Bismarck 1871-1890 Flashcards
1
Q
How many states were there in the Holy Roman Empire?
A
300+
2
Q
How many states did Wilhelm I preside over?
A
26
3
Q
What proportion of the new Reich was Prussia?
A
60% (with a similar proportion of population)
4
Q
Which regions contained minorities in the new Reich?
A
Alsace-Lorraine (French minority), North Schleswig (Danish minority), extensive Polish-speaking areas in East Prussia
5
Q
How many states retained their monarchies?
A
Twenty-two of member states, eg. Bavaria, Wurttemberg and Saxony
6
Q
How did states retain an element of autonomy?
A
- Right to maintain their own army in peacetime
- Some had their own monarchies
- Grand dukes ruled in Baden, Mecklenburg and Hesse
- Hamburg, Lubeck, Bremen are “free”/self-governing cities
7
Q
What did the Liberals want for the new constitution? What did they get?
A
- Wanted a democratic constitution where leaders and ministers were chosen by the people
- Liberals supported unification on the understanding that this would happen
- However, Bismarck was deeply suspicious of democracy and had conservative/authoritarian views. The new constitution was no democracy
8
Q
How many Bundesrat votes did Prussia hold in 1871?
A
17 out of 58
9
Q
How did Prussia dominate the new constitution?
A
- Most Bundesrat votes
- King of Prussia becomes Emperor
- Imperial Army modelled on the Prussian Army
- Law codes based on Prussian ones
10
Q
What was the Prussian ‘three class’ voting system?
A
- Three levels of class pay one third of taxes each. The lower class had more people in it, meaning they’d pay less tax individually.
- Equally, the votes of each class held one third in each class. This meant that individual votes were actually worth less in the lower classes than the aristocracy, being extremely unfair
11
Q
What power did the Kaiser hold?
A
- Appointed/dismissed Chancellor and other ministers
- Called/dissolved Reichstag
- Directly commanded army
- Gave assent to all laws
- Had the final say in any constitutional dispute
- Controlled foreign policy
12
Q
What power did the Reichstag hold?
A
- Deputies elected by males over 25
- Elections held every three years and happened differently based on region
- Questioned, debated, agreed to or rejected laws proposed by Chancellor
- Couldn’t amend law
- Couldn’t demand dismissal of ministers or Chancellor
- Consented to all laws
13
Q
What power did the Bundesrat hold?
A
- 58 reps from 25 state govs in proportion to size of state
- Could initiate legislation
- Had to approve new laws with Reichstag, Kaiser, and Chancellor
- Could veto all legislation except for budgets approved by the Reichstag
- When Germany wasn’t under attack, they had to approve the Kaiser declaring war
14
Q
What did Article 17 of the 1871 constitution say?
A
It’s the duty of the Kaiser ‘to prepare and publish the laws of the Empire and to supervise their execution’
15
Q
What did the Chancellor do?
A
- A ‘responsible officer’
- Giving own assent to all decrees
- Discusses legislation with Kaiser before attending the Reichstag to discuss imperial policy and defend it to gain Reichstag approval
16
Q
What evidence is there for and against Bismarck having too much power?
A
- For: Manipulated WIlhelm I, interfered in appointments of ministers, did not consult others through the cabinet system (where ministers were supposed to decide policy together)
- Against: Bismarck was ultimately answerable to the Kaiser, Germany was federal and only the Lander could actually levy direct taxes, needed majority support of the Reichstag (particularly to review the army budget), he was also away from Berlin frequently because of ill-health which stopped him from influencing day-to-day running
17
Q
What did the National Liberals support? Who were they?
A
- Formed in 1867 by those who supported Bismarck’s German unification policy
- Protestant middle classes of wealthy, well-educated men (bankers, merchants, civil servants)
- Favoured free trade
- Grew more conservative after 1875 from SPD threats
18
Q
What did Zentrum support? Who were they?
A
- Formed in 1870
- Represented Catholics and minorities opposed to Bismarck
- Strong in south German states (eg Bavaria)
- Determined to preserve Catholic church’s position in education
- Favoured decentralisation
19
Q
What is decentralisation?
A
Dispersing power and authority away from central government
20
Q
What did the SPD support? Who were they?
A
- Formed in 1875
- Reps working classes and worked with trade unions
- Reduction in elites power and extension of welfare reforms
- Most extreme members want a republic and to overthrow the constitution
21
Q
How did Bismarck describe Wilhelm I in his memoirs?
