New
New
Year 11
Edexcel

Opposition and resistance in Nazi Germany

I can evaluate the extent of opposition and resistance to the Nazi regime.

New
New
Year 11
Edexcel

Opposition and resistance in Nazi Germany

I can evaluate the extent of opposition and resistance to the Nazi regime.

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The Nazis had high levels of support and conformity; it is difficult to gauge the scale of opposition.
  2. Resistance came from scattered groups: workers, youth, clergy, and individuals acting in secret.
  3. The Protestant Confessional Church formed in opposition to the Reich Church; its leader, Niemöller, was imprisoned.
  4. The Pope attacked Hitler with a public letter; Catholic priests fought against euthanasia of people with disabilities.
  5. The Swing Youth and Edelweiss Pirates resisted Nazi control through music, fashion, and secret actions.

Keywords

  • Compliance - when people obey rules or authority, even if they don't fully agree, to avoid trouble or punishment

  • Conform - to behave according to the usual standards of behaviour that are expected by a group or society

Common misconception

Most Germans strongly supported the Nazis.

Many complied out of fear, peer pressure, or survival - not necessarily belief. Resistance was dangerous, but still present in different forms across society.


To help you plan your year 11 history lesson on: Opposition and resistance in Nazi Germany, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Use Milgram's obedience study and Zimbardo's Stanford prison experiment to show how ordinary people conform to authority or oppressive roles. Use them to explain why many Germans complied with Nazism and why resistance was so rare and dangerous.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of serious crime
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What did the Nazis believe would turn silent obedience into loyal support?

banning all other political parties
Correct answer: making belief feel like common sense through propaganda
threatening the public with arrest and violence

Q2.
How did Goebbels and the Nazis communicate their narrative to the German public?

by distributing lengthy leaflets explaining Nazi ideology in detail
by holding daily debates in local town halls
Correct answer: through repeated, simple slogans

Q3.
Match each Nazi propaganda method to its main purpose.

Correct Answer:book burnings,symbolised public rejection of 'un-German' culture

symbolised public rejection of 'un-German' culture

Correct Answer:censorship laws,removed access to opposing or 'dangerous' ideas

removed access to opposing or 'dangerous' ideas

Correct Answer:films like "Triumph of the Will",used powerful visuals to mythologise Hitler

used powerful visuals to mythologise Hitler

Correct Answer:radio broadcasts,created a constant, intimate presence of Hitler's voice

created a constant, intimate presence of Hitler's voice

Q4.
Why did the Nazis create the Reich Chamber of Culture in 1933?

Correct answer: to control all cultural activity and ban ‘undesirable’ creators
to promote modernist and experimental art
to protect artists and writers from foreign censorship

Q5.
What was the wider purpose of the Nuremberg Rallies beyond just showing support for the Nazis?

They let people express personal opinions freely.
They served as military drills to prepare for war.
Correct answer: They were designed to link Nazi Germany to the legacy of the Holy Roman Empire.

Q6.
How did the Nazis ensure their voice dominated printed media?

They allowed free speech under Goebbels’ guidance.
They gave money to struggling newspapers.
They ignored the press and focused only on visual propaganda.
Correct answer: They shut down or took over independent newspapers and passed the Editors’ Law.

Assessment exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
The Nazis created a tightly controlled police state and used relentless to promote loyalty to Hitler.

Correct Answer: propaganda

Q2.
Which of the following are examples of worker resistance in Nazi Germany?

attending Nazi rallies
joining the Hitler Youth
Correct answer: organising strikes
Correct answer: writing anti-Nazi leaflets

Q3.
What is the best definition of the word 'compliance' as used in the context of Nazi Germany?

accepting every part of Nazi ideology wholeheartedly
choosing to challenge authority through protest
Correct answer: following rules or authority to avoid punishment, even if you don’t fully agree

Q4.
Starting with the earliest, sort these events in Martin Niemöller’s life into chronological order:

1 - supported Hitler’s rise to power
2 - co-founded the Confessional Church
3 - arrested and sent to concentration camps
4 - became known for his words that capture the consequences of failing to speak out

Q5.
How did the Swing Youth defy the Nazi regime?

Correct answer: They danced to American jazz music.
They joined the SA and SS.
They led church services in secret.
They used English phrases.
Correct answer: They socialised with Jewish people.

Q6.
What does Niemöller’s famous quotation highlight about Nazi Germany?

that Jews were the only victims of Nazi policies
that many Germans resisted from the beginning
Correct answer: that silence and inaction allowed oppression to grow

Additional material

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