From Crisis to Genocide

Choose one case study from the following: Nazi Germany – Ideology, control and the Holocaust Social and economic conditions where people are more willing to accept promises of change  After World War One, Germany faced political chaos, economic crisis, and anger in Germany at the Treaty of Versailles, which many Germans regarded as punitive.  Hyperinflation, unemployment, and the Great Depression made many Germans more willing to support strong, authoritarian leadership especially when it promised to restore Germany. Social control  Social control can be achieved by influencing what people think and believe.  The Nazis used propaganda, mass rallies, censorship, education, and the cult of personality to shape people’s thinking.  Schools, youth groups, newspapers, radio, films, posters, and other forms of propaganda spread Nazi ideas.  Hitler was presented as a strong leader who should not be questioned and who could solve Germany’s problems.  Jewish people and other groups were portrayed as enemies who threatened Germany and undermined society.  Hostility, prejudice, and discrimination against Jewish people (antisemitism) existed in Europe long before the Nazis came to power. The Nazis intensified it through racial ideology, propaganda, and discriminatory laws that excluded Jews from society through legal, economic, and social restrictions. Dictatorships  Dictatorships maintain power through a combination of persuasion and coercion.  The Nazis used laws, fear, and surveillance to control behaviour.  Political opposition was banned.  The Gestapo and SS punished people who resisted.  Rights and freedoms were gradually removed. The Holocaust  The Holocaust developed through a series of decisions and policies rather than a single event or order.  Discrimination became persecution and then genocide.  Jewish people were first excluded from society through laws and restrictions (e.g. The Nuremberg Laws – which removed citizenship rights from Jewish Germans and prohibited marriage between Jews and non–Jews).  Over time, persecution became more severe, as seen in the November Pogroms (Kristallnacht) of 1938, a state–organised attack against Jewish people, homes, businesses, and synagogues across Nazi Germany

Overview

Students investigate how political and economic crisis in Germany created conditions in which promises of change became attractive. They then trace how Nazi persuasion, coercion and antisemitism developed into persecution, using a decision-and-consequence framework to understand that the Holocaust unfolded through a series of escalating policies and actions.

Learning intentions

WALT explain why some Germans became more willing to support authoritarian leadership after World War One.
WALT analyse how propaganda, laws and fear were used to control society.
WALT describe how discrimination escalated into persecution and genocide.
WALT use evidence to make a reasoned historical judgement.

Success criteria

I can explain at least three conditions that increased support for the Nazis.
I can identify how a source shows persuasion, coercion or antisemitism.
I can place key developments in a logical sequence from discrimination to genocide.
I can support a judgement with specific historical evidence.

Curriculum links

Social Sciences — History: investigating a case study through change, perspectives, causes and consequences.
Social Sciences — History: examining recovery, regeneration and the effects of historical events on people and communities.
Social Sciences — understanding how people organise themselves, exercise power and respond to social and economic challenges.
Key Competencies: thinking; using language, symbols and texts; relating to others; participating and contributing.

Lesson structure (120 minutes)

0–10 min · Hook and prior knowledge. Open with the provocative opening question and image: “Why might people support a leader who promises to fix a country’s problems?” Display a carefully selected, non-graphic image of a crowded Nazi rally alongside a short summary of post-war Germany. Students complete a silent think, then share one possible reason and one question. Establish that explaining support does not mean excusing Nazi actions.
10–30 min · Context teaching. Use the Germany after World War One slides to explain political instability, anger about the Treaty of Versailles, hyperinflation, unemployment and the Great Depression. Clarify that not all Germans supported the Nazis and that economic hardship alone does not cause dictatorship. Students complete the context section of the crisis, control and escalation worksheet, recording each condition and explaining how it might make promises of stability appealing.
30–50 min · Persuasion and control. Present the propaganda and control slides, covering rallies, censorship, education, youth groups, newspapers, radio, films, posters and Hitler’s cult of personality. Contrast persuasion with coercion: the Nazis shaped beliefs while also using laws, surveillance, the Gestapo, SS and punishment. In groups of four or five, students analyse two short, age-appropriate sources on the source analysis task. They identify the intended audience, message, method of control and likely effect, using the sentence frame: “This source attempts to influence people by…”
50–60 min · Structured discussion. Pose: “Can a government control people through both consent and fear?” Students use the Exam Command Words Reference Mat to respond to the prompt “Explain”. Each group gives one claim and one piece of evidence. Address misconceptions, including the idea that propaganda affects only people who are uninformed.
60–90 min · Escalation investigation. Use the discrimination-to-persecution timeline slides to introduce antisemitism as an older form of prejudice that the Nazis intensified through racial ideology, propaganda and law. Explain the Nuremberg Laws and the November Pogroms (Kristallnacht), avoiding graphic images and language that could sensationalise suffering. Pairs complete the escalation ladder on the policy sequence activity, ordering and annotating: exclusion and legal restrictions; loss of citizenship and rights; social and economic discrimination; organised violence in 1938; deportation, ghettos and mass murder. Students add an explanation of how each step reduced resistance and normalised further persecution.
90–110 min · Historical judgement. Groups answer: “Which mattered more in the Nazis’ rise and control: crisis, persuasion or coercion?” They rank the three factors, select two pieces of evidence from their worksheet, and prepare a one-minute response. Groups share while classmates listen for a clear claim, accurate evidence and explanation of significance. Emphasise that the Holocaust developed through interconnected decisions and policies, not one isolated event.
110–120 min · Plenary and exit ticket. Revisit the opening question using the final reflection slides. Students complete the final three questions on the individual exit response: “One condition that increased support for change was…”, “One method of social control was…”, and “Discrimination became persecution when… because…”. Invite students to submit questions privately if the topic has raised concerns.

Resources

the complete crisis, control and Holocaust case-study slide deck
the crisis, control and escalation worksheet
the Exam Command Words Reference Mat
Projector or interactive display
Two short, teacher-reviewed historical sources
Board and markers
Timer
Optional quiet workspace and headphones

Assessment

Circulate during the context and source tasks, checking whether students distinguish causes, methods and consequences rather than listing facts.
Listen to group judgements for accurate use of evidence and the distinction between persuasion and coercion.
Collect the worksheet and exit response. Look for a logical escalation sequence, an explanation of significance and respectful, historically accurate language.

Differentiation

Provide a vocabulary bank, partially completed timeline and sentence starters such as “This policy affected Jewish people by…” and “This made control easier because…”.
Offer dyslexia-friendly copies of the accessible worksheet version: clear sans-serif font, generous spacing, short paragraphs, numbered steps, tinted paper if preferred, and the option to hear sources read aloud.
Use mixed-ability groups with defined roles: reader, evidence finder, recorder and reporter. Allow speech-to-text, oral responses or typed work where appropriate.
Pre-teach antisemitism, authoritarian, propaganda, persecution, discrimination and genocide. Do not require students to role-play Nazis, victims or perpetrators; offer a quiet alternative task and check in sensitively.
Advanced learners can qualify their judgement by explaining how crisis, persuasion and coercion interacted, or compare the intended message of a source with its likely impact on different audiences.

Teaching Instructions