A
‘old-fashioned, courteous and a genuine Prussian officer’
22
Q
How did Bismarck manipulate Wilhelm I?
A
- Threatening to resign
- Temper tantrums
- Hysterical outbursts
- Wilhelm almost always caved after these
23
Q
How does historian Jonathan Steinberg describe Bismarck?
A
‘neurotic, vindictive and insensitive as well as charming, charismatic and full of warmth’
24
Q
Who led the National Liberals in 1871?
A
Rudolph von Bennigsen
25
How did Bismarck and the National Liberals work towards greater unity?
- Establishment of the Reichsbank and a new currency
- National Postal/Telegraph system
- National Penal Code (codification of law)
- Extension of a railway network all across the Empire
- Abolition of tariffs of internal trade between Lander
26
When was the establishment of the Reichsbank? What was it?
- 1876
- Controlled a new currency for the whole empire, the mark. This was very stable because it was backed by gold
- Reichsbank was the new state bank
27
What percentage of the population were Catholics?
37%
28
Where were Catholics particularly prominent?
In Southern States and the Rhineland
29
How many deputies did Zentrum have after 1871?
- 63 deputies
- Second largest party in the Reichstag
30
Why did Bismarck attack the Catholic Church?
- Hoped it would win him more support from Protestants
- Feared Zentrum might oppose unification legislation (they wanted more state freedom)
- Deflected Liberal attention from other laws they wanted to Catholic persecution
- Bismarck thought support of Church schools by the centre party to be sectarian and the Liberals wanted secular education
31
What was the Syllabus of Errors? Why did it mean that the Liberals wanted to attack the Catholic Church? When was it?
- 1864
- Syllabus of errors condemned both liberalism and nationalism (basically attacking both the Liberal and Bismarckian ideology)
- Meant that Zentrum values stood in direct opposition to Liberal ideas of reform and secular control of education
32
What was the Doctrine of Papal Infallibility? When was it? Why did it add a reason for Kulturkampf?
- 1870
- Stated that on matters of morality/faith the Pope couldn’t be wrong
- Catholics faced conflicting demands from Church vs country
- Also made Bismarck, who was highly nationalistic, suspicious of true Catholic intentions
33
What was Zentrum pronounced as in 1871?
Zentrum portrayed as the home of Bismarck’s enemies, or ‘Reichsfeinde’ in a press campaign
34
What part of the Prussian government was abolished during Kulturkampf?
Catholic section of the Prussian Ministry of Religion and Education
35
What were the clergy forbidden to do in Kulturkampf?
Forbidden from any mention of politics while preaching
36
When were diplomatic relations with the Vatican broken off?
May 1872
37
How were Jesuits persecuted?
- Forbidden from preaching
- Forbidden from entering Prussian schools
- Anti-Jesuit campaign gradually spreads through the Empire
38
When were the May Laws introduced?
May 1873
39
Who introduced the May Laws?
Prussian Minister of Religion and Education Adalbert Falk
40
What did the May Laws do?
- Catholic education under state supervision
- Only those who had studies in Germany and passed a state exam could become priests
- Existing priests to retrain and prove loyalty to the state
- Appointment of clergy made by the state
- Civil marriage ceremony made compulsory
- All Catholic orders dissolved
- State financial aid to Catholic Church ends
- Prussian Catholics deprived of some legal/civil rights
41
Where did the May Laws apply?
Prussia (though civil marriage was later extended to the rest of the Empire as well as the dissolution of Catholic orders, which was extended in 1875)
42
What Kulturkampf measures were put in place in 1874?
Responsibility for registering births, marriages and deaths was removed from Church and taken by the state
43
What Kulturkampf measures were put in place in 1875?
Prussian gov given the power to suspend state subsidies to dioceses where the clergy resisted new laws
44
How many Catholic parishes ended up without Priests?
1400 priests out of 4600 parishes
45
How did the Pope say German bishops should react to Kulturkampf? How did Bismarck react?
He sent a letter saying all bishops should disobey the new laws and that those who obeyed new laws would be excommunicated (deprive/suspend membership in the Catholic community). However, Bismarck forbade publication of this letter
46
How did the ‘Old Catholics’ mark the start of Kulturkampf? When was it? How many Old Catholics were there?
