Kaiserreich: 2 government and opposition, 1871-1888

Question 1

how did Bismarck describe Wilhelm I and how did Bismarck act in response?

Answer 1

‘old-fashioned, courteous and a genuine Prussian officer’
throw tantrums, tears, hysterical outbursts and frequent threats of resignation

Question 2

how did Bismarck rule?

Answer 2

through force of personality
he never had a large single party backing
he loathed working with the Reichstag however understood the importance in ‘carrying the country’
just as his personality was full of contradictions so did his policies

Question 3

what were the results of the 1871 election?

Answer 3

sizeable majority of NL and imperial liberals both of whom shared Bismarck’s belief of German unity
Bismarck could also count on support of the Free Conservatives (big landowners and industrialists)

Question 4

moving towards unification, the Reichstag agreed over 100 new laws - what are some examples?

Answer 4

• 1876 establishment of the Reichsbank - controlled the Mark - stable as backed by gold
• law for commerce and abolition of tariffs on internal trade between Lander
• single system of weights and measures
• national postal and telegraph system
• national penal code in 1872 though single civil law not completed until 1900 and states retained independent control over their police forces
• single court system
• support for extension of the railway network

Question 5

what was kulturkampf?

Answer 5

‘struggle for culture’ which was Bismarck and the Liberals fight against the power of the Catholic church

Question 6

what % of the population were Catholic?

Answer 6

37 - particularly strong in the southern German states and the Rhineland
Catholic church was financially independent possessing schools and it had political influence through Zentrum

Question 7

why did Bismarck fear Zentrum?

Answer 7

second largest Reichstag party with 63 deputies
feared they might oppose his measures to strengthen and unify the state
hoped attacking the Catholics may win support from the Protestants

Question 8

why were the Liberals anti Catholics?

Answer 8

1864 Syllabus of Errors, the Pope declared the church to be opposed to liberalism, nationalism and ‘recent civilisations’
stood in direct opposition to Liberal views of reformation

Question 9

what did the Doctrine of Papal Infallibility state?

Answer 9

stated on matters of morality and faith the Pope could do no wrong

Question 10

what did Bismarck’s kulturkampf entail?

Answer 10

• 1871 Zentrum portrayed as home of the Reichsfiende
• Catholic section of the Prussian Ministry of Religion and Education abolished
• clergy forbidden from any mention of politics whilst preaching
• May 1872 diplomatic relations with the Vatican ended
• Jesuits forbidden from preaching and entering Prussian schools

Question 11

when were the May Laws introduced and by whom?

Answer 11

May 1873 by Adalbert Falk
laws applied to only Prussia

Question 12

what did the May Laws consist of?

Answer 12

• Catholic education came under state supervision
• only those who studied in Germany and passed a state exam could become priests
• existing priests required to retrain
• appointment of clergy made by state
• civil marriage ceremony made compulsory
• all Catholic religious orders were dissolved
• state financial aid to the Catholic church ended
• Prussian Catholics deprived of certain legal and civil rights

Question 13

what other actions were made against the Catholic church?

Answer 13

• 1874 - responsibility for the registration of births, marriages and deaths in Prussia was removed from the church and taken over by the state
• all states given the right to restrict the freedom of movement of the clergy and any banned priest caught preaching could be placed under house arrest or expelled from Germany
• 1875 - Prussian gov given the power to suspend subsidies to dioceses where the clergy were resisting the new laws

Question 14

how did the Pope react to Bismarck’s changes?

Answer 14

ordered all German bishops to disobey the anti-Catholic laws but Bismarck forbade the publication of the letter
by 1876 all the Catholic bishops of Prussia and all Polish bishops had either been imprisoned or exiled
1400 out of the 4600 priests were left

1873 Pope Pius IX wrote to the Kaiser complaining, adding that anyone who had been baptised should only obey the Pope
Wilhelm showed Bismarck more support as a result

Question 15

was Bismarck’s attempt at repressing the Catholic Church successful?

Answer 15

• Catholic Church continued to thrive
• persecution created martyrs and encouraged Catholics to rally
• under new Zentrum leader Ludwig Windhorst organised ‘national resistance tours’ attacking the kulturkampf

1874 election Zentrum won 91 seats putting them in a position to threaten Bismarck’s ability to win a majority

Catholic barrel maker tried to assassinate Bismarck in 1874

Protestants began to express unease with Bismark’s policies and Jews were concerned there was increased anti-Semitism

Question 16

why did Bismarck end the kulturkampf in 1878?

