German Opposition in Wartime

When even the army turned

Before the war, opposition to the Nazis was small and scattered. As the war began to go badly, that changed. ⭐ Opposition grew and became far more serious, reaching even into the army, which plotted to assassinate Hitler in July 1944. ⚠️ Explain why it grew, and why it still failed. The strongest answers hold both halves together rather than telling only one.

Opposition before the war, and during it

The war changed the scale and seriousness of opposition. Hold the two together.

Order how wartime opposition grew

Put the growth of wartime opposition into order.

• Early victories keep most Germans loyal
• Heavy defeats like Stalingrad shake confidence
• Students and others speak out more boldly
• Army officers, fearing ruin, plot to kill Hitler
• The July 1944 bomb plot fails and the plotters are executed

Why opposition grew in wartime

Why did opposition to the Nazis grow during the war?

• As Germany began losing, with heavy defeats and casualties, more people, including army officers, turned against a regime leading the country to ruin
• Because Germany was winning easily and people felt safe
• Because foreign armies had already occupied Germany
• Because Hitler ordered people to oppose him

Words for wartime opposition

Five words that let you explain the opposition, rather than just list it.

Spot the wartime opposition

Three of these were forms of wartime opposition to the Nazis. Choose the three.

• The White Rose students spreading leaflets
• Army officers plotting against Hitler
• The July 1944 bomb plot
• The Hitler Youth
• A mass public uprising that overthrew the regime

Why it grew, and why it still failed

The sharpest answers explain both halves at once. It grew because defeat changed the calculation. As the war turned, casualties mounted and ruin loomed, so even loyal officers concluded that Hitler had to go. It still failed for clear reasons. The July plot narrowly failed to kill Hitler, the plotters lacked wide support, terror was fierce, and most Germans, from fear or loyalty, did not rise. Holding the growth and the failure together is the grade 9 move.

Match each act of wartime resistance to what it was

Find the sentence that explains growth and failure

A student explains wartime opposition. Select the ONE sentence that explains BOTH why it grew and why it failed.

• Opposition grew as defeat loomed and even army officers turned against Hitler, but it failed because the July plot narrowly missed, the plotters were isolated, and terror was fierce.
• There was no opposition to the Nazis during the war at all.
• Opposition succeeded and overthrew Hitler in 1944.
• Opposition grew for no reason anyone can explain.

A worked example: the failing firm

Picture a company doing well. Staff stay loyal and nobody questions the boss. Then it heads for collapse. Now even senior managers, fearing ruin, start to plot the removal of the boss. But their attempt is rushed and isolated, the boss survives it, and they are dismissed on the spot. Hold that idea. People often turn against a leader only once failure looms, and a late, isolated attempt to remove them can still fail if it is rushed and unsupported.

Complete the account of wartime opposition

A student group that spread anti-Nazi leaflets was the _____. The 1944 army attempt to kill Hitler was the _____. The officer who planted the bomb was _____. Actively working to bring down the regime was _____. Opponents were executed on a charge of _____.

Judge wartime opposition

Which is the soundest judgement on opposition during the war?

• It grew and became more serious as defeat loomed, even reaching the army, but it stayed isolated and failed against terror and the survival of Hitler
• There was no opposition during the war
• Opposition succeeded in overthrowing the regime
• Opposition stayed exactly as small as in the 1930s

Why it grew, and why it failed

The strongest answers weigh both sides of the story.

Judge wartime opposition like an examiner

You are marking three claims about wartime opposition. For each, choose the soundest judgement.

• An essay says there was no opposition during the war. Is that safe?
• An essay says the July plot succeeded. Is that safe?
• An essay says opposition grew for no reason. Is that safe?

Write: why opposition grew, yet failed

Why did opposition to the Nazis grow during the war, and why did it still fail? Explain both, with examples, and reach a judgement. This is written in English and is not auto-marked.

• Explain how opposition grew as the war turned
• Give examples, including the White Rose and the army plot
• Explain why it still failed
• Weigh the growth against the failure
• Reach a supported judgement