- 5000 Old Catholics who refused to accept the Doctrine of Papal Infallibility and broke off from the Church
- Old Catholic teachers / professors dismissed by Catholic bishops. Bismarck said that the Prussian gov wants religious tolerance and condemns Church’s actions against these teachers in a series of newspaper articles from 1872. Marks start of Kulturkampf.
47
What did Bismarck think of Centre Party politicians?
- They did very well in the 1871
- Bismarck feared this would mean they encouraged civil disobedience among Catholics when state policies conflicted with church policies
- Kulturkampf is widely understood as a war against internal opponents of unification
48
What happened to most if the Prussian Catholic Bishops and Priests by 1876?
- 10 out of 12 Prussian Catholic Bishops were either exiled or under house arrest. Only two weren’t.
- Over 1000 Priests were expelled from their posts
49
How many Priests submitted to Kulturkampf? How many didn’t?
30 Prussian Priests out of 10,000 submitted
50
How were the Centre Party’s voting figures affected by Kulturkampf? How did the leadership of Zentrum help this happen?
- They actually went up from 58 seats in 1871 to 91 seats in 1874
- Ludwig Windhorst organised meetings and national resistance laws which attacked Kulturkampf
51
Why did some Protestants oppose Kulturkampf?
It affected both Catholic and Protestant education
52
When did Pope Pius IX die? What did this mean for Bismarck?
- 1878
- Meant that Bismarck could end Kulturkampf and begin more positive relations with the Catholic Church and with the new pope, Leo XIII
53
Why did Bismarck end Kulturkampf?
- He realised it had failed
- All it served to do was make the Catholic Church support each other more, making the Centre Party stronger not weaker
- After agricultural / industrial depressions in the 1870s, Bismarck wanted to abandon the Liberal policy of Free trade. He’d need centre support to do this
- Bismarck’s natural allies, Protestant Conservatives, grew more and more opposed to Kulturkampf because it promoted religious hostility
- Began to think that socialism was a bigger issue that needing focusing on
- Bismarck had set out to unify the Empire and instead intensified division
54
Who was made the scapegoat for Kulturkampf? When was he dismissed?
- Adalbert Falk (Prussian Minister of Religion and Education) forced to resign in 1879
55
Which of the May Laws remained compulsory after Kulturkampf?
- Ban on Jesuits entering Germany
- Law on civil marriages
- State continues overseeing permanent Church appointments
56
What was formed to campaign for protective tariffs? When?
- Central Association of German Manufacturers
- 1878
57
Why did Bismarck eventually introduce protective tariffs?
- Threats to agricultural incomes would undermine the economic position of Junkers, his own class
- The German Conservatives and Zentrum (being made of Junkers and factory owners) supported introducing tariffs. This would give him their support against socialism
- In times of war, Germany shouldn’t be dependent on foreign imports. Protection would make Germany self-sufficient
- German agriculture had been suffering in the late 1970s from a series of bad harvests and imported cheap wheat from US
- There was also a slow down in industrial growth after 1873
- Gov’s revenue from indirect taxes, and customs duties was inadequate to cover growing cost of armaments/administration. Supplementary payments were being paid by states to make up the deficit. Bismarck didn’t like this. He hoped tariffs would introduce a valuable source of income
58
What happened with the Army Budget? When?
- 1874
- Bismarck tries to persuade Reichstag to grant army money permanently, therefore removing military matters from Reichstag control
- Liberals opposed this and instead compromised with the Septennial Law which allowed the Reichstag to review army budget every 7 years
- Defeat for Bismarck + source of annoyance for him towards the Liberals
59
What was the Press Law? When was it?
- 1874
- Liberals had asked for editors to have the right to protect sources and keep people anonymous to promote free speech
- Bismarck did the exact opposite, instead introducing the Press Law which meant that people could be imprisoned for protecting sources and publishing sensitive info
- Showed his annoyance with the Liberals + could be seen as retaliation to the Septennials earlier in the year
60
What were the political trends in the 1877 election?
- Pro protection parties do well
- Liberals do lose seats
- Meant that Bismarck saw the opportunity to leave the Liberals
61
What did Bismarck do to get rid of the Liberals in an election?
- 1878 calls an election aimed at making the Liberals lose more seats
- Liberals lose 29 seats and Zentrum get an overall majority
62
When did Bismarck introduce protective tariffs? Who supported it?
