Exemplar for internal assessment resource History 2.2B for Achievement Standard 91230
Exemplar for Internal Assessment Resource
History Level 2
Resource title: Conspiracy theory debunked?
This exemplar supports assessment against:
Achievement Standard 91230
Examine an historical event or place that is of significance to
New Zealanders
Student and grade boundary specific exemplar
The material has been gathered from student material specific to an A or B assessment
resource.
Date version published by
Ministry of Education
© Crown 2011
December 2011
To support internal assessment from 2012
Exemplar for internal assessment resource History 2.2B for Achievement Standard 91230
The assessor selected the context of the conspiracy theory surrounding Hitler’s death. Note
that it is appropriate, when making a judgement, to take into account whether students have
had to research a historical context that may be more challenging than other contexts in
terms of locating relevant evidence.
Grade Boundary: Low Excellence
1.
For Excellence, comprehensive examination of an historical event or place is required.
Student 1 presents a sound understanding of the context and presents relevant
evidence throughout. Paragraphs contain key historical ideas, an indicator for each
performance level, usually in the first sentence of paragraph.
Depth of supporting evidence is variable. There is depth in the sixth paragraph about
the human bone fragments that can be regarded as comprehensive, and in the second
paragraph about Hitler’s mental state. There is very good depth in the paragraph that
describes the significance of Hitler’s death to New Zealanders. The story would also
have been more complete if it had provided an even amount of evidence for all of the
conspiracy theories.
Discussion of significance of the events to New Zealanders contains depth and variety
of comment that helps to support an overall low Excellence judgement.
On the grounds of sound understanding, coverage of the requirements and the
provision of three sections with depth that, considering the degree of difficulty of the
context, is appropriately comprehensive for level two, low Excellence standard overall.
© Crown 2011
Student 1 page 1: Low Excellence
The Downfall
It is April 1945 after Hitler's failed assault on Russia in operation Barbarossa in 1941 and his
ever dwindling forces in the following years’ actions, Hitler must have come to realise that he
was going to lose the war. He would have been angered at his losses and then even further
aggravated over the Russians and allies who were swiftly encroaching upon Berlin. He was
forced to make a decision: escape now or die when the Russians found him. The thought of
what might happen to him if he was captured must have made him realise he couldn’t be
captured. Probably he knew what the Russians were doing to Berlin citizens as they advanced.
So he definitely had a reason to commit suicide. The question is, did he? Or did he somehow
escape and avoid suicide? That is a conspiracy theory about his death.
There is plenty of evidence that Hitler committed suicide. Firstly, Hitler’s mental and physical
problems seem likely to have made suicide rather than escape more likely. Hitler coming
towards the end of his life it is believed he suffered from many different health problems
including an irregular heart beat, tremors on the left side of his body and also addiction to
methamphetamines. He also had mental health problems. Some people believing he may have
been schizophrenic also because of his extensive use of methamphetamines and sleep
deprivation. He became very easy to anger. This may have been the cause for his
overreactions and his weird demeanour in his final days.
The second piece of evidence of suicide comes from a secretary who was present in Hitler’s
Berlin bunker when the Russians were advancing., Traudi Jung, survived the war and has said
that she helped Hitler to write a will. Then cyanide that Hitler was going to use was tried on his
dog to make sure it would work. This seems clear evidence that he did in fact commit suicide.
If he expected to escape would he have organised such a careful cover-up about his death?
Another piece of evidence came from Rochus Misch, was the bodyguard of Hitler who served
him loyally for over eight years and was one of the last people to have seen the man and his
wife alive. He also was there when they discovered the dead bodies of Eva Braun and Adolf
Hitler. He witnessed Hitler slumped by the table but didn’t see any blood on his head. He was
also present at the poisoning of the Goebbels children. Misch tried to escape, but was captured
by Soviet soldiers and taken to Ukraine. He was tortured for information about what happened
to Hitler. So according to Misch there is no conspiracy theory.
But there are other beliefs, too, about what might have happened to Hitler. In July 1945 two
German U-boats landed in Mar del Plata, Argentina. These U boats surrendered to the
Argentineans in July and August 1945, adding weight to the conspiracy theory that Hitler
escaped to Argentina on one of these U-boats. Some senior Nazi officials did escape to
Argentina on the U-boats and sometimes were not found for years. Maybe Hitler escaped too
and was never found. Adolf Eichmann escaped to South America and was found there in 1960.
