Kaiserreich 1871-1914 Flashcards
(79 cards)
1
Q
How unified was Germany in 1871?
A
- unified under Prussian dominance
- creating a federal empire with Kaiser as head of state
2
Q
What were the Kaiser’s powers?
A
- appoint and dismiss chancellor
- dissolve Reichstag
- command military
3
Q
Why was the Bundesrat flawed?
A
- had 58 representatives
- Prussia had 17 = de facto veto power
4
Q
Who was the chancellor responsible to?
A
- only the Kaiser
- not the Reichstag
5
Q
For how long was Otto Von Bismarck chancellor?
A
- 1871 to 1890
- 1st chancellor of German Empire
- led under Wilhelm I
- architect of unification and realpolitik
- dismissed by Wilhelm II
6
Q
Who was chancellor 1890-94?
A
- Leo Von Caprivi
- introduced “New Course” (reduced tariffs, social reforms)
- undermined by conservatives and Kaiser (1892 school bill failure)
- SPD growing strength (1891 Erfurt Programme = demand democracy)
7
Q
Who was chancellor 1894-1900?
A
- Hohenlohe
- weak, elderly figure
- largely ignored by Kaiser
- little independent authority (“figurehead chancellor”)
8
Q
Who was chancellor 1900-1909?
A
- Bülow
- promoted Weltpolitik
- naval Laws 1898, 1900, 1912
- alienated Centre Party over colonial scandals (1905) = Herero and Nama genocide; over 20 thousand died
- SPD became largest party in 1912 (110 seats)
9
Q
Who was chancellor 1909-1917?
A
- Hollweg
- struggled with Reichstag and elite pressure
- Zabern Affair 1913, military bypassed civil authority
- lost control during July Crisis 1914
10
Q
What was the makeup of the Reichstag?
A
- 397 members
- elected by universal male suffrage
- limited powers e.g only approve laws not create
11
Q
How federal was the constitution of 1871?
A
- strong federal elements
- 25 states retained some autonomy
12
Q
How long was Kaiser Wilhelm II’s rule?
A
- 1888 to 1918
- sought a more active role in government
13
Q
When was Bismarck dismissed?
A
- 1890
- due to policy disagreements like foreign policy (BM wanted to be cautious) and social policy (BM wanted suppression)
14
Q
When and what was the Kulturkampf?
A
- 1871-78
- Bismarck policy to reduce Catholic Church influence
- laws expelled Jesuits and banned Catholic political activity
- over 1,800 priests imprisoned, fined, exiled
- newspapers banned
- 1872 Pulpit Law = illegal for clergy to discuss politics
- Catholic schools in Prussia forced under national curriculum
15
Q
Who were the Centre Party?
A
- also known as Zentrum
- represented Catholic interest
- 2nd largest party in 1870’s
16
Q
When was the Social Democratic Party (SPD) founded?
A
- 1875
- major force in 1890’s
17
Q
When and what were the Anti-Socialist Laws?
A
- 1878, after 2 assassination attempts on the Kaiser in October
- aimed to curb socialist/SPD influence
- over 1,500 publications banned
- 900 meetings/associations disolved
- ended 1890
18
Q
Who was the largest party in the Reichstag by 1912?
A
- SPD
- 110 seats
19
Q
How did Bismarck justify state socialism reforms in the 1880’s?
A
- used the threat of socialism
20
Q
What was and who led the Marxist Enfrut Programme 1891?
A
- SPD
- called for democratic and economic reform
21
Q
Who supported Bismarck in the 1870’s?
A
- National Liberals
- but became critical in 1880’s
22
Q
Who dominated military and civil service?
A
- Junkers (Prussian landowning elite)
23
Q
What did Conservative parties defend?
A
- authoritarianism
- the monarchy
24
Q
Why was it hard for any single party to dominate the Reichstag?
A
- political fragmentation
25
When did Germany overtake Britain in steel production?
- by 1913
- producing 17.6million tonnes
26
How much more coal did Germany produce in 1914?
- twice as much as in 1890
27
By how much did the economy grow 1871-1913?
- roughly 4% per year
28
What was the size of Germany's railway network by 1914?
- extensive
- over 63,000km
29
When and what was the tariff act?
- 1879
- protected German agriculture and industry via import duties
30
What helped economic integration across German states?
- the Zolverein (customs union)
31
What were some major industries?
- steel e.g Krupp
- chemicals e.g BASF
- electrical engineering e.g Siemens
32
When was Reichsbank founded?
- 1876
- stabilised new currency "Goldmark" (backed by gold)
33
By 1914 what percentage of people faced overpopulation?
- 60%
- towns with over 2,000 people
34
How much did industrial production increase 1871-1914?
- 5X
35
How did urbanisation accelerate?
- Berlin population grew from 826 thousand in 1871 to over 2 million by 1910
36
What percentage of the people did the working-class form by 1914?
- 60%
37
What was the position of women in the Kaiserreich?
- excluded from politics (no vote/not allowed in)
- limited educational access
38
What was the result of the expansion of primary education in the 1870's?
- over 90% literacy by 1914
39
Why did the middle-class grow?