- 1879
- Supported by German Conservatives, Free Conservatives, Zentrum and 15 tariff rebels from the National Liberals (who then got expelled from the party for their actions)
63
Why did the National Liberal’s influence end?
- Collapse of morals in the middle class was concerning (Liberals were made up of the middle class). Rape cases doubled from 1872-8
- Economic slump of 1873 made Liberal belief in Free Trade unpopular
- Kulturkampf was mainly supported by the Liberals and it failed. It wasn’t seen as a valid political objective anymore and Bismarck also used the Liberals as a somewhat scapegoat
64
What were assassination attempts against Kaiser Wilhelm? When were they? What did they allow Bismarck to do?
- May 1878, Max Hodel (plumber/former SPD member) tries assassination. 1 month later Dr Karl Nobiling (reported as expressing sympathy for socialists) also tries.
- This means that Bismarck can stir up anti-socialism
- It also cemented the Liberal decline because, when Bismarck wanted to limit freedom further to protect the Kaiser, they opposed, allowing Bismarck to call them unpatriotic.
65
When was the anti-socialist law introduced?
- October 1878
66
What did the anti-socialist laws do?
- Banned socialist orgs like trade unions
- Banned socialist meetings
- Banned socialist publications (books, pamphlets, periodicals)
- Police power increased. They can now search houses, arrest on suspicion, break up meetings/processions/festive gatherings, censor publications, and seize property of orgs said to be dangerous to the state
- Could be fined, imprisoned, or exiled from Germany for resisting
67
How many times were the anti-socialist laws renewed?
Four times
68
When did Bismarck propose that the anti-socialist laws be permanent?
1889. (Reichstag refused)
69
What were the results of anti-socialists legislation?
- Around 15,000 socialist activists imprisoned along with others that were exiled
- SPD struggles to find candidates for 1881 elections. August Bebel has to stand in 35 different constituencies
- Long term, repression has the opposite effect that Bismarck wanted. The broaden their appeal + industrial workers turn more and more to socialism
- Number of SPD voters double between 1878 and 1890 + seats rise from 9 to 35
70
How did the SPD stay prominent despite anti-socialist laws?
- Socialist groups start meeting in secret, also collecting financial contributions
- Conferences organised abroad in places like Switzerland/Denmark
- Party newspaper ‘Social Democrat’ published in Zurich + smuggled into Germany by ‘red postmaster’ Julius Motteller
71
How many belonged to trade unions by 1890?
- 278,000
72
What was ‘State Socialism’?
- Another result of anti-socialist laws
- Bismarck undermines the appeal of the socialists by passing legislation to help workers
73
What reforms did Bismarck introduce?
- Sickness Act
- Accident Insurance Act
- Old Age and Disability Act
74
What was the Sickness Act? When was it?
- 1883
- Medical treatment and 13 weeks sick pay
- Employer/employee funding
75
What was the Accident Insurance Act? When was it?
- 1884
- Covered sick and injured
- 50% of wages provided for a maximum of 13 weeks
- Employer funded
76
What was the Old Age and Disability Act? When was it?
- 1889
- Pensions for over 70s and the permanently disabled
- State/employer/employee funded (by tax on workers)
77
What was the Gotha Programme? When was it?
- Initial programme of SPD
- Called for universal suffrage, freedom of association (the right to make groups), limits on the working day and other laws to protect worker rights and health
- Bought together left wing political parties to form the SPD
78
When was the Reichstag first dissolved?
- 1878
- Happens after Kaiser is seriously wounded from a second assassination attempt. Bismarck uses public outrage to campaign against SPD. After first attempt at assassination, Bismarck was determined to get an anti-socialist bill through but was blocked by the Liberals. The second attempt allowed criticism of the National Liberals about a bill that might’ve stopped the second attempt from happening.
- Having political advantage, he dissolved the Reichstag to get anti-socialist laws through AND tariff reform
79
How did most workers see state socialism?
As a sham. The gov still opposed trade unions! Besides, other things like unemployment insurance weren’t even granted. There was also a clear political motive (though Bismarck was a devout Christian and possibly just wanted to aid those in need through moral obligation
80
By 1885, how many were insured under Bismarck’s health insurance act?
10%
81
How did mortality rates among blue collar workers fall between 1884 and 1900?
Fell by 8.9%
82
When did the SPD become the largest party in the Reichstag?
