Bismarck: 1871-1878 Flashcards
Bismarck’s Relationship with The Liberals
Mainly friendly. The Liberals supported Bismarck as the architect of the German Reich. However, except in economic policy, Bismarck was all but a liberal. Examples of his extremely conservative thinking can be seen in the 1874 Press Laws, which made censoring editors extremely easy for the German government
Kulturkampf
The battle for civilization, it was a campaign put forth by Bismarck and his Prime Minister, Adalbert Falk, aimed at reducing the Catholic Church’s power and reducing the practicing of the Catholic Faith. It was, overall, unsuccessful, and succeeded only in helping Zentrum grow and helped the Catholic church by thriving on oppression.
1874
The May Laws. Passed by Bismarck and Falk, these laws severely hampered the practise of the Catholic Faith in Germany It: (1) Banned the threat of excommunication (2) Brought church schools under state control (3) Introduced compulsory civil marriage along with church marriage.
1873
Diplomatic relations with the Vatican completely severed. Jesuits expelled from Germany.
1878 (Domestic)
End of Kulturkampf. Brought about by the firing of Falk and the death of Pius IX. All but one of the laws, making civil marriage compulsory, were repealed.
1878 (Economic)
Implementation of tariffs on foreign agricultural goods (3-5%) and on foreign industrial goods (7-9%)
The Dreikaiserbund
Negotiations started in 1871, and it was in effect from 1874 to 1875. It was an alliance between the Russian Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the German Reich. In it, the three powers promised military cooperation.
Bismarck’s main aim through this alliance was to quiet Austro-Hungary and Russia, two powerful empires that were specially threatening because they surrounded Germany in the East and the West. In the treaty, Austria-Hungary and Russia made specific agreements regarding the Balkans and all three powers promised to cooperate France.
German Economic Depression
Begun after the Franco-Prussian War, due to excessive amount of loans and excessively high expectations for the German economy. 1871 production levels had been matched by 1880, but the depression had an important effect on the German Psyche.
