Economy 1890-1914 Flashcards
How did the majority of the population/working class live?
Working class people rented a room or 2, they didn’t own houses
Multiple families living in one house, streets were owned by landlords
Very dirty + polluted towns
- Poor health due to air pollution
- Cancers due to filthy air
What was factory work like?
In factories, all manual work, very cramped in factories
Lots of glass in the ceiling + gas lamps for lighting
Lots of people working, good production method to get lots of products out
Lack of space per worker, lots of things on the flood, terrible working conditions, people are likely to get injured
Lots of people stand up all day, no place to sit- very uncomfortable, agonising for long time
Very noisy from machines, so they had to learn some sort of sign language to communicate
Gave them hearing and health problems
What change did many people make in 1900?
people moved from gas to electric, but it was expensive
What was work like in Telephone agencies?
- Majority women, men supervise + manage
- Lots of work divisions
- Higher elements of society + businesses had telephones (not everyone)
Well dressed, high expectations of how you appear at work
What was work like in the Saar Region- coal?
- Lots of men, less women
- Lots of factories + pollution
Some are not working class
- Lots of factories + pollution
What were changes in Agriculture?
Agriculture was becoming mechanised
- less horses and manual ploughing
Early tractors and combine harvesters
What was work like for Miners in the Ore Mountains?
- Thousands of workers
- Saxony
- Brown coal
- Underground, mine could collapse, poisonous gases, floods + drowning,
Workers would become black with coal dust
What was work like in the Steel works?
Supportive of the Kaiser’s policy of becoming a world power- for artillery , ships
How was the use of electricity changing everyday life- streets?
Mechanised street cleaning
- Electric, used on small distance ranges
Streets were dirty due to lots of horses pulling wagons, lack of sanitation infrastructure, sewage on the road
How did the Kaiser react to change?
Kaiser= Politically reactionary
- Opposed to being revolutionary or progressive, doesn’t want to change anything
BUT shows interest in the economy- wants to grow + become high profile, cutting edge, world power ie Visits Eilweise Wireless Station- cutting edge technology
What industry did the Kaiser value?
Agriculture + modern industry were both valued
Kaiser wanted to be associated with new industries ie Airships, chemicals, electricals, automobile production
How was Germany developing compared to other countries?
Impressive German developments in new industries, education, inventions-> became a world leading industrial nation alongside Britain and USA
German science is a high priority in education,
What position were German workers in compared to other workers globally?
German workers are in a far better place than workers in other places such as peasants in Russia
SPD is less revolutionary, more moderate approach
Things could be better for German workers, however they aren’t doing too badly
Who was Karl Benz?
Karl Benz
- Invented the first car in 1886: ‘vehicle powered by gas engine’
German mechanical engineer
Who was Friedrich Engelhorn?
- German industrialist
- Founder of BASF- largest chemical producer in the world
Made the first commercial synthetic organic dye
- Founder of BASF- largest chemical producer in the world
What did Germany do in 1902?
Germany raised its tariffs
To increase bargaining power in trade negotiations
Who was August Babel?
- German social activist + politician
- One of the founders of Social Democratic Worker’s party of Germany, went to form the SPD
What caused Germany’s economic growth in terms of production methods?
Americanised production methods, leading to established cartels
How did Germany grow due to its production methods?
Short term- learning from recent American experience
Long term- spent years researching and developing German industry, grown into areas of expertise which is sought after globally
What caused Germany’s economic growth in terms of transport links?
Flat terrain conducive to railway building and large navigable rivers for barges capable of transporting heavy raw materials such as iron ore to factories.
How did Germany grow due to its transport links?
Long term- made it easier for trade links + transport for raw materials within Germany, established efficiency for trade early on
What caused Germany’s economic growth in terms of education?
Germany’s elementary education was deemed the best in the world. Enrolment in universities doubled in the period 1890-1914.
How did Germany grow due to its education?
Long term cause- younger people were getting a better education as a whole, slowly gaining larger, smarter workforce
What caused Germany’s economic growth in terms of population growth?
Continuous expansion of the population from nearly 50 million in 1890 to 67 million by 1914.
How did Germany grow due to its population growth?
Short term- more goods + development, more economic facilitation
Long term- larger population means long term, more job positions will be filled, Germany has larger workforce
What caused Germany’s economic growth in terms of electricity production?
The production of electrical energy in this area increased by 150% between 1901 and 1915. Horse-drawn carriages were replaced by electric trams and electric lighting became more common. By 1913, Germany controlled half the world’s trade in electricals.
How did Germany grow due to its electricity production?
Long term- established dominance in the electrical industry, gives Germany the upper hand in innovation
What caused Germany’s economic growth in terms of chemical production?
By 1914, Germany was also producing more than three quarters of the world’s chemical dyes
How did Germany grow due to its chemical production?
Long term- - established dominance in the chemicals industry, gives Germany the upper hand in innovation
What caused Germany’s economic growth in terms of German investment?
Positive attitude of German banks in this period that were keen to invest in industrial research and development.
How did Germany grow due to its German investment?
Short term- encouraged innovation and new business to start in Germany
Long term- set up strong cartels + foundation for global domination of many industries to be able to export lots of products in demand, due to sufficient initial funding
What caused Germany’s economic growth in terms of Trade?
Prosperity rested on trade. Food, raw materials and some manufactured goods had to be imported, while chemicals, metal goods, machinery, textiles and coal were sold abroad.
How did Germany grow due to its Trade?
Short term- lots of income from expensive exports
Long term- Germany is major player in terms of global trade and dominance due to trade powers + links
What caused Germany’s economic growth in terms of Foreign Investment returns?
returns on foreign investments made up for the trade gap in 1900
How did Germany grow due to its Foreign Investment Returns?
Short term- reduced any deficit and allowed the country’s economic prosperity to continue
What caused Germany’s economic growth in terms of Import tariffs?
Bismarck’s import tariffs of the nineteenth century had helped protect German’s industrial growth
How did Germany grow due to its Import Tariffs?
Long term- protectionist measures helped Germany prosper long term
