IB Prized Writing Sevenoaks School IB Prized Writing 2014 | Page 189

Eliza Parr - History Eliza Parr - History As I was interested in reading Law at university, and was studying Nazi Germany for History HL, looking at the Nazi legal system provided an interesting and accessible perspective for me. Watching the film, Judgement at Nuremburg provided a useful introduction to legal positivism, which I discussed in my Oxford interview. I think it is important to choose a topic that you are interested in, and one of the key challenges is keeping the essay focused when reading a wide range of sources. In addition, researching your topic as soon as possible is key, because it is helpful to discuss it with your supervisor before the summer holiday. Supervisor: Neil Tetley Eliza wrote on ‘To what extent did the Nazi Consolidation of Power during 1933-1934 Constitute a Legal Revolution?’. It was a superbly researched essay in which Eliza synthesised a tremendous volume of material into a clear and persuasive argument. She argued that while the Nazi consolidation of power gave an appearance of legality, this view places too much emphasis on the constitutional validity of the Enabling Act. Nazi legislative acts and decrees in fact undermined the fundamental principles of the Weimar Constitution which included the separation of powers, the rule of law and the protection of individual rights. Contents Introduction - Definition of Legal Revolution 190 Constitutional Framework 191 Article 48 and the Enabling Act 190 Other Legal Steps in Consolidating Power 193 The Revolutionary Outcome 194 The Undermining of the Separation of Powers 195 The Use of Retroactive Legislation 196 The Destruction of Individual Rights 197 A Veneer of Legality 197 Conclusion 198 Bibliography 200 188