Caprivi and Kaiser Wilhelm II 1890 - 1894

Question 1

What happened in 1890?

Answer 1

Bismarck resigned after election where The Centre, the Social Democrats, and the Progressives, (the parties that he had termed enemies of the empire), gained more than half of the seats in the new Reichstag.

Question 2

When did Wilhelm II become emperor and king of Prussia?

Answer 2

1888

Question 3

How old was Bismark in 1890?

Answer 3

75

Question 4

What happened to Bismark’s antisocialist law in 1890?

Answer 4

It was not revived as the new government set out to win the workers to the regime. Wilhelm II believed as part of his personal rule, these restrictions were not needed as all his citerzans would come to obey him.

Question 5

How long was Kaiser Fredrick in power?

Answer 5

3 months

Question 6

What were 4 key features of Wilhelm II’s personality?

Answer 6

• He saw himself as the personification of German Nationalism.
• He was overcompensating for his physical weakness of his arm.
• He was overly competitive and had a conservative and dogmatic attitude to the country.
• He had a strong idea of social inferiority due to the divine right of kings (‘He’s with his grocer”)

Question 7

What did Wilhelm II call the Reichstag?

Answer 7

The ‘ape house’

Question 8

Who was Philipp Eulenburg to Kaiser Wilhelm II?

Answer 8

Philipp Eulenburg was an unusual friend for the Kaiser as he was a more artistic composer as opposed to an office. He was his dearest friend who the Kaiser turned to at every point.

Question 9

When was the Eulenburg affair?

Answer 9

1906-1909

Question 10

What was the Eulenburg affair?

Answer 10

Sparked by accusations by the journalist and publicist Maximilian Harden, the scandal dominated European headlines for 3 years as it was the first modern scandal in which homosexuality was openly discussed. Harden’s claimed that Wilhelm had long been under the influence of a homosexual camarilla led by Eulenburg and that this clique had brought about Bismarck’s dismissal, cut off the emperor from his people and maneuverer Germany into isolation, and to the brink of war during the Morocco Crisis of 1905-6.

Question 11

What did the Eulenburg affair mean for the Kaiser?

Answer 11

The Eulenburg affair lead to the end of their friendship as Wilhelm refused to jeopardize the public opinion of him for his friend. This was reflective of the semi-absolutist state of Germany as the Kaiser could not control German media, and he did not have complete control over his actions as he could not endanger public opinion of himself.

Question 12

How did the German people see the Kaiser (3 points)?

Answer 12

He was the highest being in existance for Germans, close to God. Nationalism was strong in the late 1800s, so he was popular. He was in the spotlight and had a celebrity status throughout Germany.

Question 13

What was Wilhelm II style of rule?

Answer 13

He believed in divine right of kings and was disparaging of the Reichstag. He believed in Personal rule.

Question 14

What was the Kaiser’s attitude to England (4 points)?

Answer 14

• He had a rivalry to England, developed after childhood visits to Osbourne and wished to be on equal footing or better than Britain.
• Victoria doted on Wilhelm, but Wilhelm and Edward (his uncle) did not get on.
• Queen Victoria made him an admiral in the British Navy which Wilhelm had also grown obsessed with. - Queen Victoria died in Wilhelm’s arms which he took great pride in and increased his popularity on the streets of Britain.

Question 15

What were the Kaiser’s goals for Germany?

Answer 15

The Kaiser wanted to build up his navy to truly turn Germany into a world power. He believed Germany deserved “a place in the sun”.

Question 16

Summerise Wilhelm in 9 points

Answer 16

• Belief in Divine right of Kings
• Claimed traditional authority as part of Hohenzollern dynasty
• Not content with passive role played by Wilhelm I
• Showed signs of needing to show his own strength and power
• Keen interest in the military
• Erratic moods, unpredictable
• Disinterested in day-to-day government, once boasted he had never read the constitution.
• Had total control over appointments to the imperial government, surrounded himself with those who were prepared to bolster his own high opinion of himself
• Wanted to establish a ‘personal rule’ where he directed policy with minimal contact with the Reichstag

Question 17

When was General Leo von Caprivi chancellor?

