Source Based Questions: Nazism and the Rise of Hitler | Social Studies (SST) Class 9 PDF Download

Q1: Read the following passage and answer the questions below:

After Germany’s surrender in May 1945, an International Military Tribunal (IMT) was set up at Nuremberg to prosecute Nazi war criminals. The Nazis were charged with Crimes Against Peace, War Crimes, and Crimes Against Humanity. The world was shocked to learn about the horrors of Nazi rule, including the mass genocide of Jews, forced labor, and medical experiments on prisoners. The Nuremberg Tribunal sentenced eleven leading Nazis to death, while many others were imprisoned for life. However, some felt that the punishments were too mild compared to the brutality of Nazi crimes.

i. What was the purpose of the Nuremberg Trials? (1 mark)
ii. What were the main charges against the Nazis during the trials? (2 marks)
iii. How many leading Nazis were sentenced to death by the Tribunal? (1 mark)

Ans:
i. The Nuremberg Trials were held to prosecute Nazi leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
ii. The Nazis were charged with Crimes Against Peace (starting the war), War Crimes (mistreatment of prisoners), and Crimes Against Humanity (genocide and mass killings).
iii. Eleven leading Nazis were sentenced to death.

Q2: Read the following passage and answer the questions below:

Germany’s defeat in World War I (1914-1918) led to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. The treaty imposed harsh conditions on Germany, forcing it to give up territories, pay heavy war reparations, and accept full responsibility for the war. Germany lost 13% of its land, including Alsace-Lorraine to France and parts of Prussia to Poland. The country was also demilitarized, and the Rhineland was occupied by Allied forces. These humiliating conditions led to resentment among Germans, which later helped the rise of Adolf Hitler.

i. What were the major conditions imposed on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles? (1 mark)
ii. How did the Treaty of Versailles contribute to the rise of Hitler? (2 marks)
iii. Which regions did Germany lose due to the treaty? (1 mark)

Ans:
i. The treaty forced Germany to give up land, pay heavy reparations, accept war guilt, and reduce its military.
ii. The treaty created resentment among Germans, who saw it as humiliating. Hitler used this anger to gain support and promise to restore Germany’s glory.
iii. Germany lost Alsace-Lorraine to France and parts of Prussia to Poland.

Clear all your Class 9 doubts with EduRev Join for Free

Join for Free

Q3: Read the following passage and answer the questions below:

i. How did the Great Depression affect Germany? (1 mark)
ii. Why did people support Hitler during the economic crisis? (2 marks)
iii. How many Germans were unemployed by 1932? (1 mark)

Ans:
i. The Depression led to industrial collapse, mass unemployment, and economic hardship.
ii. Hitler promised economic recovery, jobs, and national pride, which made people support him.
iii. 6 million Germans were unemployed by 1932.

Q4: Read the following passage and answer the questions below:

The Nazis believed in racial hierarchy, where Nordic German Aryans were considered superior, and Jews, Slavs, and other communities were seen as inferior. Hitler promoted the idea of Lebensraum (Living Space), meaning that Germany needed to expand eastward for more land. The Nazis introduced the Nuremberg Laws (1935), which restricted Jewish rights, banned marriages between Jews and Germans, and excluded Jews from German citizenship. Later, Jews were sent to concentration camps, where they were starved, tortured, and killed.

i. What was the main belief of Nazi racial ideology? (1 mark)
ii. How did the Nuremberg Laws affect Jews in Germany? (2 marks)
iii. What does Lebensraum mean? (1 mark)

Ans:
i. The Nazis believed that Nordic Aryans were superior and other races, like Jews and Slavs, were inferior.
ii. The Nuremberg Laws banned Jewish-German marriages, stripped Jews of citizenship, and restricted their rights.
iii. Lebensraum means “Living Space”, referring to Germany’s expansion to the east.

Q5: Read the following passage and answer the questions below:

The Nazis used propaganda to influence public opinion. Hitler was portrayed as Germany’s savior, and Jews were depicted as enemies of the state. Nazi propaganda spread through films, posters, radio broadcasts, and speeches. The most infamous propaganda film, The Eternal Jew, portrayed Jews as criminals. Schools taught anti-Jewish ideas, and children were taught to worship Hitler and the Nazi state. The Gestapo (Secret Police) controlled newspapers and arrested anyone who spoke against the Nazis.

i. How did the Nazis use propaganda to control the public? (1 mark)
ii. What role did schools play in spreading Nazi ideology? (2 marks)
iii. What was the function of the Gestapo? (1 mark)

Ans:
i. The Nazis used films, posters, radio, and speeches to promote anti-Jewish beliefs and Hitler’s leadership.
ii. Schools taught children to hate Jews, glorify Hitler, and believe in Nazi ideas.
iii. The Gestapo (Secret Police) arrested and tortured anyone who opposed the Nazi regime.

