1.1A&B What was Germany like before the First World War? Flashcards
When was the unification of Germany?
1871
How was Germany divided before its unification in 1871?
It was divided by a collection of small states
Which was the biggest and most powerful German-speaking state before the unification of Germany?
Prussia
What happened when the king of Prussia decided to unify German-speaking states?
France, Austria and Denmark felt threatened to Prussia had to fight a series of wars against them
Who became the leader of Germany when it was formed?
The King of Prussia became the German Emperor (Kaiser)
Militarism def
A belief that a country should have strong armed forces
Who formed the basis of the new united German army?
The Prussian generals, army officers and tactics
Bundesrat def
The collective name for the state representatives that that consult with the Kaiser over new laws
What does reich mean in German?
Empire
What were the first, second and third reich?
- First Reich: Holy Roman Empire
- Second Reich: New country of Germany created in 1871
- Third Reich: Hitler’s Germany
Who was the Kaiser supported by?
- The chief minister called the Chancellor
- The parliament (Reichstag)
- The Bundesrat
Who could vote for the Reichstag?
All men over age 25
What was a problem faced by the Kaiser’s government?
The Kaiser could choose to ignore their advice and could make all decisions (including those related to the army, navy, and other foreign countries) on his own.
When did Wilhelm become Kaiser and at what age
In 1888, when he was 29
Who was Kaiser Wilhelm related to?
He was the grandson of Queen Victoria and the cousin of George V
When Wilhelm became Kaiser, how powerful was Britain?
- it was the world’s most powerful country
- it had the largest empire
- it dominated world trade
- it had a navy that was twice the size of its two closest rivals added together
Who was the Chancellor in Germany?
An authority comparable to the Prime Minister
Industrialisation def
Building up a country’s industry
Explain how Kaiser Wilhelm II managed to achieve his goal of industrialisation in Germany
- He was supported by rich, powerful German business men
- By 1913 Germany was producting more iron and steel and as much coal as Britain
- German companies also dominated Europe in industries such as electrical goods and chemicals
Trade unions def
An organised association of workers in a trade, formed to protect and further their rights and interests
What happened after Germnay became a big industrial power?
- factory, workshop and mine workers became unhappy
- wages were low, working conditions were poor and food was expensive
- working class people joined trade unions and organised strikes
- many voted for a new political party: SPD (Social Democratic Power)
- Some extremists wanted to rebel, start a revolution, take over the country and allow cities and towns to be governed by councils of workers
- the rise in socialism was potentially a major problem for the German government
Socialism def
The idea that power and wealth should be shared equally among the people
What was Kaiser Wilhelm’s character?
- very energetic and strong and outgoing
- charming and kind
- impatient and rude - if ministers didn’t do what he wanted, they would be sacked
What was Kaiser Wilherlm’s career like?
- spent most of his youth in the army
- replaced his father when he died of cancer after only 3 months of beong Kaiser
- wanted to build a powerful army and large navy
- was interested in military tactics
Name some examples of countries that had large overseas empires in the late 1800s
Britain, France and Portugal
Weltpolitik meaning
Literally meaning ‘world policy’, this was the Kaiser’s plan to turn Germany into a global power
What countries did Germany take over in the late 1800s?
Cameroons, East Africa, South West Africa, Togo, Kaiser Wilhelm Land
What country is Kaiser Wilhelm land now?
Papua New Guinea
What countries are East Africa now?
Rwanda, Burundi and parts of Tanzania and Mozambique
Why does Germany have a culture of militarism?
- The Kaiser was Victoria’s grandson, he wants to have as great a navy as the British
- The Kaiser thought it would help Germany to take over more countries and protect those already in the German empire
When were the naval laws introduced, what did they do and what consequences did they have?
- Introduced between 1898 and 1912
- They saw the German navy rapidly increase in size
- Huge sums of money were spent to achieve this, the Kaiser expanded the army as well
- Taxes were raised and money was borrowed to pay for this - Germany would remain in debt for a long time
