Bismarck Flashcards
When was German unification
1871
Reasons for unifying Germany
Zollverein
Economic opportunities
‘Iron and blood’ idea, Bismarck went to war with France and Austria to make germany look stronger and tried to show people that if Germany unified the threat of war would be minimised
Iron referred to the economic policies
26 states in the unification
The new constitution
Reich constitution
Bundesrat
Reichstag
Kaiser
Chancellor
Kaiser
Always the king of Prussia
Appointed and dismissed the chancellor or other ministers/ secretaries of state
Could dissolve the reichstag
Commanded the army directly
Controlled foreign policy
Gave assent to all laws (with the chancellor)
Had the final say
Chancellor
Was appointed by the kaiser
Only responsible to the kaiser not to the reichstag
Decided outlines of policies with the kaiser and bundesrat
Gave assent to all laws
Reichstag
Members were elected males over the age of 25
Deputies had free speech
Elections held every three years
Gave consent to laws including budget
Could question debate or agree to reject a chancellors law
Could not amend a law
Couldn’t dismiss important individuals
Bundesrat
58 representatives from the 25 states in proportion to size
Prussia had 17 members and a vote of 14 was needed to alter the constitution
Presided over by the chancellor
Could initiate legislation
Had to approve new laws
Could veto all legislation expect budget
Had to give kaiser approval for declarations of war
Kaiser Wilhelm 1
Gave Bismarck all the power
Dependent on chancellor
He was a proud conservative and upheld military tradition
Wanted authoritative rule over the Reichstag
Easily manipulated
What did Bismarck help to introduce
The German mark, reichsbank (1876) , abolishion of tariffs on internal trade, single system of weights and measures, national post and telegraph system, penal code (1872) for police, single court system (1879), extension of railway network
Free trade
No tariffs put on imported goods or exports
Helped the lower class people in Germany because often imported goods were cheaper
Protectionism
Tariffs on imported goods to keep German businesses
National liberals
Founded in 1867
Left wing party
They supported unification
Heavy number of middle class educated people and Protestants
It favoured free trade
After 1875 it grew a bit more conservative after the introduction of the SDP
Bismarck worked with them when they grew more popular in 1871, they had 125 seats and 30 seats in imperial liberals
He made 100 laws with them to help unification
In 19874 they had 155 seats, in 1877 they had 128 and eventually Bismarck made them lose seats to further conservative policies
Zentrum (centre party)
Founded in 1870
Represented German catholics and minorities opposed to Bismarck
Strong in the southern German states
Wanted to keep the Catholic Church, especially in education
Was conservative but wanted decentralised
However liberal in its attitude to social reform
SDP
Founded in 1875
Representatives of the working class
Worked with trade unions
Supported a reduction on the elites power
Wanted an extension on welfare and reforms
Extreme members wanted to overthrough the constitution but majority didn’t
Free conservatives
Founded in 1871
Represented land owners, industrialists and businessmen
Members were supporters of Bismarck
German Conservative Party
Adopted the name DKP in 1876
Represent Protestants and aristocratic junker landowners
Most right wing of the political groups
Hated the Reichstag
Progressives
Party that believed in liberal constitutional state but disliked centralism and militarism
Not supportive of Bismarck
Wanted more power for the Reichstag
Rudolf von Bennigsen
Initially got on with Bismarck however opposed him I’m 1877-78 and the anti socialist bills
Resigned in 83
Created 100 laws with Bismarck
Reasons for kulturkampf
Catholics were a minority and represented 37% of the German population and partially strong in southern states
The catholic party were financially independent and had their own schools and political influence in the zentrum which was second largest party with 63 deputies
Bismarck figured they would oppose his views and hoped an attack on catholics would gain him greater support with Protestants
Liberals also opposed the catholics and in 1864 in the syllabus of errors the pope declared the Catholic Church to oppose liberalism
And then in 1870 to retaliate the pope declared the doctrine of papal infallibility and stated on matters of faith and morality the pope couldn’t be wrong
Reichsfeinde
A tactic of labelling groups he saw as a threat, enemies of the reich
Meaning it allowed him to create an alliance of parties that supported him in the Reichstag
Bismarck kulturkampf
1871 the zentrum was portrayed as the home of Bismarcks enemies
Catholic section of the Prussian ministry of religion and education was abolished
Clergy were forbidden to mention politics when preaching
May 1872 diplomatic relations with the Vatican were shut off
Jesuit’s were forbidden from preaching and entering Prussian schools
May laws (1873)
Catholic education came under may superstition
Only those who had been educated in Germany and passed a state exam became priests
Existing priests were required to prove their loyalty
Civil marriage ceremony was made compulsory
All Catholic religious orders were dissolved
State ended financial aid to the catholics
Prussian catholics were deprived of certain legal and civil rights
1874 responsibility for registration of births, marriages and deaths were taken over by the state
Doctrine of papal
1870
Stated the pope couldn’t be wrong
5000 catholics disagreed
Kulturkampf
1871- bismark arguing with zentrum in the Reichstag
The Catholic section of the prussian ministry of religion education was abolished
Clergy
