National Minorities + Kulturkampf Flashcards
(34 cards)
Why did Bismarck face so many challenges trying to achieve full unification of Germany post 1871?
All states had different traditions, history, languages, religions, cultures etc
All states wanted to protect their power, rights and customs
What was Bismarck’s initial move to bring the states together?
1871 election: NL won 125/397 seats, largest single party
Von Bennigsen- NL leader was willing to cooperate with Bismarck to help achieve full unification-> agreed to 100+ acts to help thing along
What was Bismarck’s second move to achieve full unification?
Dealing with minority groups to bring order in Germany -There were substantial minority groups who didn’t want to be part of the unification
- 2.3 million Poles
- Jews in East Prussia
- Danes in Schleswig-Holstein
- French in Alsace Lorraine
What were the minority groups in Germany known as?
Reichsfeinde
Why was Bismarck concerned about the minority groups?
the Security implications of having these groups around Germany’s border
Where is the Danish Minority found?
Schleswig-Holstein
- Schleswig occupied by Prussia in 1864
- Holstein in 1866’
How did the Danes react to unification?
Keen to join Denmark
- Formed their own party in the Reichstag, resented being governed by Berlin
- Some refused to take German citizenship test + some were deported-> Danes looked to Denmark even more to keep their culture alive
How did Bismarck respond to the Danes?
Promised Austria in 1866 a direct vote would be held on the future of North Schleswig, but later abandoned this promise
- Bismarck followed a policy of ‘Germanisation’-> 1878 onwards, German was the only language permitted in schools in that region
How did the unification of the Danes end?
World War 1, Schleswig returned to Denmark
Where was the French Minority found?
Alsace + Lorraine
- Territory won by France in Franco Prussian war, 1871
How did the French feel about unification?
- Most inhabitants spoke French, those who spoke German as a first language still considered themselves more French
- Alsace repeatedly elected officials who were committed to the separation of the area from Germany
Prussian civil servants ran the lower levels of government-> German was the language of education + administration - Strong Pro-French citizens were asked to leave the area-> around 400,000 people left between 1870-1914
How did Bismarck/the government respond to the French?
French faced a milder approach to other minorities
- Bismarck promoted the revival of Strasbourg University + appointed humane and conscientious governors, who were conciliatory towards the French
How did the unification of the French end?
Zabern Affair of 1913- German soldiers attacked Alsace
- shows they were never fully united
- 1918: area became French again, population drove out German troops in triumph
Where was the Poles minority found?
Mainly came from East Prussia
- acquired by the dismemberment of Poland in the 18th century
What stake did Poles have in Germany?
Spoke Polish, so shared bond with other Poles under Russian or Austrian rule
Poles were largest non-German minority in the Reich-> independant Polish state would claim many Prussian territories and make Germans living in these areas a minority
How did Bismarck respond to the Poles?
Tried to Germanise the Poles by encouraging internal colonisation by Germans of the Polish area
- German was only language permitted in schools in Polish speaking areas + the sole language of commerce in 1876
- Bismarck’s attack on the Catholic church also weakened the cultural tradition of the Poles-> their Catholic leader was imprisoned, people were left without a religious leader for 12 years
- 1885-6: Bismarck expelled 34,000 Poles and Jews who he claimed has crossed into Germany through Russia and Austria, despite protestations from the Reichstag
How did Poles feel about the unification + Bismarck’s retaliation against them?
- Bismarck’s approach forced Poles into a defensive position + made them more determined to hold their own culture
- Poles continued to form their own clubs, publish Polish newspapers, worship as Polish Catholics, form own Polish political party
How did the unification of the Poles end?
Germanisation had some effect, but there was still some discrimination as Poles within Germany were seen as separate and lesser people
Where were the Jews minority found?
Found throughout Germany, mainly in urban areas
What was the Jews stake in Germany at the time?
Largely middle class
Placed value on education and hard work-> made them socially mobile
Very successful group (financiers, businessmen, traders etc)-> this drew in envy from others
How did Bismarck respond to the Jews?
Jews blamed as scapegoats for the economic depression in mid-1870’s
Bismarck didn’t seem personally anti-Semitic, he never publicly opposed it
Did at one point seek the endorsement of an anti Semitic party
1885-6: Bismarck expelled 34,000 Poles and Jews who he claimed crossed into Germany from Russia and Austria, despite protestations in the Reichstag
How did other Germans respond to the Jews?
1878: Christian Socialist Worker’s Party was founded as an anti-Semitic party by Adolf Stoeker
- Due to popularity with lower middle classes, Bismarck briefly sought out Stoeker’s support
- Later, Bismarck came to regard Stoeker with disfavour + forced him to withdraw from public affairs in 1889
Jews had full legal equality and contributed greatly to the German economy BUT were continually the victims of violence and some political parties continued to adopt discriminatory policies
Jews may have held a dual identity of both Jewish and German, but Germans may not have regarded them as German.
What was Bismarck’s most determined stand against minorities?
His stance against Catholics during the first 7 years as Chancellor
What percentage of Germans were Catholic and Protestant?
39% Catholic
61% Protestant
