To what extent did Bismarck successfully achieve his political, goals in the years 1870-79?

Question 1

What were Bismarck’s goals?

Answer 1

Bismarck’s political goals were ones of achieving unity under Prussian dominance through nationalism, reducing divisions in order to create a ‘Reichdeuste’, a homogenous German conscience.

Question 2

What inhibited the function of the Reichstag?

Answer 2

The chancellor could dissolve it at any time

Question 3

What are the two categories?

Answer 3

Did succeed and didn’t succeed

Question 4

Whilst the Reichstag could be dissolved by the chancellor, what meant that the people still had a degree of influence over it?

Answer 4

difficult to dissolve the Reichstag for every bill that was passed

Question 5

What was the voting qualification for the Reichstag?

Answer 5

universal suffrage of all males of 25

Question 6

What about the Reichstag suggests that it wasn’t allowing him to achieve his political goals?

Answer 6

The fact that Bismarck had to change the constitution regarding the Reichstag in the 1880s suggests that it was not supporting his political goals well enough in the preceding decade.

Question 7

What about voting suggests that Bismarck was beginning to be successful in creating unity and people were starting to get behind his cause?

Answer 7

-The fact that in 1871 30% of the German population voted for a Pro-Bimarck party, the National Liberals, suggests that he is starting to succeed in creating unity behind him and his cause.

Question 8

When in the time period did Bismarck achieve most unity?

Answer 8

Towards the beginning of the era Bismarck managed more political unity than at the end of the era.

Question 9

In 1871, what percentage of people voted for the pro Bismarck National liberal party?

Answer 9

30.1%

Question 10

In 1874, what percentage of people voted for the pro Bismarck National liberal party?

Answer 10

29.7%, though this dropped marginally from 1871, they remained the largest party in the Reichstag

Question 11

Though the National Liberals, with whom Bismarck co-operated 1871-1879, were the largest party, how did they create division and prevent Bismarck achieving his goals?

Answer 11

They actually exacerbated north/south divisions and class divisions, as they were based in the North and represented educated and wealthy middle classes

Question 12

How did the national liberal’s split fail to support Bismarck’s goals?

Answer 12

Towards the end of this era the split with the national liberals not only created political disunity in itself, but also precipitated a split within the national liberal’s voter base, causing social disunity.

Question 13

What was the peak vote for smaller parties in the Reichstag?

Answer 13

10% was in 1878

Question 14

What does the fact that the vote for smaller parties peaked in 1878 and then declined show?

Answer 14

The fact that their peak of 10% was in 1878 and reduced after that could be indicative of successful social integration of their political base, leading to political unity.

Question 15

What did Bismarck’s tolerance of smaller parties allow?

Answer 15

marginal and minority groups to feel represented in the Reichstag

Question 16

What impact did smaller parties have on the Reichstag?

Answer 16

-Smaller parties complicated proceedings and hampered some attempts to integrate and assimilate those who they represented fully into German Society.

Question 17

What allowed Bismarck to achieve short term political unity?

Answer 17

Kulturkampf allowed Bismarck to achieve short term political unity

Question 18

How did the kulturkampf allow Bismarck to create short term political unity?

Answer 18

Allowed to co-opertion with the national liberals to remain successful until 1878

Question 19

How did the kulturkampf help Bismarck’s political goals?

Answer 19

Bismarck’s goal of unity was a homogenous German people, a “reichsdeuste”, so those with a different language and culture were preventing this, meaning that the Kulturkampf was a step towards making a more homogenous people.

Question 20

What was the limitations of the extent to which the Kulutrkampf supported Bismarck’s political goals?

Answer 20

Socially, the Kulturkampf, particularly in the second half of this period, created fundamental social divisions what unity it did bring was founded on a basis of disunity within society.

Question 21

By 1879, how many Priests had been arrested or exiled as a part of kulturkampf?

Answer 21

1800 Priests arrested or exiled

Question 22

How did the Kulturkampf lead to regional divides?

Answer 22

Most Catholics were in the southern states, however the legislation came form the northern states

Question 23

What was the impact of the Kulturkampf on the Catholic Party?

Answer 23

Strengthened the Catholic party and coalesced all anti-Bismarck people into supporters of the Catholic party

Question 24

How did the Kulturkampf create division within Government?

Answer 24

Both junkers and the Prussian royal family opposed it

Question 25

What happend to the Kulturkampf in 1879 that would suggest that it had ceased to be of any help to Bismarck’s political goals?

Answer 25

he ended it

Question 26

What in schools helped Bismarck to achieve his goal of nationalism?

Answer 26

compulsory nationalism classes

Question 27

What about the army helped Bismarck to instil nationalism?

Answer 27

conscription

Question 28

According to Bismarck, Germans were meant to unify against the threat of what?

Answer 28

Reichsfeinde

Question 29

When did Bismarck use the assassination attempts on Wilhelm 1st to declare socialism a threat?

Answer 29

as late as 1878

Question 30

What doe the fact that Bismarck was using the assassination attempts on Wilhelm 1st to declare socialism a threat as late as 1878 show?

Answer 30

that really his goal of unity was achieved neither politically nor socially by 1879. This fear of Socialists would have been better at creating unity in the Junkers and middle classes than it would have been in the lower classes.

Question 31

What party did Bismarck make illegal to create unity?

Answer 31

SADP

Question 32

Though the SADP may have been made illegal, what remained?

Answer 32

heir movement remained and later emerged again as the SPD,

Question 33

What does the fact that the SADP re-emerged as the SPD demonstrate?

Answer 33

many of Bismarck’s achievements were cosmetic.

Question 34

The use of extreme action such as the exile of ethnic poles, suggests that divisions were so great that what?

Answer 34

Extreme action was the only way Bismarck could achieve any notion of unity

Question 35

The richest 5% of the electorate voted for what percentage of the deputies?

Answer 35

⅓

Question 36

The middle and lower classes, despite accounting for 85% of the German population, elected only what percentage of the deputies?

Answer 36

⅓

Question 37

What percentage of Germans elected each proportion of the deputies?

Answer 37

the 5% richest elected ⅓ and the 85% middle and lower class majority elected a third

Question 38

How could the universal suffrage be described?

Answer 38

A cosmetic illusion of democracy

Question 39

Despite the Geographical divides, which southern state did the National Liberals do well in?

Answer 39

Baden

Question 40

What about Bismarck could suggest a real desire to reduce divisions?

Answer 40

being pragmatic