- rise of white-collar professions
- clerks and engineers
40
When and what did Bismarck introduce as part of "state socialism"?
- sickness insurance 1883
- accident insurance 1884
- old-age pensions 1889
41
By how much did trade union membership rise?
- rapidly
- reaching 2.5 million by 1913
42
Why did Catholics and Poles in Prussia feel alienated?
- Protestant dominated state
43
Did Jewish emancipation under the Kaiserreich end anti-semitism?
- no
- RW parties spread racist ideas
44
Who control the military, is this popular?
- Kaiser
- symbol of national pride
45
What was compulsory service?
- had to serve for 2-3 years
- men aged 17-45
46
What was Weltpolitk?
- drove by Wilhelm II
- aimed to expand global influence
- colonisation (not as big as UK) included Cameroon, East Africa, parts of the Pacific
47
When and what were the naval laws?
- 1898, 1900, 1912
- aimed to rival British sea power
- led by Admiral Tirpitz, head of the Naval League
48
How big was the navy by 1914?
- 2nd largest gloabally
- Uk first
49
What were the consequences of naval expenditure?
- strained the budget
- increased political tensions
50
How many members did the naval league have?
- over 1 million
- promoting nationalist support for expansion
51
What were the views of army officers?
- strong Conservative and monarchist views
52
What were the consequences of SPD electoral rise?
- worred Conservatives and the elite
53
What was life like for industrial workers?
- poor living and working conditions (11-12 hour working day, SPD pushed down to 9-10)
- despite reforms (real wage increase 30%)
54
What did nationalist pressure groups support?
- imperial expansion
- authoritarianism
- e.g Pan German League
55
When and what was the Daily Telegraph Affair?
- 1908
- published interview with Wilhelm II
- reckless, undiplomatic comments
- damaged image as stable leader
56
When and what was the Zabern Affair?
- 1913
- army officer insulted local people
- exposed military arrogance and destroyed civilian authority
57
What was a failure of politics?
- parties often focused on specific groups (elites or workers)
- rather than appealing to everyone or uniting different groups
58
How was Reichstag control over military and foreign policy limited?
- under 1871 constitution military answer to Kaiser not Reichstag
- Septennial Law 1874 = increased military budget but review every 7 years
- 1st moroccan crisis 1905 Wilhelm II acted overly aggressive without approval
59
How was economic growth uneven?
- agriculture only made up 25% of GDP vs over 45% for industry by 1913
- top 5% owned over 40% of wealth vs bottom 40% owning less than 1% by 1914
60
Give an example of regional divide between Protestant North and Catholic South
- 1871 census = 64% population identified as Protestant concentrated in North and East, 36% Catholic South (Bavaria) and West (Rhineland)
61
Why was 1912 election a turning point?
- left/liberal and socialist parties gain majority
- SPD largest party in Reichstag
62
How good were German universities?
- leading global institutions in science and engineering
63
Who criticised authoritarianism and militarism except the socialists?
- intellectuals like Max Weber
64
How was nationalism reinforced?
- by 1910 over 90% children attended state-run primary schools
- military parades and imperial imagery e.g Sedan Day marked 1970 victory over France
65
How did Berlin become cultural and scientific hub by 1900?
- over 90 research institutes
- over 20 theatres
66
Examples of anti-semitic propaganda in nationalist press
- by 1890's over 20 explicitly anti-semitic newspapers
67
How did art and literature reflect growing tensions?
- shift from romantic nationalism to realism and pessimism
68
What is and where did social darwinism gain traction?
- races viewed above others (like survival of the fittest)
- academic and political circles
69
How did the press become increasingly influential?
- over 3,000 newspapers existed by 1914
70
What was German identity built on?
- ideals of discipline, hierarchy, obedience
- achieved via standing army of 800,000 by 1914, state controlled schools, constitution of 1871
71
Why was Germany diplomatically isolated by 1900's?
- alliance with Austria-Hungary (initially including Russia)
- denial of reinsurance treaty 1890 = Russia ally with France 1894
72
How much did military expenditure increase 1890-1913?
- doubled
- 60% of total spend by 1914
- via naval laws 1898, 1900, 1912 and debt
73
What reflected Germany's strategic focus on a two-front war?
- Schliefflen Plan
74
How was aggressive foreign policy hidden?
- domestic political tension = distraction
- SPD opposition muted by nationalist pressure
- Wilhelm II's foreign policy seen as erratic and personalised
75
When and what was the first moroccan crisis?
- 1905
- Kaiser's speech supports independence but colony shared between Britain and France
76
When and what was the second moroccan crisis?
- 1911
- after revolt, France sent troops to control
- Germany send gunboat panther to demand territory back
77
What was used to rally support for the state/war?
- nationalism
78
When and what was the July Crisis?
- July 1914
- crisis after assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
- Germany issued “blank cheque” to Austria-Hungary, promising unconditional support
79
When and what was the school bill failure?
- 1892
- extend state control over schools in Prussia and reduce influence of the Catholics in education.
- failed to pass in Reichstag due to Centre Party opposition
