Bismarks Introduction Of Pensions & Health Insurance Flashcards
What was the main aim of the government structure established by Chancellor Bismarck after 1871?
To maintain the Prussian elite’s dominance over the German state
What significant challenge did urbanisation pose to Bismarck’s government?
Political demands of the growing working class
What did Bismarck view as a significant threat to the political order in Germany?
The rise of the SPD (Social Democratic Party)
What anti-socialist legislation did Bismarck introduce in 1878?
Outlawing the trade union movement and the SPD, suppressing their newspapers, and jailing hundreds of members
What was Bismarck’s strategy to gain support from Germany’s working class?
Introducing an extensive scheme of social security
In what year was free medical treatment for three million workers introduced?
1883
Who financed the free medical treatment introduced by Bismarck in 1883?
Both workers and employers
What type of insurance was set up in 1884, and who financed it?
Accident insurance financed completely by employers
How many additional workers were covered by accident and sickness insurance in 1886?
An extra seven million workers
At what age were workers given a pension according to Bismarck’s reforms?
At 70, or earlier if disabled
Who financed the pension system introduced by Bismarck?
Employers, workers, and the state
What was significant about Bismarck’s reforms in relation to welfare systems in Europe?
They set up Europe’s first-ever widespread welfare system
True or False: Bismarck’s social security legislation achieved its political goals.
False
Despite Bismarck’s reforms, which political party continued to receive support from the working class?
The banned SPD
What was the primary aim of the welfare system introduced by Bismarck?
The welfare system did not aim to actually improve working conditions.
What legislation did Bismarck refuse to consider?
Legislation that would set working hours, restrict child labour, or allow Sunday as a rest day.
How did the working class view the introduction of the welfare system?
Much of the working class considered that, without the threat of the SPD, the welfare system would never have been introduced.
What impact did the welfare system have on the Socialist Party’s support?
The welfare system added to the Socialist Party’s support.
What was the outcome of Bismarck’s pension and health insurance policies in the 1880s?
They failed to stem the increasing politicisation of Germany’s expanding working class.
