the belief that human populations could be 'improved' through selective breeding by encouraging reproduction among those deemed 'fit' and preventing it among the 'unfit'

an ancient group of Indo-European peoples; the Nazis wrongly redefined ‘Aryan’ to mean a racially pure, northern European person who were biologically superior and destined to rule over other races

the process of having a medical operation to make it impossible to have children

relating to traits or conditions passed from parents to children through genes, such as eye colour or certain genetic diseases

the act of killing someone who is very ill or very old so that they do not suffer any more; the Nazis used this term to justify murdering those they deemed 'unworthy of life'

Nazi racial ideology and the treatment of minorities

History

Germany before the First World War

Industrialisation, social reform and the growth of socialism

Germany’s naval ambitions before the First World War

The First World War and the German Revolution

The Weimar Republic

Early unrest and the Treaty of Versailles

The putsches of 1919-23

1923, the Ruhr and hyperinflation

Economic recovery under Stresemann

Stresemann's international achievements

Weimar culture 1924-29

The growth of unemployment and rise in support for the Communist Party

The growth in support for the Nazi Party

How Hitler became Chancellor of Germany

The Reichstag Fire and the Enabling Act

Hitler's creation of a dictatorship

The Nazi police state

The Nazi Party and religion

Goebbels and propaganda in Nazi Germany

Opposition and resistance to Hitler and the Nazi Party

Women in Nazi Germany

Young people in Nazi Germany

Employment in Nazi Germany

Work and life in Nazi Germany

The Nazi economy and WW2

The persecution of Jews

The Final Solution

In this unit pupils undergo a period study that provides an unfolding narrative which tells a story about a period that shaped the world we live in today. They look at the key events, developments, people and stories that defined the chosen period.

Period Studies

Discriminatory behaviour or images, whether on the grounds of race, gender, disability, religion or belief or sexual orientation, or otherwise.

Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

Historic or outdated representations of people that may portray inequality or injustice.

Language which has the power to offend including terms of racist or ethnic abuse, sexual and sexist abuse, abuse relating to sexuality, pejorative terms aimed at illness or disabilities and derogatory or inappropriate use of holy names or religious terms.

Subjects which particular individuals may be sensitive to, eg, adoption, migration, bereavement or death, divorce, poverty, deprivation.

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Physical illness or injury, medical procedures, blood.

Depiction or discussion of abortion, euthanasia, organ donation.

The Nazis misused {{}} theory of natural selection by wrongly applying it to human society.

to allow forced sterilisation of people with certain medical conditions

to deport people with hereditary illnesses to labour camps

to promote better mental health care in German hospitals

What was the purpose of the Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring, introduced by the Nazis in 1933?

In 1939, the Nazis secretly began a programme of {{}}, targeting people with disabilities whose lives they considered to be ‘unworthy of life’.

It blamed them for Germany’s defeat in WWI.

It said they were too expensive to care for.

How did Nazi propaganda justify the killing of disabled people?

They believed they undermined the ideal of reproducing Aryan children.

They feared they were spreading ideology.

They thought they would become political opponents.

Why did the Nazis persecute homosexual men?

They were only used for political opponents.

They were prison-like places used to isolate ‘undesirable’ groups.

They were the same as extermination camps.

Which of the following is true about concentration camps in the 1930s?

Nazi labour policies aimed to create a People’s {{}} where all Germans worked together for the good of the nation, but only those who conformed to Nazi beliefs were truly included.

improved workplace facilities and hygiene

replaced trade unions and controlled workers' employment

offered holidays and leisure activities to loyal workers

Match each Nazi labour organisation with its main focus.

They demanded that Hitler become Chancellor before they would support him.

They often supported communist parties and were protected by trade unions.

They supported the monarchy and rejected all political parties.

Why were Germany’s industrial workers seen as a challenge to Nazi control in 1933?

those deemed loyal or ideologically suitable

Which group was most likely to benefit fully from Strength Through Joy activities?

It only improved workplaces for female workers.

It removed music and relaxation from workplaces,

Many improvements relied on unpaid worker effort.

What was one criticism of Beauty of Labour?

Which group saw the greatest financial benefit from Nazi economic policies?

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Nazi racial ideology and the treatment of minorities

Lesson outcome

Content guidance

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.