People have always thought that Josef Mengele and Martin Bormann also escaped but that has
never been proved. They just disappeared. But if Eichmann did, it is possible that Hitler did
too. However an officer on one of the U boats denied that that they were part of any ‘ghost
convoy’.
Analysing the evidence over Hitler's death shows that it is far more likely that the Fuhrer
committed suicide in the bunker than escaped to some foreign land like South America. This is
because there are eye witness accounts of people being present at his death and seeing the
Student 1 page 2: Low Excellence
aftermath of his suicide and also the Russians who claimed to have identified Hitler's dead
body. Heinz Linge, Hitler’s valet testified that along with Martin Bormann, they carried the
bodies of Hitler and Eva Braun to the garden where they were set on fire. This is supported by
the Russian evidence that they found on 11th May 1945 a jaw bone and two dental ridges that
were later identified by a dental technician who worked for Hitler’s dentist as those of Hitler and
Eva Braun. To celebrate the 55th anniversary of the Red Army’s capture of Berlin and victory
over Nazi Germany, the Russian State Archives in Moscow held an exhibition. The centrepiece
of this display was a skull fragment which has a bullet on one side that the Russians claim they
are 99.9% sure belonged to Hitler. Yet more evidence to support the commonly held belief that
Hitler took his own life. There is no evidence he was on a submarine that arrived in South
America. There are also some stories about him escaping to Antarctica but there is even less
reason to believe that. Another equally ridiculous belief is that Hitler fled to a Nazi base on the
moon; this is as unbelievable as those who claim that Hitler is still alive, aged 121 and living in
San Diego! So I believe that Adolf Hitler, the last dictator of Germany, committed suicide in the
bunker.
Hitler’s death was very significant to New Zealanders. New Zealanders at the end of the war
would have been joyous at the defeat of the Nazis and the reported death of their Fuhrer Adolf
Hitler as this meant an end to the fear of being attacked and also the death of a tyrant. It also
meant that sons and husbands could come home. About 140,000 New Zealand men served
overseas and about 10,000 women. About 12,000 died. This was important for many homes in
New Zealand. Children had no father, wives had no husbands. More New Zealanders died in
proportion to the population than any other commonwealth country. About 0.73% of New
Zealand population was killed. Back home thousands of New Zealanders worked in the Home
Guard. Women began to do men’s work for the first time. Every home was affected by
rationing of food and other items that couldn’t be imported while a war was going on. So when
Hitler finally died and the war ended all New Zealanders were pleased. ANZAC Day became
very important as the day when those who died in the war are remembered. So whether Hitler
dies or escaped was significant to New Zealand, especially back then because so many tried to
stop what he was doing.
Exemplar for internal assessment resource History 2.2B for Achievement Standard 91230
Grade Boundary: High Merit
2.
For Merit, in-depth examination of an historical event or place is required.
The account is clear and coherent throughout and most paragraphs contain a key
historical idea that is supported in the rest of the paragraph (there is a section of
narrative concerning events from April 30 to May 7). For level two, the supporting
evidence for this reasonably demanding context is sufficiently in-depth for Merit, but not
quite sufficiently for Excellence’s comprehensive depth. The section about the
involvement of the Soviet secret security forces is in sufficient depth for Excellence but
that depth is not sustained. Much more depth might have been expected with regard to
the biggest part of the conspiracy theory: whether Hitler might have escaped to South
America.
Significance to New Zealanders is raised, with some reasonably detailed supporting
evidence.
Overall, there is good coverage of the suicide possibility with obviously relevant
evidence, reasonably detailed evidence in the significance to New Zealanders section
and clear understanding of the conspiracy debate. Not all parts of the evidence are
discussed in great detail. High Merit standard overall.
© Crown 2011
Student 2 page 1: High Merit
In April 1945 the Russian Army was in Berlin and Hitler was facing defeat. Hitler along with his
mistress Eva Braun and other high ranking Nazi officials had been in the Fuherbunker since
January 1945. The Führerbunker was surrounded by concrete four meters thick. It served as a
command centre for the remainder of the war after his move to Berlin, it was where he married
Eva Braun and where the Goebbels children were murdered. There are photographs and
eyewitness accounts to prove that these things happened. The Führerbunker survived the war
and the Soviets made attempts to destroy it but only damaged the walls in it. Residential
development in the 1980s led to the destruction of most of the bunker. So we know the bunker
existed, at least. But do we know that Hitler died there?
