Key Terms Flashcards
(14 cards)
What is an Autocrat?
A ruler who has absolute power
Kaiser Wilhelm is often portrayed this way in the years leading up to World War one.
What is the Bundesrat?
Federal council containing representatives appointed by regional state assemblies with legislative power
Holds legislative power, just like the Reichstag.
What is a Constitution?
A set of rules for governing a government that prevents it from becoming over powerful.
What does DKP stand for?
German Conservative Party
Represented Junkers and was strong in Prussia, becoming more radical and anti-semitic over time.
Who were the Junkers?
Elite group of aristocratic Prussians favored by the constitution set out by Otto von Bismarck
Held significant power over the Bundesrat and occupied a far right position in German politics.
Who was the Kaiser?
The Prussian monarch who was sovereign in the Second Reich and held significant power under the constitution.
What is a Megalomaniac?
A person with a very strong desire for power
Can be used to describe Kaiser Wilhelm.
What does the National Liberal Party represent?
Represented bankers and industrialists supporting economic and industrial liberalism
Over time, their views became more similar to that of the DKP.
What is Prussia?
A German state established in 1525 that dominated the Second Reich
The Kaiser constitutionally had to be a Prussian monarch.
What is the Reichstag?
The parliament of Germany and the only democratic element of the constitution
Its members were elected by the public.
What does SPD stand for?
Social Democratic Party of Germany
A left-sided party that represented the interests of the working class and trade unions.
What is the Tarrif law?
A protectionist law passed by the Reichstag that raised tariffs on agricultural imports into Imperial Germany
It became law on the 25th of December 1902.
