This subject focus on Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Empire
GUIDELINES FOR THE PRIMARY DOCUMENT ANALYSIS
1) Franz Pfeffer von Salomon, ‘Breeding: A demand in relation to the Party program’ (1925)
2) Gregor Strasser, excerpt from ‘Thoughts about the Tasks of the Future’ (1926)
3) Guida Diehl, ‘A New Type of Woman’ and ‘Principles of the National Socialist Women’s
Organizations’ both from her book Die deutsche Frau und der Nationalsozialismus (The
German Woman and National Socialism) (1932)
4) Alfred Rosenberg, excerpt from Blood and Honour (1933)
5) Walter Gross, ‘National Socialist Racial Thought’ (1938)
Choose one of the above primary sources and write a document analysis of 1,500 words, typed,
double-spaced (except for footnotes and bibliography, which are single-spaced), with
reasonable margins. Justify the text (text should be aligned to both left and right). For
referencing style please use Chicago A
In your analysis be sure to consider the following points:
a) provide relevant information about the author.
b) place the document in its historical context (is it linked to any specific event or events? under
what circumstances was it composed?).
c) analyse the main points/themes/arguments of the document. This should take up about 50%
of your word total. ‘Analysis’ entails both summarizing and critically evaluating the document.
d) discuss the document’s nature and purpose (what kind of document is it? what is the author’s
intention, what is he or she trying to achieve? what audience is the document intended for?)
e) to what extent and in what ways might this document be useful to you as a historian? (what
can it tell you about the particular historical situation or relevant theme? are there any particular
problems which need to be considered when evaluating the document and determining its
value? Be specific in your comments and avoid vague or platitudinous generalizations.)
You can refer to one or more of the textbooks and reference works listed in the Subject Guide
to find information on the background and historical context of the document you choose. In
addition, the sources listed below may be of use. You are encouraged to discover and use other
secondary sources in preparing your analysis, particularly academic articles published in peerreviewed journals. At least four secondary sources must be used in your analysis.
Be sure to properly cite in footnotes any secondary sources you use. You do not need to
footnote passages that you quote from the primary source document itself, but keep such
quoting to a minimum. Footnotes are single-spaced. Do not use in-text citations or endnotes.
A bibliography should be included (this does not count in the word total). Bibliographical
entries should be single-spaced. Entries should be organized alphabetically by author’s
surname.
Remember that there are penalties for over length essays (although not for under length essays).
Assessment Criteria
1. The exercise respects the format and extension requirements. The writing in the work
is clear, sources are properly referenced, and a bibliography is provided.
2. The exercise correctly identifies the main characteristics of the primary document and
contextualizes it historically.
3. The exercise conducts a coherent and effective analysis of key themes in the document,
developing a coherent argument or arguments, and makes a historical evaluation of the
primary document.
4. The analysis is supported by appropriate and relevant secondary bibliography (at least
4 academic books and/or articles are referenced).
5. The exercise demonstrates the students personal understanding and evaluation of the
key themes on the history of Nazi Germany raised by the primary document.
