance
Provenance
Provenance is the background information of sources
The provenance can be found at the top of each source. Essentially it is:
Who - The person who created the source
What - The type of source it is, for example, a newspaper article
When - The date when the source was made
Where - The place that the source is based on
For the example question, here is a breakdown of the provenance of Interpretation A:
Who | Jutta Rüdiger, a member of the Nazi Party and the leader of the League of German Maidens (BDM) |
|---|---|
What | An autobiography |
When | 1999 |
Where | Rüdiger lived in Germany |
In this question, you should use the provenance of the source to:
Help you to identify who the author of the interpretation is
Gain information about the background of the author
Understand who is the author's audience
Understand what purpose the author had in writing the interpretation
Understand the context of the interpretation
This will help you explain why the interpretations differ
Your answer needs to:
Identify one reason why author A has a different interpretation using the provenance
Include specific knowledge to support your reason
Explain why this makes the interpretation different
Identify one reason why author B has a different interpretation
Include specific knowledge to support your reason
Explain why this makes the interpretation different
To achieve full marks consider choosing a difference which is visible and the same in both provenances
For example, the previous experience of the authors or the audience which they are writing for
Worked Example of the Question Two Interpretation Question
Worked Example
Why might the authors of Interpretation A and B have a different interpretation about the appeal of Hitler?
[4 marks]
Interpretation A: Adapted from Jutta Rüdiger’s autobiography, published in 1999. In the interpretation, Jutta Rüdiger describes the appeal of Hitler the first time she heard him speak. At the time, Rüdiger had already joined the Nazi party and was a 22-year-old student of psychology. She became the leader of the League of German Maidens (BDM). “It was a huge rally in 1932 and everyone was waiting for Hitler to arrive as if he were a saviour. It was an electric atmosphere but when he went onto the stage it all went quiet. He began with a serious voice, speaking calmly and slowly but then became more and more enthusiastic. I can’t remember exactly what he said, but afterwards, I thought, ‘This is a man who does not want anything for himself, but only thinks of the German people’.” |
Interpretation B: Adapted from the autobiography of Christabel Bielenberg, published in 1968. In it she writes about life in Berlin under the Nazis. Christabel was an English woman who married a German lawyer, Peter Bielenberg. He was associated with the resistance against the Nazis and was arrested after the failed plot against Hitler’s life in 1944. Christabel was questioned by the Gestapo but lived through the war as a German citizen. “I gave up trying to read Mein Kampf after four pages. It had no appeal for me. However, in the autumn of 1932, I persuaded my husband to hear Hitler speak at a rally. We put up with the community singing, the drums, and the boring Nazi anthems. Halfway through Hitler’s speech my husband dragged me out and made one of his rare political statements, ‘you may think that Germans are political idiots but they won’t be so stupid as to fall for that clown’.” |
Answer:
Interpretation B differs from Interpretation A due to the author's background and occupation (1). The author of interpretation B is a well-educated female lawyer who was more likely not to find Hitler appealing because Nazi party propaganda explained how they wanted women to return to their traditional roles of being a housewife, rather than have careers like Christabel Bielenberg (1).
However, interpretation A is more likely to find Hitler appealing than interpretation B (1). Jutta Rüdiger was a young woman when she heard Hitler speak in 1932 who was already a member of the Nazi party. Rüdiger would have been persuaded by Nazi propaganda and the Hitler myth which would form her interpretation of Hitler’s appeal (1).
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