Historians have generally agreed since the end of World War II that on April 30th 1945, Hitler
and Eva Braun committed suicide in the bunker. Their bodies were cremated, on Hitler’s orders,
outside of the bunker to ensure that what happened to Mussolini (whose body was strung up by
his heels in a piazza in Milan and later was cut down to lie in a gutter for over a day) did not
happen to Hitler. I believe this was his fate because it would have been incredibly unlikely for
him to have escaped since the Soviets were a mere few hundred meters away from the bunker.
It is extremely difficult to believe that Hitler could have got past the Russian soldiers. They were
everywhere in Berlin taking revenge on the third Reich – burning and shelling the buildings,
shooting and raping the people. His suicide by gunshot was confirmed by at least two people,
Otto Gunsche and Rochus Misch, Hitler’s bodyguard, who saw his body slumped in his study,
blood dripping from his right temple and a gun at his feet.
On May 4th 1945, the bodies of Hitler and Eva Braun were found in the Reich Chancellery
garden by the Russians. So this is more witnesses. A Soviet intelligence officer said he saw
part of a grey blanket at the bottom of a shell crater. The crater was dug into and two bodies
were found along with the bodies of a German Alsatian and a puppy. Very early on May 5th, the
bodies were taken to Buch in northeast Berlin. Dental records and thorough dental checks by
the assistant of Hitler’s dentist proved that the body was that of Adolf Hitler.
On May 7th, Moscow was informed that Hitler’s body had been found. From that time on, it was
kept under the greatest of secrecy. In the mid-1990’s, the Russian authorities say that they dug
up the body of Hitler from the parade ground in Magdeburg, where it had been buried, burned it
and then flushed the ashes into the town’s sewage system. . All this evidence supports the
theory that Hitler did kill himself in his bunker. But can the Russians be trusted? They knew
that the other allies did not trust them because they were communists and there was going to be
trouble later among the allies. Maybe they just wanted to say they were the ones who found
Hitler. It doesn’t sound very real that they dug up his body many years later and flushed him
down the sewers. Why would they do that?
Since Hitler’s death a rather large number of other conspiracies about him still being alive and
the ways he escaped have popped up. The most credible one is that Hitler escaped to
Argentina in the U-Boat U-977. It is thought he joined Adolf Eichmann and Dr Josef Mengele
who definitely fled to Argentina. Eichmann was finally found in 1960. Perhaps Hitler, like
Mengele, was never found by Nazi Hunters. Others theories include Hitler becoming a priest in
Spain, a Maths teacher in England. Then there are the completely insane theories, that he fled
to Antarctica and set up a base there and that he escaped to the moon and a base was set up
there. There are some people who claim Hitler is still alive, but this is impossible as he would
121years old. I think the answer is that Hitler killed himself and his wife and his dogs. Other
evidence that supports this is the lower and upper jaw bone that was found by the Russians and
Student 2 page 2: High Merit
identified as Hitler’s by his own dentist as well as the skull fragment, with a bullet hole in it,
which is in a Russian museum. There is no other hard evidence to support any other theory.
Hitler’s death meant that the New Zealand soldiers could finally return home after five long
years of war. However the War in the Pacific was still going so some of those soldiers may have
been sent there. The total number of New Zealanders who were involved in the second world
war was close to 200,000, most of involved in North Africa, Italy and various RAF missions.
Back home in new Zealand the war caused many changes there as well. Things couldn’t be
brought to New Zealand in World War II, so rationing was needed on the home front. Petrol was
rationed in 1939, with certain foods and clothing as well in 1942. There were ration books with
coupons marked S (sugar), T (tea), M (clothing), and X (stockings). For example, people were
restricted to 12 ounces (24 tablespoons) of sugar per week. Knitting wool was also rationed.
Some women went to work on the farms because the men had left for war. They were the Land
Girls.
The end of the Second World War changed the world forever. The United States and the Soviet
Union emerged from it as the world’s main superpowers and the Cold War began. Hitler’s
incredibly cruel racial policies are still to this day a source of great embarrassment for the
German people. Children there visit concentration camps to learn that atrocities like the
Holocaust should never again happen.
Exemplar for internal assessment resource History 2.2B for Achievement Standard 91230
Grade Boundary: Low Merit
3.
For Merit, in-depth examination of an historical event or place is required.
