1890-1914

Question 1

In what ways did Wilhelm cause aggravation with Britain? (2)

Answer 1

1894, refused to compromise with Britain over Samoan Islands.
Challenged Britain’s Congolese Treaty.

Question 2

What were the four chancellors under KWII?

Answer 2

1. Caprivi 1890-94
2. Hohenlohe 1894-1900
3. Bulow 1900-09
4. Hollweg 1909-17

Question 3

Whose advice did the Kaiser prefer over his Chancellors? (3)

Answer 3

Holstein
Eulenberg
Tirpitz

Question 4

What German newspaper circulated the government’s case?

Answer 4

‘North German General Newspaper.’

Question 5

What were two pressure groups that exerted influence for Weltpolitik?

Answer 5

Pan German League

Navy League

Question 6

What measures were included in Caprivi’s 1891 ‘New Course’? (3)

Answer 6

1. Sunday work was prohibited.
2. Employment of children U13 forbidden.
3. Courts established to arbitrate in industrial disputes.

Question 7

What economic act Caprivi pass?

Answer 7

1892 Tariff Reform of 1879 Tariff Act

Question 8

What did the 1892 Tariff Reform of 1879 Tariff Act do?

Answer 8

Tariffs on agricultural imports were reduced in return for favourable rates for German manufactured goods

Question 9

Who opposed Caprivi?

Why?

Answer 9

The Agrarian League

Argued for subsides, import controls and minimum prices to protect German farmers

Question 10

What bill did Caprivi propose that alienated both the right and left?
Why?

Answer 10

1893 Army Bill
Reduced period of military service to 2 years
Increased peacetime army to 84,000

Question 11

Why did Caprivi resign?

Answer 11

Due to his failure to pass anti-socialist legislation, he lost confidence of Kaiser

Question 12

What events worried the Kaiser about socialism?

Answer 12

1893, SPD won 44 seats

1894, French President stabbed by anarchist

Question 13

What did Hohenlohe state about his power?

Answer 13

He was a ‘straw doll’ for Kaiser

Question 14

What action did Hohenlohe take against socialism 1894-5? (2)

Answer 14

SPD leaders put on trial

Prussians suspected of sympathising with Socialism lost their jobs

Question 15

Who was Bulow’s Interior Minister that resumed Caprivi’s New Course?

Answer 15

Posadowsky

Question 16

What action did Posadowsky take to resume Caprivi’s ‘New Course’?

Answer 16

1900 - extended accident insurance
1901 - industrial courts compulsory in all large towns
1903 - extension of prohibition on child labour

Question 17

What action did Bulow take that pleased Junkers and annoyed SPD?

Answer 17

1902 Tariff Law (moved tariffs to pre-1892 levels)

Question 18

What did Bulow unsuccessfully propose in 1905?

Answer 18

Increase in indirect taxes + inheritance tax (to fund army, navy and colonialism)

Question 19

What happened due to the German gov’s brutal handling of Herero uprising 1904-5?

Answer 19

1906, Centre Party allied with SPD to vote against gov’s proposals for extra funds for colonialism

Question 20

What was the result of the 1907 ‘Hottentot’ election?

Answer 20

SPD faced disaster, lost 38 (almost half) their seats
Conservative, pro-gov, parties succeeded
Conservatives, Free Conservatives and NLs formed ‘Bulow Bloc’

Question 21

What happened in 1908 Daily Telegraph affair?

Answer 21

Wilhelm expressed want for a closer relationship with Britain
Media + Reichstag claimed KWII had too much power since he didn’t consult the Reichstag beforehand

Question 22

Why did Bulow resign?

Answer 22

Wilhelm wanted to be rid of Bulow since Daily Telegraph affair
1909, his finance bill that would increase indirect taxation + inheritance tax was rejected by SPD, Conservatives and NLs

Question 23

What happened in 1912 election?

Answer 23

SPD won 110 seats and become largest party in Reichstag

Question 24

What happened in Zabern affair?

