Section 1 - Constitution Of The Second Reich Flashcards
(38 cards)
What powers did the Kaiser hold?
Commander-in-Chief of the army In charge of foreign policy Could dismiss the Chancellor (Prime Minister) Could dissolve the Reichstag President of the Bundesrat
How were members of the Reichstag elected?
Democratic part of the constitution. Members were elected, all men over 25 could vote
What was the main power of the Reichstag?
Could accept, reject it amend legislation.
How was the Bundesrat formed?
All member states appointed a person
What powers did the Bundesrat have?
Held legislative powers like the Reichstag. Could veto a law if 14 or more members voted
How did Bismarck create Prussian dominance within the Bundesrat?
14 votes were needed to vote to veto a law
Did States have much power?
Yes. Education, policing an health were under individual state control
Who was the army accountable to?
The Kaiser, not the government. They swore an oath of allegiance
What was the level of economic growth in Germany between 1890 and 1914?
4.5%
What parts of the German economy expanded the most at this time? (Materials etc)
Coal and iron production double from 1890 to 1914.
Steel production exceeded Britain by 1900.
Germany’s share of world trade was equal to that of Britain
Germany excelled in new technologies and innovation and by 1914 Germany produced around 50% of electrical goods worldwide
The creation of an industrial economy: Gdp from the industrial sector rose from 33% to 40%
Improved infrastructure from trains, tramways and buses
What were the social consequences of industrialisation?
Urbanisation due to a population boom and new jobs and opportunities in the city: by 1910 60 % of Germans lived in urban areas, highest in Europe.
Homelessness and overcrowding ensued
Poor living standards lead to a boom in trade union membership, 3 million by 1913
Class tensions increased
Competition from the USA and Canada squeezed the peasantry
What political developments occurred in the left wing?
Expansion due to the growing urban working population. By 1900 Germany’s trade union movement was the largest in the world.
The SPD went from 0.03 % of the vote in 1987 to 28% by 1912 (larges tin the Reichstag).
How were the left wing inhibited?
On 1987 anti-socialist laws were put in place to limit possible representation from the SPD.
What political developments occurred in the right wing?
Economic changes led to more nationalist policies form he DKP, moving in a more extremist direction.
Parities representing the business elite become more conservative (NLP).
Right wing pressure groups sought to protect the social elite from free market policies while promoting nationalism, colonial and military expansion.
Who was the architect of the constitution?
The leading politician, Otto Von Bismarck
Name the political parties and pressure groups and who they represented etc. (10)
DKP (German Conservative Party): Represented the Junkers, strong in Prussia,often had links with the government. From the 1890’s more radical and anti-semitic elements were inserted into the parties constitution.
FKP (Free Conservative Party): Supported by industrialists and land owners, with broad geographical support.
NLP (National Liberal Party): Represented bankers and industrialists. Supported economic and political liberalism but over time became more similar to the DKP.
The (Catholic) Centre Party
Represented Catholics, around a third of Germans. Consistently received around a quarter of the votes in the Reichstag elections. Often worked with the conservative parties, however also sometimes worked with the SPD, giving it the balance of power in the Reichstag.
The SPD (Social Democratic Party) Theoretically had revolutionary aims, however the party was mainly moderate and reformist.
The Central Association of German Industrialists
A powerful group that called for tariffs. Gave funding to many conservative Reichstag members.
The Agrarian League
Formed as a pressure group in 1893 by the Junkers seeking protectionist measures against competition. The league was also nationalist and anti-Semitic. Had links with the DKP.
The Navy League
Campaigned for German naval expansion. Was very popular and had over 1 million members.
The German Colonial League and the Pan German League
Two right-wing groups supported German colonial expansion. The Pan German League, who’s members in the Reichstag were often National Liberals, also sought a dominant role for Germany in Europe.
What were the key attributes of the Kaiser?
Became Kaiser in 1888. Sought a dominant role in German politics. Moved against Bismarck in 1890. Often portrayed as an autocrat who sought political control and developed aggressive and militaristic foreign policies in the years leading up to WW1.
What was John Röhl’s view on the Kaiser?