Student 3 has a broad understanding of events leading up to and surrounding Hitler’s
death. Further discussion of how the events of the war that are included led to a
situation where Hitler must have committed suicide would have clarified the
examination. That link is never quite made. There is some detail (a Merit indicator) in
both description of the war’s events and surrounding the suicide (at the top and the
bottom of the first page).
The most common conspiracy theories are included, though greater depth would have
been desirable. Elements of the conspiracy theory not covered by most other students
are raised by this student. The student does attempt a summary that includes his/her
own views on the conspiracy theory; there is a brief, broad description in the final
paragraph of how Hitler’s war was significant to New Zealanders, but more detail there
is necessary to support an overall Merit judgement.
Overall, the requirements of the Achievement Standard are addressed, much better in
some parts than in others, the Merit indicators are present, though again the depth of
explanation is variable.
© Crown 2011
Student 3 page 1: Low Merit
Conspiracy theory debunked?
The destruction of Hitler's Third Reich began on April 16, 1945 when Stalin used 20 armies,
6,300 tanks and 8,500 aircraft to crush German resistance and capture Berlin. Fighting in every
street and house, Russian troops made their way towards Hitler's chancellery in the city's centre
where inside his underground bunker Hitler lived along with other high ranking Nazi officials. In
his final hours the Fuhrer married his long-time mistress Eva Braun, and then joined her in
suicide. Hitler was dead, the Third Reich was dead.
Hitler committed suicide on April the 30th, 1945, in his bunker under the Reich Chancellery in
Berlin, where he reportedly took a cyanide capsule before shooting himself in the head. This
method of suicide had been recommended to Hitler by his doctor Werner Haase.
Rumours of Hitler’s survival have been around for years, with some even saying he is still alive
today. However it is very unlikely that the Nazi leader would be alive at 121 years old.
Conspiracy Theory One: Hitler fled on a ‘ghost convoy’ to Argentina
Several Nazis including ‘architect of the Holocaust’, Adolf Eichmann and Dr Josef Mengele, the
doctor who carried of medical experiments in the concentration camps, fled to Argentina. The
arrival of two U-Boats in the country in July 1945 led some people to believe that Hitler had also
made it to Argentina. But Heinz Schäffer, one of the officers on the U-Boats, has always
denied Hitler was part of a 'ghost convoy'. Eichmann was finally found in 1960 but some people
believe that Hitler, like other Nazi’s, also made it to Argentina and was never found and that he
became known as Father Krespi. Apparently Krespi died in 1993 and Germans flew from all
over the world to his funeral. 2000 people attended the funeral for this unknown monk. A
retired American army colonel met the priest Krespi in Ecuador in 1981 and was sure it was
actually Hitler.
Conspiracy Theory Two: Hitler ‘fled to Antarctica in a U-boat’
Among the theories of Hitler's whereabouts after the fall of Nazi Germany in 1945 was that he
was smuggled out of Germany and onto a U-Boat and taken to a secret military base in
Antarctica.
While U Boats did arrive in Argentina after the war, they could not have made it to Antarctica
because the winter sea ice would have made it impossible to access any land.
Conspiracy Theory Three: Hitler is alive and staying in San Diego
One of the more unbelievable theories is that Hitler is alive, at the age of 121 and living in San
Diego. This goes along with another belief that Hitler fled, by rocket, to a Nazi base on the
moon.
The true story
Russians say they found two burned bodies outside the bunker Hitler was in. Otto Gunsche said
that he and Linge, Hitler’s valet, wrapped the body of Hitler in a blanket and carried it to the
Reich Chancellery garden. Eva Braun’s body was also carried up and laid next to Hitler’s. Both
bodies were laid near to the bunker’s exit. The bodies were drenched in petrol and set alight.
Both Bormann and Goebbels watched this. The fact that Hitler committed suicide is definitely
Student 3 page 2: Low Merit
the most likely explanation for what happened to Hitler. The Russians also have a piece of
Hitler’s skull and his lower and upper jaw bones which they have proven belong to Hitler.
This is the best story, but we will never know for sure.
Significance to New Zealanders
Hitler’s attack on Poland on September 1st 1939 was to regain German possession, wrongly
lost under the 1919 Treaty of Versailles that cut off East Prussia from the rest of Germany.
