Many, but not all, Germans supported the Nazis.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2021). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [1] This was the annual rally of the Nazi Party.
2. [1] They were used to celebrate Nazi victories and announce new policies like compulsory military service.
3. [1] Over half a million supporters would take part.
4. [1] They were used to show the solidarity between the German people and the Nazi Party.
5. [1] There would be torchlight processions.
6. [1] Hitler and other leading Nazis would make speeches.
7. [1] There would be marches by soldiers with flags and drums.
8. [1] They were used to create a personality cult around Hitler.
9. [6] Some young people rebelled against the Hitler Youth due to its strict discipline and the indoctrination it imposed, particularly after membership became compulsory in 1936. Groups like the Edelweiss Pirates sought more freedom, disliking Nazi control over their lives; they would ambush Hitler Youth patrols and engage in activities like hiking and camping outside official supervision. The Swing Movement, another example, opposed the segregation of sexes and the military focus of the Hitler Youth, preferring American music, fashionable clothes, and a more Western lifestyle, thus supporting a counterculture against Nazi ideology.
10. [1] They did not like the strict discipline of the Hitler Youth.
11. [1] They did not like the indoctrination that took place in the Hitler Youth.
12. [1] They were against the separation of sexes into the Hitler Youth and the League of German Maidens.
13. [1] The Swing Movement opposed the fact that young people had to join the Hitler Youth.
14. [1] Members of the Swing Movement wanted to grow their hair and wear fashionable clothes and go against the image of the Hitler Youth.
15. [1] Members of the Swing Movement disliked the ideology of the Hitler Youth and wanted to enjoy American music and life style.
16. [1] The Swing Movement was against the military nature of the Hitler Youth and supported a counterculture by their clothing and music.
17. [10] The Nazis did not stay in power solely due to popular support; force and oppression were also key. Opponents like communists were interned in concentration camps, and the Gestapo spied on citizens, tapping phones and using informers. People were encouraged to spy on family members, and those suspected of dissent faced arrest and imprisonment without trial, demonstrating that fear and coercion were central to maintaining control. OR The Nazis managed to stay in power through widespread popular support. This was largely achieved through extensive propaganda and indoctrination, controlling all media—newspapers, radio, books, art, and film—to promote Nazi ideology and glorify Hitler. Radios were made widely available in public places, ensuring constant exposure to Nazi messages. This constant bombardment of controlled information led many Germans to genuinely believe the regime was beneficial and wonderful, fostering genuine popular support.
18. [1] The SS arrested anyone they suspected of being an opponent.
19. [1] Opponents were put in concentration camps.
20. [1] They stayed in power by using everyone to spy and inform on everyone else.
21. [1] The Gestapo spied on people by intercepting their post and using informers.
22. [1] People put up with the Nazi regime because they were too afraid to oppose it.
23. [1] People were won over by propaganda in newspapers and on the radio.
24. [1] People heard of nothing else but Nazi propaganda telling them of the benefits of Nazi rule.
25. [1] The thinking of German people was controlled by censorship and propaganda.