Chapter 5: Social developments

Question 1

How did the position of the Junkers change/remain the same by 1914?

Answer 1

• minimal change
• remain the most influential group in Germany - continue to control positions in the** J**udiciary, civil service and military
• some reduced influence due to people moving out of the countryside - less workers - less agricultural income

Question 2

How did the position of the industrial elites change/remain the same?
Give some examples of key elites

Answer 2

• significant change
• industrialisation provides a larger workforce and more wealth - begin to threaten the position of the landed elites
• key industrial elites included** Krupps, Siemens and Thyssens** - few reached this level of influence

Question 3

How did the position of the middle classes change/remain the same?

Answer 3

• moderate change
• educated professionals such as doctors and lawyers become more common
• mor**e white colar jobs - more opportunites for success - results in increased consumerism

Question 4

How did the position of the urban working classes change/remain the same?

Answer 4

• moderate change
• welfare reforms (heath and accident insurance, decreased working hours, recognition of trade unions)
• BUT** workers still work longer (an average of 2 more hours) and for less pay (1/3 less) **compared to Britain - 1/3 still in poverty

Question 5

How much did real wages rise by between 1895 and 1913?

Answer 5

increased by 25%

Question 6

When was medical insurance introduced and how many people benefited?
How many workers were covered by 1914?

Who introduced this?

Answer 6

May 1883
- paid by employers and employees, covered 3 million workers
- over 15 million by 1914

Bismark

Question 7

When were old age pensions introduced and who did they apply to?

Who introduced this?

Answer 7

May 1889
- introduced for people over 70

Bismark

Question 8

What changes to employment laws were made across the 1890-1894 period?

Who made these changes?

Answer 8

• guaranteed minimum wage
• reduction of womens maximum work hours to 11
• better laws regarding child employment
• progressive income tax (earn more, pay more)

Caprivi

Question 9

How did the position of the peasant class change across the period?

Answer 9

• limited change
• daily life remains very similar (it is the landowners who are worst impacted by economic changes) - many continue to have a conservative/traditional outlook
• increased number move to urban centres - **Rhineland and Krupp factories **
• some rural economies adapt - scientific farming, improved communication and railway mean the countryside and towns are better connected

Question 10

How did the position of women change across the period?

Answer 10

• no change
• no vote and limited legal rights - some middle class women began to work office jobs, but the number of employed women was still low (23.6%)
• SPD began to be more vocal - August Bebel campaigned for the female vote

Question 11

How did attitudes to Jews change across the period?
Which individuals contributed to anti-semetic attitudes at the time?

Answer 11

• Right wing groups (such as the Pan German league) express increasingly anti-semetic views - blame jews for increasing liberalism
• Houston Stewert Chamberlain - shared the theory of social darwinism - believes in the Aryan race - he was extremely racist
• Treitschke - very nationalistic - wanted an authoritarian state (anti-democracy)

Question 12

What were the key aspects of the German military culture?

Answer 12

• Prussian army played a large role in unification - seen as a unifying power - contribute to patriotism
• society becomes hypermasculine - military service became universal
• military rank became more important then civilian titles
• Zabern affair - example of military abuse of power
• Namaqua genocide - another military attrocity

Question 13

How large was the German army by 1914?

Answer 13

4 million men

Question 14

What was the military expenditure between 1913 and 1914?

Answer 14

£60 million

Question 15

What was the Zabern affair and how did it impact the reputation of the military?

Answer 15

• Locals in Zabern protest against military arrogance - soldiers ordered to disperse the demonstration and act agressively
• German public is horrified by the action - Wilhelm appears unconcerned by the action - SPD members protest against militarism, while conservatives view it as acceptable
• Kaiser is accused of weakness - he tries to condemn the action which shows how his** actions are controlled by political groups**

Question 16

What was the Agadir crisis and how did it impact Germanys reputation ?

When was this?

Answer 16

• France has political control over Morocco but France and Germany **both have economic interests there **
• rebellion breaks out and french send in troops - Germany sends a gunboat into Agadir (they fear the french will try to take more control)
• agreement was eventually reached between the two but it showed Germany could not be fully trusted - imperialist ambitions

1911

Question 17

What were the Hereri and Namaqua genocides and how did they impact Germany’s reputation?

When was it?

Answer 17

• campaign of **extermination and collective punishment **against the two groups
• Mahaero revolts against German occupation - angry about how his people have been treated
• defeated by German soldiers who drive the people into the desert - later imprison people in concentration camps
• resulted in the Hottentot election - people are horrified by the genocide - allows SPD and zentrum to attack the governments imperial policy

1904-1908