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Germany History > Germany Before WW1 > Flashcards

Germany Before WW1 Flashcards

(55 cards)

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1
Q

How many states were in Germany

A

25

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2
Q

Each state had their own:

A

-laws
-leaders
-customs

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3
Q

What was the most powerful state and why

A

Prussia
They had a strong leader
Very large experienced military

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4
Q

Who was the leader of Prussia

A

Kaiser Wilhelm II

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5
Q

What year was Germany unified

A

1871

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6
Q

Why was Germany unified

A

-Some German states feared an invasion from France or Russia
(Being unified with lots of military power could deter them)
-Prussia had won the Franco-Prussian War
(Prussia’s territory’s had expanded to include French territory, their power significantly increased)

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7
Q

Which state did not unite

A

Austria

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8
Q

What were the positive impacts of the unification

A

-combined workers allowed Germany to rapidly industrialise
-the strength of Prussia’s military made Germany a powerful nation
-Germany had a strong leader who had clear views (Kaiser Wilhelm)

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9
Q

What were the issues caused by the unification

A

-France was very angry due to losing the Franco-Prussian war
-They were willing to fight for revenge and regain their territory
-Britain was frighted by Germanys potential power

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10
Q

What year did Kaiser Wilhelm become the kaiser

A

He become the Kaiser of Prussia in 1888 at age 29 after his fathers death

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11
Q

What were some quality’s of the Kaiser

A

-charming
-rude
-impatient
-violent
-moody

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12
Q

What is Weltpolitik

A

A world policy which meant:
The Kaiser wanted Germany to expand its empire to gain the worlds respect

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13
Q

To achieve Weltpolitik he wanted to

A
  • gain more colonies in Africa due to only gaining from 4 during the Scramble for Africa in 1885, which made them look weak
    -build up Germanys armed forces. A large navy would help Germany gain more colonies. They would gain more respect.
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14
Q

What was the role of the Chancellor in 1871

A

-Chosen by the Kaiser
-Gives political advice to the Kaiser

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15
Q

Who were they and what was the role of the Bundesrat in 1871

A

-They had 58 representatives sent from German states
-Prussia had 17 of the 58 seats
-They would discuss and vote on laws with the Reichstag

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16
Q

Who and what was the role of the Reichstag in 1871

A

-397 representatives voted in every 5 years to form a Parliament
-Conservatives
-Centre
-Social Democratic
-Liberals

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17
Q

Who could vote during this time

A

All men over 25

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18
Q

Did the Kaiser have ultimate control

A

Yes

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19
Q

Could the Kaiser dissolve the Reichstag

A

Yes meaning they had no real power

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20
Q

Did the Bundesrat have power

A

They had more power than the Reichstag but was still under the control of the Kaiser who had to approve all their laws

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21
Q

Could the Kaiser declare war and make treaties

A

Yes, he took no advice in his military and foreign policies

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22
Q

The government had a federal nature. Meaning ?

A

Each state controlled their taxes. The kisser struggled to raise the taxes needed to run the country

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23
Q

What is militarism

Study These Flashcards
A

The belief that a country must have strong armed forces

24
Q

Why did counties persue militarism

Study These Flashcards
A

-it increased their pride (patriotism)
-it employs a lot of people
-increased the feeling of safety within the country
-it helps the leader of a country follow an aggressive foreign policy (Weltpolitik)

25
Did Prussia’s militarism influence Germany
Yes, they had lots of power and control over the military
26
Who were the Junkers
Wealthy land owners who had controlled the Prussian Army
27
What were the Junkers role after unification
They represented Prussia in the Bundesrat They had an enormous influence on German politics
28
What is industrialisation
The process of changing the economy from an agricultural to an industrial one
29
What did Germany used to grow (agriculture)
Turnips
30
When was the Turnip winter
1916-1917 There was only turnips to eat, which affected ability to trade
31
Why was an industrial economy better
-it was more reliable and less dependent on external factors -urbanisation increased
32
What were Germanys heavy industries
- coal -iron -steel -electrical goods -chemicals
33
What was the largest social group after this industrialisation
Working class
34
BY 1910 what % of Germans lived in towns or cities
60%
35
What were the effects of this rapid urbanisation
-over crowding -poo living and working conditions
36
How did upper and middle class benefit from industrialisation
People who owned business or factories became very rich. They had power and became influential in German society which threatened the Kaiser and government.
37
What was the socialist theory
-who should be in charge -how businesses should be allowed to operate -how the people of a country should be treated
38
Who was Karl Marx
A leading German writer on socialism
39
Why did socialism grow pre war
Due to the growth of the working class, if became a popular belief
40
How did conditions in towns and cities effect the growth of socialism
An increase in population in towns meant that workers lived in substandard housing and there were more workers than available jobs which caused an increase in poverty and unemployment. There were minimium wages. Working class thought socialism would help to change this
41
What is a trade union
A trade union is an organisation that represents the people who work in a particular industry to protect their rights
42
How did trade unions affect the growth of socialism
By 1914 3 million workers were members of trade unions. They organised strikes which would negatively impact the economy. This places pressure on the government to improve workers pay and conditions
43
What were the aims of the SPD (Social Democratic Party)
1. Gain seats in the Reichstag 2. Pressure the Kaiser to makes social reforms to improve the workers rights and conditions 3. Reduce the power of landowners and factory owners
44
Why did socialism scare the German government
-SPD became the largest political party in the REichstag -One in every three Germans were voting for SPD -there was argument about attempting to overthrow the Kaiser
45
What were the 5 social reforms pre-war and what year were they brought in
-old age pensions (1889) -minimum wage (1891) -restriction on child labour (1891) -arbitration courts (1901) -extension of health insurance (1903)
46
What were the positive impacts of the social reforms
-supported by the Junkers and industrialists -the Kaiser listened to the SPD and made limited reforms -there were improvement in working conditions -workers were happier and more loyal to the Kaiser
47
What were the negative impacts of the social reforms
-the poor and unemployed were still living in extreme poverty and received no help -support for the SPD remained high -some Germans still wanted a revolution
48
What were the navy laws
A series of policies from 1898-1912, passed by the German government
49
What were the aims of the navy laws
-expand the size of the German navy -make Germany a respected naval power
50
What were the reasons for navy laws
-kaisers person aims -admiral von Tirpitz and the Navy League -Weltpolitik
51
What were the Kaisers personal aims
As a child the Kaiser visited naval dockyards He admired the Royal Navy He saw how important the navy was for making Britain a world power He was determained to do the same
52
What was the Admiral von Tirpitz and the Navy League
Admiral von Tirpitz was tasked to build up the German navy In 1898 he created the Navy League This argued benefits or naval expansion to Germany and its empire, increased the public support for a large navy and pressured the Reichstag to pass the navy laws
53
How did Weltpolitik impact Navy Laws
A large navy would help achieve Weltpolitik They would allow Germany to establish more colonies for its empire, protect its existing over seas colonies and be recognised as a world power by other European leaders
54
What were the 4 positive impacts of the Navy Laws
-they successfully increased the size of the German navy -the Kaiser achieved his goal -it increased patriotism in Germany -the Reichstag supported the governments actions
55
What were the 2 negative impacts of the Navy Laws
The Navy Laws required a lot of money -Germany was is debt The Navy Laws increased tensions with Britain -in response Britain created Dreadnought in 1906 -this caused a naval arms race increasing Germanys debt

Germany History (7 decks)

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