Britain declared war and New Zealand supported Britain and that’s why we went to war. Hitler
was like a big bully of your school, bullying the 3rd world countries. To stop him thousands of
New Zealanders died and so there was a big effect on New Zealand families. Whether Hitler
committed suicide or escaped to South America, it was the end of the war and men could finally
come home to their families. The war also affected our trade and caused big shortages in New
Zealand and there was also rationing. Today we have a holiday on ANZAC Day so we can
remember those who died in World War II.
Exemplar for internal assessment resource History 2.2B for Achievement Standard 91230
Grade Boundary: High Achieved
4.
For Achievement, examination of an historical event or place is required.
Student 4 provides some good understanding, in reasonable depth, of the events
surrounding the suicide in the bunker (the ‘Hitler’s Death’ section). The detail provided
with that evidence is at Merit standard – though it may have been more coherent if
turned into a chronological explanation. That detail is not maintained, however, with
regard to the rest of the conspiracy theory. An attempt to explain the other theories in
some depth could have allowed a Merit judgement. In particular, more explanation for
the other main theory, escape to South America, might have been expected.
The section on significance to New Zealanders is at the barely-adequate level
Good understanding and partially good depth of evidence with regard to the
place/event allows, overall, high Achievement.
© Crown 2011
Student 4 page 1: High Achieved
The accepted story of Hitler’s death
On the 29th of April, Hitler married his lover Eva Bruan in the Furhrerbunker. Then at 2:00 am, he went
into a small study with his secretary, Gertrud Junge, and dictated his last will and testament.
On Monday the 30th of April, he had a routine military briefing, and then shared a simple lunch of
spaghetti and tossed salad with his cook and two secretaries. Then his intimate associates were called
together for one more leave-taking. He and Eva shook hands all around. Shortly before 3:30pm, Hitler
directed his spouse into their private apartment. Hitler and Eva placed a capsule of cyanide in their mouth.
Hitler held a pistol to his head and pulled the trigger, biting down on the pill at the same time. As Eva, his
spouse heard the gun shot, she bit down on her pill.
Berlin in 1945
The Soviet army was surrounding Berlin, leaving no escape for any of the occupants or German soldiers
that were in Berlin. Supplies were running low, with the Allied blockade stopping all transport of essential
items which the army needed, such as food and ammunition.
Hitler’s own military, the commanders, the people closest to him were betraying him. Along with the Allied
bombings, Berlin was a mess. This was the last battle of the war, The Battle of Berlin. Hitler was left with
no choice but to commit suicide.
Hitler’s Death
It is generally believed by historians that with the Russians fast approaching the bunker Hitler decided to
commit suicide along with his wife Eva Braun. His body, along with his wife's, was taken upstairs and
outside. Then it was doused with petrol and set alight. It was buried then in a bomb crater after Soviet
shelling made it unsafe to carry on with the cremation. The only reason the body was found was that
there was an extreme shortage of gasaline for the Germans in Berlin. Hitler ordered his men to bring
gasaline so his body would be burned but there wasn’t enough in the can to burn him properly.
One of the only survivors, Rochus Misch is convinced that he saw his master dead. "Hitler's body was
wrapped in a blanket as I watched. He was then taken outside to be burnt. It was over." Misch did not see
Hitler’s body being burnt as he was scared that the last witnesses to Hitler’s death would be shot. Most of
the accounts all say the same thing. Hitler’s valet Heinz Linge also claimed that he could smell almonds,
the smell of cyanide gas, when he went into Hitler’s study. He said he saw Hitler with a bullet wound to
his head and Eva Braun was lying beside him. The accounts have many versions. None is known as the
full truth. Some of the accounts say that there was a gunshot. Others say there was none. All the accounts
say that his body was taken upstairs, had gasaline poured over it and set alight with his wife's, Eva’s.
There are many theories that Hitler did not die in the bunker but actually left it.
The theories are;
 He escaped and went to live in South America
 Using rocket technology, he flew to the moon and created a Nazi space base
 He went to Antarctica and set up a base there, and in 1950s the British and Americans went there
and blew it up.
 He escaped Berlin and flew to Barcelona, Spain
Student 4 page 2: High Achieved
Did Hitler really die in the bunker?
These theories have neither been proven right or wrong.
 Two bodies were found, one burnt and one not
 Stalin told many of the Allied Leaders that Hitler had escaped
 The whole suicide story is from four Nazis. Mische was captured by the Russians and revealed
how Hitler died but only because he was being torture.