John Röhl argues the Kaiser developed a system of personal rule, appointing ministers that would further his conservative political agenda and sought control over his government and Chancellors. Bismarck replacement Caprivi, found the Kaiser difficult to work with and interfering. He attempted to retire 5 times until the Kaiser allowed him to in 1894. Hohenlohe replaced Caprivi but was old and largely controlled by the Kaiser and his ministers.
1896-97 Kaiser used his powers of Patronage (Power to bestow favours upon others) to remove more progressive (social progress or liberal reform) ministers and replaced them with more conservative ministers that shared his vision, such as von Bülow and von Tirpitz.
Who was von Bülow and what did he achieve?
Chancellor from 1900-1909. The Kaisers conservative vision was shared by Bülow, who supported his imperial and military plans. Outwardly cooperated with the Kaiser but also sometimes succeeded in sidelining or defeating him, such as with the Tariff Law (a law in 1902 that restored tariffs to 1892 levels. Meant to appease conservatives however it was a compromise as the tariffs weren’t as high as the conservatives wanted). The Kaiser tried to reassure this authority in 1905-06 by making a series of ministerial appointments.
What were von Bülow’s aims before resigning?
Von Bülow sought to align conservative and centrist political forces through unifying them around foreign policy (Sammlungspolitik - ‘Bringing together’ politics, used by Bülow to try and gain Reichstag support in his government and restrict the influences of socialists). He had some success in gaining support by creating a voting bloc (‘the Bülow bloc’) of all non-socialist parties. Bülow also tried to gain socialist support by issuing a series of social reforms (sickness insurance 1903, child labour 1908). However he faced a serious challenge to his authority from the Reichstag during the budgetary crisis and Hottentot election (an election held after the Kaiser dissolved the Reichstag. The Centre Party and SPD opposed the Kaisers imperial policy in Africa. Post election, the Reichstag was more pro-imperial conservative policies Hottentot is a word used by Europeans to describe southern Africans) 1906-07. In the end von Bülow resigned, having lost the support of the Kaiser in the Daily Telegraph Affair.
Who was Bethmann Hollweg and what is he infamous for?
Successor to Bülow as Chancellor from 1909-1916. Represented the weakness of the Reichstag over the government. In 1913 following the Zabern Affair, Bethmann Hollweg lost a vote of no confidence in the SPD dominated Reichstag. However the Reichstag didn’t have the constitutional power to force him out of office, so he remained.
Earlier in1913 Bethmann gained the Reichstag support in passing the Army Bill expanding the army through progressive taxation.
Why was the German political system seen as ineffective and why were there tensions by 1914?
By 1914, the political system didn’t really work effectively. As the Kaiser appointed the government they remained permanently conservative, upper-class and Junker dominated, whilst from 1912 the largest party in the Reichstag was the SPD. Resultantly the government failed to work with the Reichstag which can be seen in the next events:
What was The Budgetary Crisis of 1906 and the Hottentot Election of 1907 and what were the results?
In 1906 the SPD and the Centre Party deputies in the Reichstag joined forces to vote against the government’s budget, in protest of Germany’s colonial policies. The Kaiser consequently dissolved the Reichstag and a new election was called for 1907, known as the Hottentot election and after the Reichstag was dominated by conservative imperialist parties. This demonstrated:
Reichstag trying to control the actions of the Kaiser, government and army.
tensions between a left-wing Reichstag and conservative government
The Kaisers power
Support from the public for an brutal imperialist agenda.
What was The Daily Telegraph Affair, 1908, and what were the results?
Kaiser Wilhelm II had a conversation with a British colonel and it was published in the Daily Telegraph. The Kaiser made many unguarded comments, such as that the British were ‘mad, mad as March hares! for thinking that Germany presented a threat to peace. arguing that German naval build up was directed at the Japanese. The Kaiser was deemed to have exceeded his authority in talking to the foreign press in this way, receiving wide criticism from the Reichstag and the press. The Kaiser agreed with the Reichstag that he would no longer make similar pronouncements in the future. He avoided press from this point on but pressured Bülow to resign as he was deemed to be too supportive of the Reichstag. The event demonstrated that:
The Reichstag and press were prepared to criticise the Kaiser
Reichstag could gain concessions from the Kaiser
Kaiser couldn’t always act in an autocratic manor
Kaiser could remove his Chancellors