- 1912
83
Why did Bismarck see socialism as a threat?
- Socialism wanted redistribution of wealth which threatened Junker power in Bismarck
- Socialist newspapers were growing in circulation
- Socialists opposed the seizure of Alsace Lorraine after the France-Prussian war
- Socialism was an international movement, which Bismarck thought made them “un-German”
- As a movement, it gained more supporters during the 1873-6 slump
84
What were the election years of the Bismarckian period between 1871 and 1890?
1871, 1874, 1877, 1878, 1881, 1887, 1890
85
How many votes were needed for a veto in the Bundesrat? How many did Prussia have?
- Needed 14
- Prussia had 17
86
In Bismarck’s time, when did he dissolve the Reichstag?
- 1878
-1887
87
When did Kaiser Wilhelm I die?
March 9th 1888
88
Who took over Kaiser Wilhelm I? When did he die? Why?
- Frederick III
- Died 15th June 1888, mere months later than his father
- Had throat cancer
89
What was the “War in Sight Crisis”
- 1875
- Manufactured by Bismarck to bully France into abandoning rearmament
- An article appears in the Berliner called “Is War in Sight?”. This was almost definitely written by Bismarck
- France is threatened with preventative war if they don’t abandon rearmament
- Crisis helps Bismarck paint the picture of a hell-bent France who are ready for war to get the Reichstag to pass an army budget
90
Why did Bismarck dissolve the Reichstag in 1887?
They refuse to his proposed army budget
91
Why was it bad for Bismarck when Frederick III died?
- Bismarck thought he’d have to look good in front of Frederick and spent a lot of time before him becoming Emperor buttering him up to let him lead Germany
- When Wilhelm became Kaiser, he had previously ignored him, thinking he’d be Kaiser way after he’d resigned.
- Kaiser Wilhelm wanted to be an active leader, believing in the Divine Right of Kings and wanting to actually make decisions, which didn’t suit Bismarck
-
92
What aspects of policy did Wilhelm II and Bismarck disagree on?
- Wilhelm was convinced that he could win over the working class and wanted to add laws to end child labour/sunday working. Bismarck wanted to make anti-socialist laws permanent instead. Wilhelm didn’t actually mind this, but instead wanted Bismarck to be less extreme, but Bismarck wouldn’t compromise
- Bismarck proposed anti-socialist laws to the Reichstag and was completely refused. His political power was crumbling
93
What eventually led to Bismarck’s resignation?
- After being rejected proposing permanent anti-socialist laws, Wilhelm promised more social legislation without consulting Bismarck in February 1890
- Bismarck had a disastrous election and found himself trapped. In response he proposed a large increase in the army and even more repressive anti-socialist laws. He then made a plan that if the Reichstag refused he’d meet with German princes/the Bundesrat to change to constitution to suspend much Reichstag power. Wilhelm didn’t support, saying he’d lost touch with reality
- Bismarck and Wilhelm II also argued about whether ministers should approach the Kaiser or Chancellor first
- In March 1890, Bismarck was forced to resign
94
What evidence was there for Germany disunity?
- Each state had individual traditions, education, justice, religions and local govs
- 60% of the population was Protestant, but there was strong Catholicism in some places
- 10% of Germany was non-German minorities
- Social divisions between rich v poor, industrial north v west, and agricultural south v east
95
How was the German economy doing in 1871?
- Gaining Alsace-Lorraine from France-Prussian War stimulated the economy because it has Europe’s largest iron deposits
- French indemnity payments gave short economic booms to German banks who provided money for new railways/industries like electricity and chemicals
96
Who many Germans lived in urban areas in 1900 compared to 1871?
- 5% in 1871
- 20% in 1900
97
How many minorities did Bismarck expel?
34,000 Poles and Jews claiming they crossed from Austria and Russia
98
What was the Alliance of Steel and Rye?
The alliance he made after 1878 elections. When he was supported by Conservatives, landowners, and big industrialists
99
Why were the 1887 elections so bad for Bismarck?
The radicals, centre party and SPD all rise, meaning he’d completely lost Reichstag control
100
What aspects of foreign policy did Wilhelm II and Bismarck disagree on?
- The Reinsurance Treaty which had meant that if France attacked Germany, Russia would remain neutral. If Austria attacked Russia, Germany would stay neutral
- Wilhelm II didn’t agree with this because he viewed Russia as a serious threat to Germany