 The Russians claim to have a skull fragment, with a bullet hole in it and part of Hitler’s jaw. They
say they are 99.9% sure they belong to Hitler.
 The remains that are left have recently been said to be that of a 20 year old female not a 54 year
old man. This is proved because the bone was too thin for a man in his fifties
 The story always changes, with many different verisons
 The theory that Hitler escaped to Antarctica is impossible. At the time it would have been
impossible for any U-Boat to reach the country, or have travelled that far. The British had been to
Antarctica after the war, but to set claims on the land. And America went to test polar-warfare.
They didn’t go there to see if Hitler was there which is what some people thought. There has been
no proof to prove this theory.
Theories proved wrong
Hitler would not have been able to escape Berlin without being seen. And there has been no known
truthful reports of sightings of him. The body that was found had dental checks which matched Adolf
Hitler's. This proves that none of the theories could be correct.
The significance of Hitler’s death to New Zealanders today
The significance of Hitler’s death to New Zealanders today is a reminder of the war and terrible things that
happened during it. Hitler’s death was the end of the war. It brought peace to the world again, or at least
some peace. People were finally able to buy food after years of rationing. For New Zealanders it was
important because it marked the return of our men from war and changed our outlook on foreign politics.
Exemplar for internal assessment resource History 2.2B for Achievement Standard 91230
Grade Boundary: Low Achieved
5.
For Achievement, examination of an historical event or place is required.
Explanatory Note 2 states the need, for Achievement and Merit, for a coherent
explanation. Student 5 has sufficient supporting evidence for a slightly higher result
than low Achievement, but the coherency of the account is the main reason why the
final judgement is only low Achievement. It is difficult throughout the first two-thirds of
the evidence to establish what the student’s point is. There is also a problem with
adherence to the purpose of the task – the writing does not articulate clearly the issues
that cause debate about whether Hitler committed suicide. There is also the odd
factual error.
Coherency:
 The evidence does not clearly establish an argument or a direction. Overall it could
be mostly relevant but better structuring of the evidence would have helped to
secure the Achievement judgement. An argument regarding a conspiracy theory
needs to be more clearly established and addressed in order to demonstrate
coherency.
Purpose of the task:
 Much of the evidence (in the ‘Factors involved with Hitlers suicide’ section) helps to
explain why Hitler may have wanted to commit suicide, but that link is only
superficially established by the student and the relevance to the overall topic of the
investigation is not made clear
 The Other Conspiracy Theories section starts to address the main issue, but much
more depth is needed in terms of the stated purpose of this historian’s examination
 The section on significance to New Zealanders is very superficial and, looked at on
its own, is clearly close to the Not Achieved-Achievement boundary
Overall, low Achievement standard. The student has a very broad understanding that
largely lacks the depth expected at level two.
© Crown 2011
Student 5 page 1: Low Achieved
Introduction to the death of Adolf Hitler
The aknowledged account of Adolf Hitlers death proceeded during the afternoon when the
Germanys Fuhrer,Adolf Hitler , committed suicide. On the 1st of May 1945-in the southern
hemisphere or the 30th of April 1945-in the northern hemisphere, Hitler and his wife,Eva
Braun went into the Fuhrer suite,in the Fuhrerbunker and killed themselves.This
Fuhrerbunker was located beneath the Reich chancellery in Germanys capital,Berlin.When
Hitler and Braun were in the Fuhrerbunker alone theyshot themselves,causing instant death.
When Hitler was told that the dictator of Italy had been shot and strung up in front of a petrol
station in Milan, Hilter planned to kill himself rather than have the same thing happen to him.
He married his mistress Eva Braun and then dictated his will. He then committed suicide by
biting down a cyanide capsule and shooting himself in the head. His valet Linge and his
bodyguard Guncshe say they saw his body along with Eva Braun’s. The bodies were then
taken into the garden and set on fire.The Russians later found Hitler’s remains and have a jaw
bone and a piece of Hitler’s skull, with a bullet in one side, in their state archives.
Factors involved with Hitlers suicide
The continual attempts of germans and international personal to assinate Adolf Hitler was
due to the fact of peoples concern over Hitlers health and carry out his roles of being a
Fuhrer.An assasination attempt was Stauffenbergs in 1944,when a Nazi Party
member,liettenant Colonel Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg organised an assaination attempt
proven by recorded telephone calls and pictures and the study of historians.By even the
trusted and highly recognised personal attempting this assination it shows the concern
members of the Nazi Party and supporting had towards Adolf Hitler being the Furhrer. If he
knew his own supporters didn’t like him that might have helped Hitler to want to kill himself.