Q6: Read the following passage and answer the questions below:

After the Great Depression (1929), the Weimar Republic became unpopular because it failed to handle the economic crisis. By 1932, the Nazi Party had become the largest party in the German Parliament (Reichstag). In January 1933, President Hindenburg invited Adolf Hitler to become Chancellor of Germany. Soon after, the Reichstag Fire (February 1933) allowed Hitler to pass the Enabling Act (March 1933), which gave him complete control over Germany. He banned opposition parties, abolished democracy, and established a dictatorship.

i. How did Hitler become Chancellor of Germany? (1 mark)
ii. What was the significance of the Enabling Act (1933)? (2 marks)
iii. What happened after the Reichstag Fire? (1 mark)

Ans:
i. Hitler became Chancellor in January 1933 after being invited by President Hindenburg.
ii. The Enabling Act (1933) allowed Hitler to rule without parliamentary approval, ban opposition parties, and establish a dictatorship.
iii. After the Reichstag Fire, Hitler used emergency laws to suppress opposition and eliminate political rivals.

Download the notes Source Based Questions: Nazism and the Rise of Hitler

Download as PDF

Download as PDF

Q7: Read the following passage and answer the questions below:

After becoming dictator, Hitler followed an aggressive foreign policy to expand German territory. In 1936, he occupied the Rhineland, violating the Treaty of Versailles. In 1938, Germany annexed Austria (Anschluss), and later Czechoslovakia’s Sudetenland. In September 1939, Germany invaded Poland, leading to the start of World War II. Britain and France declared war on Germany, and by 1940, Hitler had occupied most of Western Europe.

i. What was Hitler’s goal in his foreign policy? (1 mark)
ii. How did Hitler violate the Treaty of Versailles? (2 marks)
iii. Which event led to the start of World War II? (1 mark)

Ans:
i. Hitler wanted to expand German territory and undo the Treaty of Versailles.
ii. He re-militarized the Rhineland (1936), annexed Austria (1938), and occupied Sudetenland.
iii. Germany’s invasion of Poland (1939) led to the start of World War II.

Q8: Read the following passage and answer the questions below:

The Nazis controlled every aspect of life in Germany, including education and youth organizations. Children were taught Nazi ideology in schools, and textbooks were rewritten to promote Aryan superiority. Boys were encouraged to join the Hitler Youth, where they were trained for future military service. Girls joined the League of German Maidens, where they were taught to be obedient wives and mothers. The Nazis believed that the future of Germany depended on strict racial and social control.

i. How did the Nazis control education in Germany? (1 mark)
ii. What was the purpose of the Hitler Youth and the League of German Maidens? (2 marks)
iii. What did Nazi textbooks teach children? (1 mark)

Ans:
i. The Nazis rewrote textbooks to promote Nazi ideology and racial superiority.
ii. The Hitler Youth trained boys for the army, while the League of German Maidens prepared girls to be mothers and housewives.
iii. Nazi textbooks taught that Aryans were superior and Jews were enemies of Germany.

Take a Practice Test Test yourself on topics from Class 9 exam

Practice Now

Practice Now

Q9: Read the following passage and answer the questions below:

The Nazis believed that Jews were racially inferior and responsible for Germany’s problems. In 1935, the Nuremberg Laws stripped Jews of citizenship and rights. In 1938, during Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass), Nazi mobs attacked Jewish businesses and synagogues. From 1941 onwards, Jews were sent to concentration camps like Auschwitz and Dachau, where they were forced into labor, starved, or executed. By 1945, over 6 million Jews had been killed in what is now known as the Holocaust.

i. What were the Nuremberg Laws (1935)? (1 mark)
ii. What happened during Kristallnacht (1938)? (2 marks)
iii. How many Jews were killed during the Holocaust? (1 mark)

Ans:
i. The Nuremberg Laws stripped Jews of German citizenship and banned marriages between Jews and non-Jews.
ii. During Kristallnacht, Nazi mobs attacked Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues, destroying property and arresting Jews.
iii. Over 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust.

Q10: Read the following passage and answer the questions below:

After coming to power, Hitler introduced economic policies to reduce unemployment and rebuild Germany. He launched massive public works programs, such as building autobahns (highways), railways, and factories. Military spending increased as Germany prepared for war, and unemployed men were recruited into the army. Trade unions were banned, and workers were forced to join Nazi-controlled labor organizations. By 1939, unemployment had dropped significantly, but workers had lost many rights.

i. What steps did Hitler take to reduce unemployment in Germany? (1 mark)
ii. How did military spending contribute to economic growth in Nazi Germany? (2 marks)
iii. What were workers forced to do under Nazi economic policies? (1 mark)

Ans:
i. Hitler launched public works programs, expanded the military, and banned trade unions.
ii. Military spending created jobs in weapons industries and the army, helping to reduce unemployment.
iii. Workers were forced to join Nazi labor organizations and lost their rights.