Answer 17

1890–1894 (4 years succeeding Bismark)

Question 18

What was Caprivi’s background?

Answer 18

He served in the Prussian army in the Autsro-Prussian and Franco-Prussian wars.

Question 19

What was Caprivi like as a chancellor (personality 3 points)?

Answer 19

• He was an intelligent man with mildly progressive views
• He had some administrative experience and was regarded as a moderniser
• When he accepted office he publicly said he merely obeyed the Kaisers orders as a soldier and had no political programme

Question 20

What was the aim of Caprivi’s ‘new course’ (3 points)?

Answer 20

-To give ministers more influence over policy making
- Develop a greater cooperation with the Reichstag
- Bring about social reform

Question 21

How many reforms did Caprivi introduce to try take away support from Socialism and what did they reform?

Answer 21

6 including wage disputes, hours of work, minimum wage, child labour, finance bill and tariff act.

Question 22

What happened in July 1890 (Caprivi reforms)?

Answer 22

Industrial tribunals were set up to arbitrate in wage disputes

Question 23

What were hours of work for women reduced to?

Answer 23

A maximum of 11

Question 24

What happen in 1891 (Caprivi reforms)?

Answer 24

Sunday working was forbidden and a guaranteed minimum wage was established.

Question 25

What were hours of work for 13-18 year olds restricted to?

Answer 25

A maximum day of 10 hours with working under 13 forbidden.

Question 26

What did Caprivi’s finance bill introduce?

Answer 26

Progressive income tax

Question 27

How was the Tariff act of 1879 reformed under Caprivi?

Answer 27

Duties on imported wheat, rye, cattle and timber were reduced while duties on industrial imports remained.

Question 28

When was the tariff act of 1879 reformed under Caprivi?

Answer 28

It was reformed under two trade treaties of 1891 and 1894.

Question 29

Who generally welcomed Caprivi’s reforms (5 groups)?

Answer 29

The working class, the socialists, industrialists, Centre party and liberals.

Question 30

Who disliked Caprivi’s reforms?

Answer 30

The conservative Junkers and Conservative party who felt alienated by these reforms and did everything they could to bring Caprivi down.

Question 31

When did Caprivi make his compromise agreement with the Reichstag?

Answer 31

1893

Question 32

Why did Caprivi make his compromise agreement with the Reichstag?

Answer 32

To get support for an Army bill, that was drawn up at the Kaiser’s demand, in order to increase the size of the army.

Question 33

When was the Kaiser’s Army Bill drawn up (Caprivi)?

Answer 33

1892

Question 34

How many men did the Kaiser want to increase the size of the army by through the Army Bill of 1892?

Answer 34

84,000

Question 35

What compromise did Caprivi have to make with the Reichstag in order to get support for the Army Bill of 1892 (2 points)?

Answer 35

• He agreed to reduce the military service from 3 years to 2 years
• He allowed the Reichstag to discuss the military budget every 5 years instead of every 7 years.

Question 36

Who was Caprivi’s compromise over the Army Bill most hated by?

Answer 36

The Conservatives, who’s hostility increased towards Caprivi as they saw this as a humiliating surrender.

Question 37

What is an example of the Kaiser interfering when Caprivi tried to follow his own policies?

Answer 37

Caprivi tried to reverse an aspect of the Kulturkampf to allow both Protestant and catholic Church authorities have more control over education. However Wilhelm did not want to rely on the Centre Party to pass the bill so forced him to withdraw the proposed legislation.

Question 38

Why did the Kaiser and Caprivi fall out?

Answer 38

The Kaiser wanted to reintroduce Anti-Socialist laws after the growth of the SPD and anarchists and Caprivi refused to introduce them.

Question 39

What did Caprivi say after resigning?

Answer 39

“My relations with the All Highest have become intolerable. You cannot imagine how relieved I will feel to get out of here”