Answer 16

• favoured a closer alliance with Catholic Austria
• agricultural and industrial depressions of the 1870s made Bismarck anxious to abandon the liberal policy of free trade since this would lose the backing of the NLs and he would need Zentrum’s support
• Bismarck’s allies the Protestants had grown increasingly opposed to kulturkampf
• believed socialism posed a greater threat

death of Pope Pius IX in 1878 and election of more liberal Leo XIII provided Bismarck with an excuse to the change the policy
1880 May Laws gradually repealed

Question 17

what was the result of the ending of kulturkampf?

Answer 17

• relations with the Papacy improved and Bismarck was able to make his alliance with Austria 1879
• Zentrum transformed itself into a purely religious party supporting the empire
• Bismarck freed from dependence on the NLs and was able to make policy changes as desired

Question 18

what did the Central Association of German Manufacturers campaign for in 1878?

Answer 18

introduction of tariffs on imports in Germany
peasant farmers and landowners also campaigned for protective tariffs

most European countries had adopted protection by the 1870s

Question 19

what was Bismarck’s view on economic protection?

Answer 19

• a threat to agricultural incomes would undermine the economic position of the Junker aristocracy
• Germany should not be dependent on foreign imports but able to feed itself, in case of war
• tariffs could provide the gov with much needed revenue, which would not be dependent on an annual Reichstag vote
• working closely with the German Conservatives and the Zentrum would help combat socialism
• protection could act as a form of retaliation against Russia (who Germany imported wheat from) following disputes over the Balkans

Question 20

how often was the army budget discussed and why did it cause friction between Bismarck and the Liberals?

Answer 20

reviewed every 7 years
Bismarck wanted a larger grant for the army permanently
Liberals opposed and the Septennial Law produced as a compromise 1874

Question 21

how did the NLs do in the 1877 and 1878 elections?

Answer 21

1877 - 128 seats - less seats than previously
1878 - 99 seats
lost 29 seats - Bismarck saw this an an opportunity to rid himself of reliance on the liberals

Question 22

what were the political changes of 1878-79?

Answer 22

• NLs split and lost influence
• Bismarck strongly supported by cons, landowners and big industrialists - beginning of ‘alliance of steel and rye’
• Reich became more united in support of protection
• tariffs raised the cost of living for workers making them more likely to support socialism
• Bismarck demonstrated political skill and opportunism through control of the Reichstag and ability to make and break alliances

Question 23

when was the first Socialist party created?

Answer 23

1875 - the SPD
constitution was Marxist and spoke of a republic in which industries were nationalised and workers took a share of the profits
1877 - won 12 seats - although small, 6x greater than separate socialist workers’ parties in 1871

Question 24

what did Bismarck believe of socialism?

Answer 24

a social and political threat to the unity of the German Empire
felt it threatened traditional German society
Bismarck knew an attack on socialism would strengthen ties with conservative allies, Russia and Austria
two attempts on the Emperor’s life in 1878 - Bismarck persuaded the Reichstag that the SPD should be suppressed in order to remove a major source of disloyalty

Question 25

what was the Anti-Socialist Law of October 1878?

Answer 25

• socialist organisations (e.g. trade unions) banned
• socialist meetings banned
• socialist publications (e.g. books, newspapers, etc.) banned
• police powers increased - could search houses, arrest on suspicion, etc.
• penalties including fines, imprisonment, hard labour, exile

Question 26

what were the results of the Anti-Socialist legislation?

Answer 26

• hit hard at the SPD - the cabinet, civil service and Prussian Landtag were all purged to remove liberal sympathisers in 1880
• 15,000 socialist activists imprisoned and others exiled
• SPD struggled to find candidates for the 1881 election so August Bebel stood in 35 constituencies
• long term - SPD broadened its appeal and the number of people voting for the SPD more than doubled between 1878 and 1890
  35 seats
• Bismarck introduced state socialism

Question 27

what measures did state socialism include?

Answer 27

Bismarck’s attempt at undermining the SPD
- medical insurance 1883
- accident insurance 1884
- old age pensions 1889

Question 28

what policies did Bismarck implement towards national minorities?

Answer 28

mixed policy
- in the east he enforced Germanisation also in North Schleswig
- during Kulturkampf the Polish Catholic Cardinal Ledochowski was imprisoned leaving Poles without a religious leader for 12 years
- Germans encouraged to buy Polish Farms in East Prussia with the help of state loans to increase Germanic control
- Expelled 34,000 Poles and Jews whom he claimed entered Germany through Russia and Austria
- promise to return North Schleswig to Denmark was abandoned in 1879
- reasonably conciliatory towards the French in Alsace-Lorraine however strongly pro-French citizens were encouraged to leave - 400,000 did between 1870 and 1914

Question 29

what was Bismarck’s relationship with the Reichstag like?