The eyewitness acount of Maj Freytag Von Loringhaven includes a detailed description of
the Fuhrer in 1944 saying: "I had the image of a very strong, vital person with charisma, but
what I saw was a sick old man. His right arm was injured by the attempt and his figure had
changed, his head was sunk into his shoulders."His left hand was very weak and his left foot
dragged behind him." "I felt nothing, the eyes were pale and without any expression
anymore."This suppprts the rapid physical depletion and german societys changing view on
Hitler charismaticness. And it helped to make Hitler want to commit suicide.
The decision to marry Eva Braun on the same day as Hitlers suicide,witnessed by Joseph
Goebbels and Martin Bormann. supports the idea of which Hitler understood the fate of
himself having to committ suicide and was preparing for it by resulting his relationship with
Eva Braun whom was known as his mistress.
The battle of berlin results in the Red army advancing in the east and south,surrounding
Berlin by April 25 1945. By the soviet forces entering and capturing berlin succesfully ,it
showed their strong power,frightening the United States of America.By Adolf Hitler
remaining in the Bunker during this time some historians comment that he was not scared of
Soviet forces,while Hitlers action of committing suicide before the soviets captured the
bunker is seen as Adolf Hitler avoiding the Soviet Forces through his only avaliable option of
death,showing he was scared. We know he probably killed himself because:
Student 5 page 2: Low Achieved
People who were in the bunker with him have told us what happened. There were
witnesses

Russian soldiers found two partly burned bodies outside the bunker. Those who were
in the bunker all said he was taken outside and burned

Russia kept bits of his body. They looked at his teeth and his dentist was able to say
they were Hitlers teeth. And his jaw and a piece of skull with a bullet hole were found and
kept

Other conspiracy theories about Hitlers suicide
One theory is that Hitler was smuggled out of Germany on a U Boat and taken to a secret
military base in Antartica. It has then been claimed that the British and American forces later
destroyed this base with nuclear weapons.
Another theory was Hitler managed to escape to Argentina on a U boat. Other Nazi’s did
escape to Argentina so it is possible that Hitler managed to join them and remain
undiscovered until his death. But there has never been any evidence for this story. But there
wouldn’t be, would there, if Hitler managed to hide himself well. So that’s one of the reasons
why there are conspiracy theories.
I think the most obvious theory with the most evidence to support it is that Hitler killed
himself.
Significant to New Zealand
New Zealand was happy when Hitler died because the war ended. Every year on April 25 we
have ANZAC Day to remember those who dies fighting against Hitler. Everyone knows
someone who died in World War 2 which caused more New Zealanders to die than World
War 1. But Anzac Day is also for those who died in other wars. And the war also carried on
against Japan after Hitler died and lots more kiwis were still killed there. We also still see
lots of movies and lots of war stuff on the History Channel so there is still a lot of interest in
Hitler and what he did to the world. And whether he died in the bunker doesn’t matter so
much. We are just glad he died.
Exemplar for internal assessment resource History 2.2B for Achievement Standard 91230
Grade Boundary: High Not Achieved
6.
For Achievement, examination of an historical event or place is required.
Student 6 presents some relevant evidence but on the whole the evidence is not quite
sufficiently coherent for Achievement and detail is not quite at Achievement standard.
Key historical ideas with supporting evidence are not clearly presented. The section
headings introduce the content of each section rather than establishing key historical
ideas which are supported with evidence. The first three sections tend to be either
narrative in nature or the key ideas are not supported with evidence; the last three
sections are better, each beginning with a key historical idea with some supporting
evidence.
In the first and third sections the evidence is only very marginally relevant though the
student could have made that evidence more relevant with a little more explanation.
The second paragraph about Operation Barbarossa is not particularly relevant to the
overall theme.
The odd brief comment does suggest the relevance to Hitler committing suicide but the
overall debate concerning a conspiracy theory is never quite established until the end.
In the Conclusion the student’s own views on the conspiracy theories are presented but
because they are based on insufficient depth of evidence, overall the Achievement
standard is not quite met.
