3 Government And Opposition, 1888-1914 Flashcards
Define narcissistic
Having an undue regard for oneself, showing excessive self-admiration
What was Wilhelm II’s personality?
Full of energy and ambitions, whole changeable and unpredictable.
He was seen as Reisekaiser as he was always traveling in his yacht
Most comfortable around military
What did Wilhelm II declare about the Reich? When?
May 1891
“There is only one man in charge of the Reich, and I will not tolerate any other”
Who was chancellor 1890-1894?
General Georg Leo Count von Caprivi
Why was he elected?
Wilhelm wanted a chancellor who was more conciliatory to socialism
What was Caprivi’s ‘New course’ ?
- End to Anti-Socialist law
- More influence over policy making for ministers
- Reduction in tariffs
- Social reforms
Who opposed the ‘new course’
- Conservative Prussian landowners
2. Camarillo (Circe of aristocrats)
Who welcomed the ‘new course’
- Working class
- Socialists
- Industrialists
- Zentrum
- Liberals
How did Caprivi change the Septinnial law?
1893 Army budget get will be discussed every 5 years by reichstag and they reichstag willl increase the army by 84,000.
When was the Schliffen Plan made? Why?
1892, kaiser feared they may have to go to war with France in the future.
What was the Caprivi and Kaiser relationship?
Caprivi found the kaiser difficult to work with
Kaiser forced his bill, to give both catholic’s and Protestants more control over education, to be withdrawn.
Kaiser wend directly against ‘new course’ when he decided Anti-Socialist Subversion Bill was needed after SPD did well in 1893 election
Who was the chancellor in 1894-1900?
Prince Chlodwig zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst
Why was Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst elected?
He posed no political threat to thoes who surrounded the kaiser. More of a figurehead chancellor
Hohenlohe: What policies did Wilhelm II try to pass through others? Socialism
Hohenlohe: Two bills to curb socialism. 1894 Subversion Bill, 1899 Anti-Union Bill.
Hohenlohe: What were the result of policies Wilhelm II try to pass through others? Socialism
Hohenlohe socialism: Both thrown out by reichstag
Hohenlohe: What policies did Wilhelm II try to pass through others? Prison
Minister of interior Posadowsky-Wehner: 1899, prison sentences attached to strike action harmful to ‘public security’.
Hohenlohe: What policies did Wilhelm II try to pass through others ? Colony
Weltpolitik: an expansionist foreign policy including colonial expansion and the development of the navy
Hohenlohe: What were the result of policies Wilhelm II try to pass through others? Prison
Minister of interior: rejected by reichstag majority.
Hohenlohe: What were the result of policies Wilhelm II try to pass through others? Colony
Weltpolitik: kaiser ignored chancellor and focused domestic affairs on this.
Kaisers court circle believed it could unite Germans of different backgrounds, solving reichstag disputes
Hohenlohe: What policies did Wilhelm II try to pass through others? Political parties
Sammlungspolitik continuation (concentration policy):
Uniting political parties in support of the state. They fostered nationalist sympathies in direct opposition to the working class.
Who supported the concentration policy?
Leagues (Right wing pressure groups) that emerged from the 1890’s. They lobbied ministers, sought reichstag influence and used the press and modern advertising to spread their views.
Lead by elites and supported by middle class (minimum peasantry)
Influence disproportionate to membership
Name 6 leagues
- Pan-German League
- Agrarian League
- Industrialists’ League
- Navy League
- Imperial League
- Army League
When was the League established? 1
1891
When was the League established? 2
1893