Answer 29

stormy
although the constitution offered a form of democratic government, this was only granted as Bismarck believed that the mass of con German peasantry would be loyal to the monarchy and state
he had not bargained for the rise of industry and economic shifts to create an increasingly urban and industrial population who wanted a real democracy

Question 30

what brought an end to Bismarck’s relationship with the NLs?

Answer 30

clashes over the press law, military budget, economic protection and measures to curb socialism

Question 31

what did Bismarck do to try and bypass the Reichstag?

Answer 31

create an alternative ‘Reich Council’ - it was trialled in Prussia however rejected by the imperial Reichstag

Question 32

from 1881 onwards, what troubles within the Reichstag did Bismarck face?

Answer 32

the Progressives (left Liberals) gained the most seats (about 75%) therefore between 1881-86 neither a Conservative-Centre coalition nor Conservative-National Liberal one could command a majority

Question 33

why did Bismarck dissolve the Reichstag in January 1887?

Answer 33

met hostility with regards to a 10% increase in taxation to help fund army growth
he then contrived a war scare crisis to gain support in the new Reichstag

Question 34

Bismarck suggested a new permanent Anti-Socialist Bill in October 1890 - what was the response?

Answer 34

the bill would permit strong police action
caused heated debate in which Bismarck suggested allowing a Socialist rising so the army could be called to crush them once and for all
the Reichstag rejected the bill and another General election was held increasing SPD representation and the Progressive party

Question 35

how did the NLs develop in Bismarck’s Germany?

Answer 35

• dominant 1871-78
• divided over press law and army bill 1874
• split over tariff reform and anti-socialist law 1878-9
• right wing of party supported Bismarck
• left wing broke away and joined the Progressive Party

Question 36

how did Zentrum develop in Bismarck’s Germany?

Answer 36

• weakened by kulturkampf 1871-78
• supportive of anti-liberal and anti-socialist laws after 1878
• not fully reliable - would support some con policies but not all

Question 37

how did the SPD develop in Bismarck’s Germany?

Answer 37

• formed in 1875 with a Marxist programme
• devoted energy to fighting Reichstag elections
• socialist organisations banned in 1878 but party continued to grow
• grew considerably 1878-90
• vocal in opposition to Bismarck

Question 38

how did the Conservatives develop in Bismarck’s Germany?

Answer 38

• supportive but challenged by Liberal dominance before 1878
• from 1878 Bismarck’s strongest support base
• leaders of Sammlungspolitik 1879-90 when right wing NL and Z joined them to rally together in support of the state

Question 39

when did Kaiser Wilhelm I die and who was his successor?

Answer 39

died 1888 and was succeeded by his son Frederick who died 3 months later from throat cancer
Frederick’s son Wilhelm became Kaiser in 1888

Question 40

what was Bismarck’s relationship like with Kaiser Wilhelm II?

Answer 40

disagreed over many issues as Wilhelm did not want to take a backseat role in rulership like his grandfather had
- Bismarck wanted to control policy making and maintain his position as Minister-President of Prussia - the Kaiser believed in personal rule and wanted to reduce powers of the Minister-President
- Bismarck wanted to repress socialism and the workers’ agitation, Wilhelm was more sympathetic and believed he could win over over the industrial workers
- Bismarck wanted close relations with Russia, Kaiser favoured Austria
- Wilhelm wanted to be the people’s emperor whereas Bismarck was happy to argue wit h the Reichsfiende

Question 41

what did Bismarck try to pass that Wilhelm II rejected believing Bismarck was out of touch with reality?

Answer 41

increase of 12,500 men in the army and his severe Anti-Socialist Law
Bismarck also argued with the Kaiser over whom ministers should approach first- the Kaiser or Chancellor
the Kaiser accused B of meddling in foreign affairs and forced Bismarck to resign in March 1890

Question 42

when did Bismarck resign?

Answer 42

March 1890

Question 43

what problems were left for Bismarck’s successors?

Answer 43

• authoritarian constitution had not proved adaptable to the changing situation in Germany
• B denied the Reichstag a positive role in law making and thrived on confrontation
• B often intensified divisions within Germany by his confrontational policies
• B ensured that the army was well-funded and had a prominent position in the German Reich (perhaps too much emphasis on the army)

Question 44

what is Sammlungspolitik?

Answer 44

‘bringing together politics’
aimed to unite political parties and other political groups in support of the state