Caprivi and Kaiser Wilhelm II 1890 - 1894 Flashcards
What happened in 1890?
Bismarck resigned after election where The Centre, the Social Democrats, and the Progressives, (the parties that he had termed enemies of the empire), gained more than half of the seats in the new Reichstag.
When did Wilhelm II become emperor and king of Prussia?
1888
How old was Bismark in 1890?
75
What happened to Bismark’s antisocialist law in 1890?
It was not revived as the new government set out to win the workers to the regime. Wilhelm II believed as part of his personal rule, these restrictions were not needed as all his citerzans would come to obey him.
How long was Kaiser Fredrick in power?
3 months
What were 4 key features of Wilhelm II’s personality?
- He saw himself as the personification of German Nationalism.
- He was overcompensating for his physical weakness of his arm.
- He was overly competitive and had a conservative and dogmatic attitude to the country.
- He had a strong idea of social inferiority due to the divine right of kings (‘He’s with his grocer”)
What did Wilhelm II call the Reichstag?
The ‘ape house’
Who was Philipp Eulenburg to Kaiser Wilhelm II?
Philipp Eulenburg was an unusual friend for the Kaiser as he was a more artistic composer as opposed to an office. He was his dearest friend who the Kaiser turned to at every point.
When was the Eulenburg affair?
1906-1909
What was the Eulenburg affair?
Sparked by accusations by the journalist and publicist Maximilian Harden, the scandal dominated European headlines for 3 years as it was the first modern scandal in which homosexuality was openly discussed. Harden’s claimed that Wilhelm had long been under the influence of a homosexual camarilla led by Eulenburg and that this clique had brought about Bismarck’s dismissal, cut off the emperor from his people and maneuverer Germany into isolation, and to the brink of war during the Morocco Crisis of 1905-6.
What did the Eulenburg affair mean for the Kaiser?
The Eulenburg affair lead to the end of their friendship as Wilhelm refused to jeopardize the public opinion of him for his friend. This was reflective of the semi-absolutist state of Germany as the Kaiser could not control German media, and he did not have complete control over his actions as he could not endanger public opinion of himself.
How did the German people see the Kaiser (3 points)?
He was the highest being in existance for Germans, close to God. Nationalism was strong in the late 1800s, so he was popular. He was in the spotlight and had a celebrity status throughout Germany.
What was Wilhelm II style of rule?
He believed in divine right of kings and was disparaging of the Reichstag. He believed in Personal rule.
What was the Kaiser’s attitude to England (4 points)?
- He had a rivalry to England, developed after childhood visits to Osbourne and wished to be on equal footing or better than Britain.
- Victoria doted on Wilhelm, but Wilhelm and Edward (his uncle) did not get on.
- Queen Victoria made him an admiral in the British Navy which Wilhelm had also grown obsessed with. - Queen Victoria died in Wilhelm’s arms which he took great pride in and increased his popularity on the streets of Britain.
What were the Kaiser’s goals for Germany?
The Kaiser wanted to build up his navy to truly turn Germany into a world power. He believed Germany deserved “a place in the sun”.
Summerise Wilhelm in 9 points
- Belief in Divine right of Kings
- Claimed traditional authority as part of Hohenzollern dynasty
- Not content with passive role played by Wilhelm I
- Showed signs of needing to show his own strength and power
- Keen interest in the military
- Erratic moods, unpredictable
- Disinterested in day-to-day government, once boasted he had never read the constitution.
- Had total control over appointments to the imperial government, surrounded himself with those who were prepared to bolster his own high opinion of himself
- Wanted to establish a ‘personal rule’ where he directed policy with minimal contact with the Reichstag
When was General Leo von Caprivi chancellor?
1890–1894 (4 years succeeding Bismark)
What was Caprivi’s background?
He served in the Prussian army in the Autsro-Prussian and Franco-Prussian wars.
What was Caprivi like as a chancellor (personality 3 points)?
- He was an intelligent man with mildly progressive views
- He had some administrative experience and was regarded as a moderniser
- When he accepted office he publicly said he merely obeyed the Kaisers orders as a soldier and had no political programme
What was the aim of Caprivi’s ‘new course’ (3 points)?
-To give ministers more influence over policy making
- Develop a greater cooperation with the Reichstag
- Bring about social reform
How many reforms did Caprivi introduce to try take away support from Socialism and what did they reform?
6 including wage disputes, hours of work, minimum wage, child labour, finance bill and tariff act.
What happened in July 1890 (Caprivi reforms)?
Industrial tribunals were set up to arbitrate in wage disputes
What were hours of work for women reduced to?
A maximum of 11
What happen in 1891 (Caprivi reforms)?
Sunday working was forbidden and a guaranteed minimum wage was established.
What were hours of work for 13-18 year olds restricted to?
A maximum day of 10 hours with working under 13 forbidden.
What did Caprivi’s finance bill introduce?
Progressive income tax
How was the Tariff act of 1879 reformed under Caprivi?
Duties on imported wheat, rye, cattle and timber were reduced while duties on industrial imports remained.
When was the tariff act of 1879 reformed under Caprivi?
It was reformed under two trade treaties of 1891 and 1894.
Who generally welcomed Caprivi’s reforms (5 groups)?
The working class, the socialists, industrialists, Centre party and liberals.
Who disliked Caprivi’s reforms?
The conservative Junkers and Conservative party who felt alienated by these reforms and did everything they could to bring Caprivi down.
When did Caprivi make his compromise agreement with the Reichstag?
1893
Why did Caprivi make his compromise agreement with the Reichstag?
To get support for an Army bill, that was drawn up at the Kaiser’s demand, in order to increase the size of the army.
When was the Kaiser’s Army Bill drawn up (Caprivi)?
1892
How many men did the Kaiser want to increase the size of the army by through the Army Bill of 1892?
84,000
What compromise did Caprivi have to make with the Reichstag in order to get support for the Army Bill of 1892 (2 points)?
- He agreed to reduce the military service from 3 years to 2 years
- He allowed the Reichstag to discuss the military budget every 5 years instead of every 7 years.
Who was Caprivi’s compromise over the Army Bill most hated by?
The Conservatives, who’s hostility increased towards Caprivi as they saw this as a humiliating surrender.
What is an example of the Kaiser interfering when Caprivi tried to follow his own policies?
Caprivi tried to reverse an aspect of the Kulturkampf to allow both Protestant and catholic Church authorities have more control over education. However Wilhelm did not want to rely on the Centre Party to pass the bill so forced him to withdraw the proposed legislation.
Why did the Kaiser and Caprivi fall out?
The Kaiser wanted to reintroduce Anti-Socialist laws after the growth of the SPD and anarchists and Caprivi refused to introduce them.
What did Caprivi say after resigning?
“My relations with the All Highest have become intolerable. You cannot imagine how relieved I will feel to get out of here”
