Attempts to consolidate the new Germany Flashcards
What were the main aims of the National Liberals?
- national unity
- promotion of civil liberties and democracy
What economic policies did the National Liberals have?
- single economic system
- no protectionist policies, growth of middle class
Why were freedom of movement restrictions removed?`
For Germans to travel freely to find work
What happened to interest rates?
Restrictions on charging interest on loans were removed
What happened to weights and measurements?
Standardised
What became the sole legal currency?
Reichsmark
What import duties were removed?
certain metal products
What consequence did the National Liberal’s popularity have?
Bismarck could not ignore them
What did Bismarck hope to achieve by cooperating with the National Liberals?
Keep educated middle class voters distracted from his resistance to democratic reforms
Why did the National Liberals support Bismarck’s Kulturkampf?
They believed the Catholic-dominated Centre Party was a threat to national unity
Why did tension increase between Bismarck and the National Liberals in the mid-1870s?
Bismarck’s refusal to extend parliamentary power in the Reichstag
Why did the 1873 economic crash (and subsequent depression) affect the National Liberals in 1878?
- Bismarck’s demand for tariffs protecting German farmers was seen as patriotic
- Many peasants and small farmers switched their allegiance to the Conservative Party
- National Liberals only won 23.1% of vote (down from 30.1% in 1871)
What consequence did a further tariff bill in 1879 have on the National Liberals?
in 1880 the National Liberal Party split:
- left-leaning members formed the ‘Liberal Union’
- the National Liberal Party now became conservative
What was a consequence to the decline of the National Liberals?
- Centre Party now largest party in Reichstag
- Bismarck’s anti-Catholic stance made managing the Reichstag more difficult
Why did the National Liberal split weaken support for Bismarck’s policies?
Any coalition between the National Liberals and the Conservatives would fail to win a majority, as it also split their vote.
Between them, how much of the vote did the Liberal Union and the Progressive Party win between them in 1881?
21.1%
In 1884, what party did the Liberal Party and Progressive Party merge to form?
the German Free-minded Party
In terms of support, what did the German Free-minded Party achieve?
2nd most popular party
As a result of the Liberal-Progressive merger, what did this now mean?
The 2 most popular parties were generally opposed to Bismarck
What consequences did the Liberal-Progressive merger have for Bismarck?
Severely weakened his influence over the Reichstag and became increasingly isolated
What was the 1864 Syllabus of Errors?
Catholic Church reaction against modernism and transition from Catholic monarchy to secular democracy
What was the 1870 Declaration of Papal Infallibility?
- The Pope’s moral teachings were the guiding principle of all Catholics.
- Also took precedence over values put forward by governments
Why did Bismarck and the National Liberal party oppose the two declarations?
1/3 of Germany’s population being more loyal to Rome than the Kaiser would have been a threat to national unity.
Why was the Centre Party founded in 1870?
- to protect of the rights of Germany’s Catholics who were 1/3 of the population
- wanted rights (from 1850 Prussian Constitution) to be enshrined by the 1871 constitution
Why did the 1815 German Confederation have a small Catholic majority?
included Catholic Austria until their exclusion in 1866
What were some of the Centre Party’s policies?
- continued institutional independence of the Church
- opposed secularisation of education and marriage
- decentralisation of Germany
What Catholic ethnic minorities did the Centre Party support?
- Polish
- French (Alsace-Lorraine)
Who did most Catholics side with in the 1866 Austro-Prussian war?
Austria
What did the Church support that concerned Bismarck?
- Teaching of Polish language
- Alsatian autonomy
- War against Italy (German ally) to regain Papal territory
Why did Bismarck dislike the Polish language?
For him it meant that Polish nationalism was more important to the Poles than German nationalism
Why did Poles, French Alsatians, Danes and Hanoverian Germans support the Centre Party?
It opposed Prussian dominance
How was education initially affected by the Kulturkampf?
Authorities were allowed to inspect Catholic schools
Were Jesuits banned?
Yes
What did the Prussia May Laws establish?
State control over Catholic schools and appointment of priests
What was the value of seized Church property?
16 million Reichsmarks
What happened to clergy not appointed by the state?
1,800 priests were jailed or exiled from Germany
What did the Bread-Basket Law do?
Financial support for Priests who didn’t publicly support Germany was withdrawn
What was the army now allowed to do?
break up Catholic protests
What consequence did persecution have?
- Reinforced Catholic separation from Germany
- Centre Party vote share increased from 18.6% (1871) to 27.9% (1874)
- Reinforced sectarian divisions
Why did the Kulturkampf end?
- Bismarck needed the support of the Centre Party for protectionist policies in 1879
- Pope Leo XIII (Pius IX died in 1878) was willing to find compromise with German government
Why did the Kaiser and Prussian conservatives oppose the Kulturkampf?
The Kaiser supported the Catholic Church’s stance against secularisation
Despite there being no connections, for what reason did Bismarck pass anti-socialist legislation?
2 assassination attempts of Wilhelm I in 1878
What did Bismarck’s anti-socialist legislation do?
1,500 socialists imprisoned
Bismarck’s nationalist policies affected which groups of people?
- Catholics seen as more loyal to the Pope
- socialists seen as more loyal to communism
The banning of the SAPD had what consequence?
- movement pushed underground
- SPD received 1 million votes in 1890
Why was Sedantag opposed by many?
- southerners didn’t contribute to Battle of Sedan
- socialists viewed it as a celebration of Prussian militarism
How did nationalism change the curriculum in schools?
- nationalism now a subject (loyalty and obedience to Kaiser and Kaiserreich)
- textbooks glorified the Kaiser
How did nationalist policies affect minorities?
- Poles and Jews expelled from Germany
- German identity enforced on ethnic minorities
- German taught over French or Polish
By what year did France recover from defeat in 1871?
1875
What concern did Bismarck have about France during the War in Sight crisis?
France may encourage Catholic opposition
What concern did the military have about France?
- French infantry battalions increased from 3 to 4
- conscription would potentially increase by 80,000
Which German newspaper was encouraged by Bismarck to publish a Catholic conspiracy article involving France?
Kölnische Zeitung
Which German newspaper published ‘is war in sight?’?
The Berliner Post
What did the press campaign contribute to the crisis?
Encouraged German politicians to the prospect of war with France
Which foreign leader diplomatically intervened with the Kaiser, forcing Bismarck to back down?
Tsar Alexander II
Whose power did the war in sight crisis illustrate?
Bismarck’s use of the Press to mount political campaigns
What did regular street processions celebrate?
national victories
Why was Bismarck’s promotion of nationalism important politically?
mobilise public opinion in favour of Government
- he often referred to ‘enemies of the empire’ (Catholics, French)
- divert attention away from calls for greater reforms
- strongly promoted superiority of German culture
Despite the eventual growth of the SDAP, what initial success did Bismarck’s socialist laws have?
- National Liberals lost 130,000 votes, 29 seats
- SDAP vote share fell from 493,000 to 312,000
What consequence did Bismarck’s nationalist policies have on the early 20th Century?
fuelled German military aggression
- led to WW1
