”demonstrations” and whilst it mentions damage to property, does not include details of violence, Jewish fatalities or their transportation to concentration camps.
Source A is more credible as it was written by a journalist who
could write the truth about what happened because Germany was no
longer oppressed by the tyranny of the Nazi’s. It tells us that Goebbels
was the instigator who planned that attacks to impress Hitler because he needed to get back in favour. It shows also that Hitler was responsible by consenting and giving his blessing to Goebbels actions. It provides a useful and unbiased insight into the background of the events that led to Kristallnacht.
Source B cannot be relied upon to give a true and useful account of the
individuals responsible for Kritstallnacht because it was written by the Nazi party. It deliberately leaves out the full details of what happened,
and also the part played by Hitler and Goebbels. Because of it’s biased nature and attempt to play down the significance of the event ,it’s usefulness to historians is limited.
(b)
Source C is written by the American Consul in Leipzig called David Buffman. He wrote his account at the time of Kristallnacht from what he had witnessed and from the interviews he carried out. He says that the violence was caused by SS men and storm troopers, that were not in uniform, but who came prepared, armed with axes, firebombs and hammers. This shows that these attacks were not spontaneous as claimed by the Nazi’s, but were clearly planned. As the author is American this source can be viewed as a reliable and non-biased source. This is because America was not at war yet and therefore was not directly involved in the events. He says that the crowds of German civilians were clearly horrified by the violence perpetrated against the Jewish community, and also to witness the fire brigade only putting out the fires which had spread to German buildings.
David Buffman’s eyewitness account proves that the Nazi propaganda that this was a ‘spontaneous’ reaction by the people to the ‘cowardly’ murder of Von Roth was not the case. Unlike Source B it does include information about the transportation of Jews
to concentration camps. This source would be very useful to historians
as it contains facts and eye witness accounts other than the authors own.
(c)
Source D gives a biased view .It is written by a German Jew, whose people were receiving harsh treatment from the Nazis. He may exaggerate the attacks and hopes to promote the idea that there was unrest in the German masses.
Source E is also biased, as its author is a German civil servant. This source seeks to play down the involvement of the Nazi party also. It
blames the police and again does not mention, fatalities or concentration camps, only the destruction of property. It suggests that the "riots” were spontaneous, as the SA men were not armed when they arrived. It was sent to the British Consul in Cologne. It attempts to convey shock by ‘Most German people’ who are not he says involved in the plunderings and destruction’.
It is clear that the purpose of this source is to convince the British that the instigators of Kristallnacht did not have party approval and were not typical of Germany as a whole. It is undoubtedly biased and its accuracy therefore cannot be relied upon.
The information contained in either of these sources does not affect the likelihood that source C is accurate. The bias of Sources D and E means that they cannot justifiably be used to discredit Source C. The author of Source C unlike these two is not allied to either of the parties directly involved in the events of Kristallnacht.
(d)
Both cartoons are against fascism. In Source F the Nazi is standing on people and their possessions holding a knife and in Source G the Nazi is standing over a person clasping a truncheon. The artists are symbolising the Nazis oppression of the people of Germany and how they ruled them with brute force. Source F is from a Russian newspaper and the artist is telling the Russian people that fascism is wrong and communism is moral and the best way to rule. Source G is from an anti-Nazi country, Britain. It is trying to enforce the image that Nazis are evil and are and are ruling Germany with tyranny. Therefore both sources are biased. Source G is trying to turn Britain against the Nazis perhaps in preparation for war and Source F is attempting to turn the Russian people against fascism and to make them believe communism is just. Both these cartoons support the views of the countries government
(e)
