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Kaiser forced his bill, to give both catholic’s and Protestants more control over education, to be withdrawn.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
When was the League established? 3
1895
When was the League established? 4
1898
When was the League established? 5
1904
When was the League established? 6
1912
What were the Leagues membership stats? 1
c25,000 - mostly middle class
60 reichstag deputies by 1914
Anti-Semitic
What were the Leagues membership stats? 2
c250,000
Over 330,000 by 1913
Who were the Leagues members? 3
Manufacturing and export industries favouring high tariffs to promote exports
What were the Leagues membership stats? 4
c500,000
What were the Leagues membership stats? 5
c200,000
Supported by heavy industry
What were the Leagues membership stats? 6
c300,000
500 branches by 1914
What were the Leagues aims? 1
- Unite global ethnic Germans
- Acquire colonies (closely working with 1882 German Colonial League)
- Suppress socialism and democracy
What were the Leagues aims? 2
- Protect agricultural interests
2. To lobby for tariff protection to help farmers
What were the Leagues aims? 3
- Protect manufacturing interests
2. Promote exports
What were the Leagues aims? 4
- Promote naval expansion
- Develop popular support for the navy
- Pressurise Reichstag to pass naval bills
- Promote colonial growth
What were the Leagues aims? 5
- Curb socialist growth with propagandist campaigns
2. Promote conservative values
What were the Leagues aims? 6
- Promote army expansion and economic parts supporting army expansion
- Pressurise Reichstag into passing army bills
Why did Hohenlohe resign?
Kaiser dispute over colonial policy
Who was the chancellor in 1900-1909?
Count Bernhard von Bülow
Why was Bulow elected?
He was groomed for office by the kaiser inner circle
He went out of his way to flatter the kaiser, became the first Chancellor he really trusted
What policies were passed during 1900-1909? Tariffs
Bulow: 1902 new tariff law. Restored duties on agriculture products and key manufacturers. (Abandons aggressive Summlungspolitik in exchange for this to gain favour)
What was the result of policies passed during 1900-1909? Tariffs
Increased revenue for developing army (pleasing industrialists)
Appeased agrarian interests (falling short of AgLeague demands)
What policies were passed during 1900-1909? Socialism
Minister of interior Posadowsky-Wehner: social reforms (developing social security from 1900-1903)
Extending (1900) accident and (1903) health insurance
Introducing new rules in 1901 for arbitration in industrial disputes
What was the result of policies passed during 1900-1909? Socialism
Hoping to draw support from socialists
Socialists received the credit for this
This combined with tariffs improving food prices, increased SPD 1903 vote
What policies were passed during 1900-1909? Colony
Weltpolitik: Navy Law 1900, funded a 17 year building programme for a sea fleet
Promotion of Wilhelm II to emperor
What was the good result of policies passed during 1900-1909? Colony
Support from middle and upper class, ordinary people through patriotism and more jobs, Kaiser, majority of reichstag parties
NL, Conservatives, DFP, navy and agrarian League
What was the bad result of policies passed during 1900-1909? Colony
Govt majority didn’t last
The budget went into a deficit. The national debt grew to 490 billion marks by 1913
Socialists and Z
What policies were passed during 1900-1909? Finance
Bulow’s 1909 finance bill
What was the result of policies passed during 1900-1909? Finance
Defeated by Conservatives, Z, DFP, and SPD
What policies were passed during 1900-1909? Bloc
Bulow negotiated a new coalition: the Bulow Bloc
Made up of conservatives, members in agrarian league, NL, DFP
What was the result of policies passed during 1900-1909? Bloc
Won 1907 election with 216 seats
It was hard to hold together and quickly fell apart
Why did Bulow resign?
Series of scandals, Zabern Affair and the Daily Telegraph