The section on significance to New Zealanders (‘New Zealand and Hitler’s death’), as
well as being presented in an unexpected place (which raises doubts about
Explanatory Notes’ indicator concerning coherency), needs to be in greater depth to
clearly allow Achievement for that particular part of the evidence.
Generally the evidence supporting key ideas needs greater depth for Achievement at
this curriculum level; the section that mentions Eichmann is an exception but that depth
needed to be sustained to reach Achievement overall.
Overall, high Not Achieved standard.
© Crown 2011
Student 6 page 1: High Not Achieved
THE SITUATION IN BERLIN 1945
In 1945, during World War II, Berlin was the targeted city as this was the Nazi Germany's capital
city. In April 1945, near the end of World War II, the Soviet Union's Red Army was closing in on
Berlin.
In 1939, the Soviets and Germans signed what was called the non-aggression pact, they both
agreed to not attack each other. This pact was meant to last ten years but unfortunately only
lasted 2 years after Adolf Hitler and the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union. This was Operation
Barbarossa. Hitler asserted that the German people needed Lebensraum (living space) and to
achieve his vision he turned to East Europe and eventually ended up targeting the Soviets. This
is why in the end it was the Soviet army that was attacking Berlin.
Also near the end of World War II the chances of Germany winning the War were fading away
quickly. Germany was simply outnumbered, out classed and out gunned by the Soviets and
Americans put together. Hitler did not want to admit that he had lost the war and chose to
commit suicide instead. But there have been questions ever since did Hitler really commit
suicide.
NEW ZEALAND AND HITLER'S DEATH
The death of Adolf Hitler had significance to New Zealanders because it marked the end of
World War II, allowing the New Zealand Soldiers to return home. Although some soldiers lost
their lives in the war, they are still remembered today on ANZAC Day for their hard work in
bringing Hitler down, forcing the Germans to surrender. This meant that difficulties lay ahead for
families where parents found that their relationship had been badly affected and the children
that never saw their father before leaving for war welcomed their father with scared faces as
they thought he wasan intruder.
WHY DID HITLER COMMIT SUICIDE?
By early 1945 it was becoming clear that the chances of winning World War II was running thin
for the Nazis. Hitler realised this and knew that he would be to blame for the outbreak of World
War II. Hitler was not keen on taking the blame for this.
Due to the fact that Hitler invaded the Soviet Union after agreeing to not attack them, he was
wanted in the eyes of Joseph Stalin for this attempt. He knew that if he was to be captured he
would not be given the easy way out. He would be tortured and humiliated by the Soviets. He
knew this because of what the Soviets were up to in Berlin.
These two points caused Hitler to stress out.
CAN STRESS LEAD TO COMMITTING SUICIDE?
Student 6 page 2: High Not Achieved
It has been proved that high levels of stress can lead to an individual committing suicide. The
two points stated above is enough to trigger Hitler's stress emotions and can lead to suicidal
thinking. Unfortunately, in this case, Hitler attempted suicide. He was in the bunker in Berlin
with his wife Eva and other army people. Eva took poison and Hitler shot himself and may have
poisoned himself as well.
OTHER THEORIES
Some people think that Hitler did not kill himself. It was all a big coverup and Hitler really didn’t
die. Some people think Hitler could still be alive. This is because some Nazis escaped at the
end of the war and Hitler might have been one of them. Long after the war Nazis were found
hiding in South America. One was Eichmann who was at the Wannsee Conference about Jews
and put in charge of transporting them to concentration camps. He escaped from Germany
after the war but Israel found him in Buenos Aires in 1960 and smuggled him out of Buenos
Aires to Israel and he was put on trial and executed. So people think Hitler might have escaped
too.
Others thought he escaped to Antarctica in a submarine and some thought he went to the moon
in a rocket.
CONCLUSION
This brings me to my final conclusion that the statement, 'Hitler did not die in the Bunker in
1945', is false. Hitler committed suicide in his bunker due to high levels of stress triggered by
war problems and was then carried out along with his newly wed, Eva Braun, into the
chancellory garden and was burnt in a trench so that evidence of his body would not be found
by the Soviets. We know this is true because the soldiers who did it wrote about it. So all the
other people who think other things can’t be right. It can’t be right that he went to live in the
Antarctic because no-one lived there during the war. It can’t be right that he escaped to South
America because he committed suicide in Berlin and there are witnesses. It can’t be right that
he escaped to the moon. That is ridiculous and makes you think that the other ideas about him
escaping are ridiculous as well.