Germany, 1918–1945 – The Racial State, 1933–1941 (A-level only): The…

The idea

Nazi racial ideology was rooted in Social Darwinism and the desire to purify the Volksgemeinschaft (national community) by eliminating those deemed biological or social threats. The state rapidly radicalised its persecution of minorities. The mentally ill faced forced sterilisation under the 1933 Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring, escalating to the secret Aktion T4 euthanasia programme. 'Asocials', including the homeless, were sent to concentration camps. Homosexual men were aggressively prosecuted under an amended Paragraph 175 and interned. Members of religious sects, notably Jehovah's Witnesses who refused the Hitler oath, faced severe repression. The Roma and Sinti were subjected to racial profiling, losing their citizenship and facing mass deportation.

What earns the marks

• Explain the core tenets of Nazi racial ideology, including Social Darwinism, Aryan supremacy, and the concept of Lebensunwertes Leben (life unworthy of life).
• Detail the escalation of policies against the mentally ill, from the 1933 Sterilisation Law to the Aktion T4 euthanasia programme initiated in 1939.
• Analyse the categorisation and persecution of 'asocials' and homosexuals, noting the use of concentration camps and the tightening of Paragraph 175.
• Describe the treatment of religious sects, specifically how Jehovah's Witnesses were targeted for their pacifism and refusal to swear allegiance to Hitler.
• Evaluate the systematic marginalisation of the Roma and Sinti, including their subjection to the Nuremberg Laws and subsequent deportations.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Confusing the treatment of different minority groups as identical.

  Put it right: Differentiate between biological persecution (Roma, Sinti, mentally ill) and ideological or behavioural persecution (homosexuals, religious sects).

• Assuming the Aktion T4 programme was public knowledge and widely accepted.

  Put it right: Note that T4 was a secret programme that faced significant public and religious backlash, notably from Bishop Galen, leading to its official halt.

• Stating that all religious sects were persecuted equally.

  Put it right: Specify that Jehovah's Witnesses faced the most severe persecution among small sects due to their absolute refusal to compromise with the state or join the military.

Exam tips

• Use specific terminology such as Volksgemeinschaft, Lebensunwertes Leben, and Social Darwinism to demonstrate a precise understanding of Nazi ideology.
• When discussing the radicalisation of the state, trace the chronological escalation from legal discrimination and sterilisation to physical extermination.
• Compare the motivations behind the persecution of different groups to build a nuanced argument about the nature of the Nazi racial state.