Answer 24

Alsace-Lorraine - 28 citizens arrested
BH rejected claims that army should be answerable to anyone other than KWII
1913 - Vote of No Confidence in BH

Question 25

What was the result of the 1913 Vote of No Confidence against BH?

Answer 25

293 voted against, 54 for | Had no effect, Chancellor is answerable to KWII, not Reichstag

Question 26

How did the German economy grow compared to Britain’s?

Answer 26

1870-1913, Britain’s productive capacity doubled | Germany’s increased 8 times

Question 27

How did Germany’s population grow?

Answer 27

1890: 50 mil 1914: 68 mil

Question 28

How did the number of Uni students increase?

Answer 28

1890-1914 - enrollment in universities doubled:

Question 29

How did the number of cartels increase?

Answer 29

1875: 8 cartels 1905: 366

Question 30

Who were 3 economic individuals?

Answer 30

Karl Benz - cars Engelhorn - founded BASF (chemicals) Ferdinand Von Zeppelin - created Zeppelin

Question 31

How did German steel production increase?

Answer 31

1890-1914, increased x9

Question 32

What 2 German electrical firms dominated world electrical industry?

Answer 32

AEG and Siemens

Question 33

How did the production of Sulphuric acid increase?

Answer 33

1878, 1 mil tonnes of sulphuric acid produced world-wide | 1907, Germany alone is producing 1.4 mil

Question 34

How did exports increase?

Answer 34

1880: 2.9 bil marks 1913: 10.1 bil marks

Question 35

What % of Germans lived in urban areas?

Answer 35

1910: ⅔rds

Question 36

What led to high life expectancies?

Answer 36

1894, compulsory immunisation against smallpox

Question 37

How did wages increase? (2)

Answer 37

1885-1913, real wages rose over 30% 1890: average annual income of industrial worker = 636 marks 1913: 834 marks

Question 38

What shows there was increased discontent amongst workers?

Answer 38

1905-1913, on average 200,000 TU workers went on strike per year 1912, SPD = largest party in Reichstag

Question 39

Who were the 3 people in SPD? | Where were they on spectrum?

Answer 39

Bernstein - right / revisionist Babel - centre (chairman of SPD 1892-1913) Liebknecht - far-left

Question 40

What were the 2 divides / programmes in SPD?

Answer 40

Marxist (Marx revolution) | Minimum (moderates)

Question 41

How did the SPD become less revolutionary?

Answer 41

1906, made electoral pacts with Liberals | 1913, even supported financial provision of 1913 Army Bill

Question 42

Who was appointed 1897 to further Weltpolitik?

Answer 42

Bulow - foreign sec Tirpitz - Navy sec Posadowsky - interior

Question 43

What German pressure groups favoured Weltpolitik?

Answer 43

Pan-German league Colonial League Navy League

Question 44

What was term for belief that a world empire required a strong navy?

Answer 44

Flottenpolitik

Question 45

What were 2 navy bills and what did they do?

Answer 45

1898 - 1st navy law allows for construction of 16 new battleships 1900 - 2nd navy law allows for construction of 3 ships / year for 6 years

Question 46

What was the result of the Dreadnaught battle with Britain?

Answer 46

1914: G had 13 Dreadnaughts | Britain had 19

Question 47

What made G’s relationship with Britain worse? (3)

Answer 47

1894, refused to compromise with Britain over Samoan Islands 1894, Challenged Britain’s Congolese Treaty 1896, Kruger Telegram

Question 48

What was the 1887 Reinsurance Treaty?

Answer 48

Secret agreement between G and R, stating each would remain neutral in event of war

Question 49

What happened in the 1905 1st Moroccan Crisis?

Answer 49

1904 - France partially owned Morocco To undermine France, KWII stated his support for Moroccan independence 1906 - Algeciras Conference, France continues to partially rule Morocco. Only Austria supported Germany.

Question 50

What happened in the 1911 Second Moroccan Crisis?

Answer 50

Native uprising in Morocco Germany sent in gunboat to undermine France Crisis was resolved with France retaining control of Morocco