Second Reich Flashcards
How many seats did Prussia hold in the Reichsrat and how many were needed to veto a law?
Prussia held 17 seats and 14 votes were needed to veto a law.
What voting system was used in Prussia?
3 tiered voting system- the more tax you paid the more your vote counts
How did the 1908 general election show the problems with Prussia’s voting system?
The rich cast 418,000 votes for the conservatives equalling 212 seats however the poor cast 600,000 votes for the SPD but that only equalled 6 seats
By what year did Britain import what percentage of its chemical dyes, mainly from Germany?
By 1914 Britain were importing 80% of their chemical dyes, mainly from Germany
By 1914 Germany were producing what fraction of Europes steel and coal?
2 thirds of Europes steel and a half of Europes coal was produced by Germany by 1914
What were the negative implications of the economic growth in Germany?
Overcrowding in cities=poor sanitation = lack of clean water = increase in disease such as cholera. Berlin’s homeless shelter were taking in 200,000 people a year.
What were the positive implications of Germany’s economic growth?
Poor sanitation spurred on the building of a new sewerage system. Better medicine= improvements in infant mortality rates. Wages increased more than prices did.
What years were chancellor von Bulow and then chancellor bethmann hollweg in power?
Chancellor von bulow was in power from 1900-1909 and chancellor bethmann hollweg was in power from 1909-1917
What three laws did chancellor von bulow introduce?
1900: second navy law- proposed the building of 38 battleships over the next 20 years.
1903: sickness insurance law- sickness leave extended to 26 weeks instead of 16
1908: law on factory work- no children under the age of 13 to be employed and only a 6 hour working day allowed for 13-14 year olds
Chancellor bethmann hollweg lost a vote of no confidence, what law did he induce?
1911: imperial insurance code- insured workers against sickness, old age and death
What year was the daily telegraph affair and what year was the zabern affair and what did they show?
The daily telegraph affair was in 1908- showed that the Kaiser didn’t have to discuss with or answer to anyone, and the zabern affair was 1913- showed that the army didn’t have to answer to the Reichstag and neither did the kaiser- showed the limited power of the Reichstag
Why and who did the kaiser blame for the daily telegraph affair?
The kaiser blamed and removed chancellor von bulow for failing to censor the interview.
When tensions grew during the zabern affair the reichstag took a vote of no confidence against which chancellor and what were the voting outcomes?
The vote was against chancellor bethmann hollweg and the votes were 293 to 53 against him but he stayed in power
Give examples of the lack of political change in Germany
No additions were made to the seats in the reichstag even though there had been huge urbanisation- e.g 1907 election: SPD and centre party received 3 million votes but got fewer seats than those who received less votes . The governments continued to refuse to work together towards change- still impossible to get a majority government due to proportional representation
What were the powers of the reichstag?
Had control of government and army budget (set every 7 years), could agree to or reject laws by the Kaiser or government. Meant to be the democratic element of the constitution
In 1900 Britain only had one company annually producing over how much steel whilst Germany had how many companies like this?
In 1900 Britain only had one company annually producing over 300,000 tons of steel whilst Germany had 10 companies like this
By 1910 how much of the population live in urban areas? (Showing urbanisation)
By 1910 60% of the population lived in urban areas
In what year were constituency boundaries set?
1871
How did the 1907 Reichstag elections show the issues with the constituency boundaries not being altered despite mass population movement?
The 1907 Reichstag elections resulted in the SPD and Centre Party relieving 3 million more votes than the Bulow Bloc, however they still received less votes due to the unbalanced voting system?
Why was the Kaisers position unchallenged?
Because political parties wouldn’t oppose him through fear of appearing unpatriotic
Why did the SPD refuse to work with the National Liberals to push for change?
The National Liverals previously supported Bismarck’s anti-socialist law and so the SPD wouldn’t work with them
How many members did the Bundesrat have?
58
How did the Enabling Act help to narrow political divisions?
The Enabling Act stressed the concept of national unity based on shared suffering
Why were corporations set up in the early years of the war?
To ensure the raw supply of materials for the war effort
