TOPIC:  Communism vs. Fascism:  Weimar Germany

(For High School Students)

 

RESOURCES: 

·        Film, “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari”

·        Chapter 10, “The Spirit of Weimar-- A Collage” from the book, The Weimar Chronicle.  (de Jonge, Alex.  The Weimar Chronicle:  Prelude to Hitler.  New York:  Meridian, 1979.

·        Articles as follows:

                        “Founding Manifesto of the KPD” by Rosa Luxemburg.

                        “National Socialism or Bolshevism” by Joseph Goebbels.

                        “The Stab in the Back” by Paul von Hindenburg.

                        “The Stab in the Back Legend” by Willi Wolfradt

All articles are taken from The Weimar Sourcebook, editors Anton Kaes, Martin Jay, Edward Dimenberg.  (Los Angeles:  U of California Press, 1994)

·        Text-book.

OBJECTIVES:

·        Students will analyze and evaluate contemporary documents (and a film).

·        Students will be able to construct historical arguments from primary sources.

·        Students will apply knowledge of Weimar to the flow of 20th Century history--will be able to rate its significance.

·        Specifically, Performance Expectations b., c., d., and e. from the Curriculum Standards for Social Studies.

CONTENT:

Prior to class, students will read the text-book account of Germany between the world wars, and the articles by von Hindenburg and Wolfradt.  They will answer the questions in the text-book.

     In class, students will view “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.”  Afterwards, there will be a short discussion based upon the film and on the material read for class.  The teacher will talk about Weimar’s culture-- its position as an odd contrast to the authoritarian societies which preceded and followed it-- to help the students as they do the night’s reading-- Chapter 10 from de Jonge and the pieces by Luxemburg and Goebbels.

     In the next class, students will break up into groups of four.  The will then evaluate the articles read for class.  They will identify the author’s prejudice, compare the author’s facts to the Text book and de Jonge, and finally rate who seems to be more reliable.  They will write up their reasons for their answers.

     There will be a class discussion to air the views of the various groups.  Finally, students will write an essay answer to the following question: 

                        In what ways did the Weimar Republic lead

                        into Nazi Germany?  Be sure to address the

                        debt of WW I, and Weimar’s cultural strengths

                        and weaknesses.

 

EVALUATION:

·        Students will be evaluated on the questions from the Text book.

·        Students will be evaluated on  their evaluation of Luxemburg and Goebbles (they must show critical thinking)

·        Students will be evaluated on their class participation in discussions.

·        Students will be evaluated on their essays.  For the most credit, students must use the primary sources and argue logically.