German Empire In 1871

Question 1

When and where was the Kaiserreich proclaimed?

Answer 1

18th January 1871 in the Palace of Versaille following the Prussian-German success in the war against France (1870-71).

Question 2

Who was the Emperor of Germany in 1871 and what powers did he have?

Answer 2

Wilhelm I of Prussia. He had the power to appoint/dismiss the Chancellor, dissolve the Reichstag, control foreign policy, make treaties and alliances, command the army, declare war/peace, and supervise all federal laws. He also had the right to interpret the constitution.

Question 3

Who was the Chancellor in 1871, and what powers did he have?

Answer 3

Otto von Bismarck. Was the chief minister of the Reich and was responsible to the Emperor, not the Reichstag. He chaired sessions of the Bundesrat, could appoint/dismiss state secretaries responsible for the various gov ministries, and could ignore resolutions passed by the Reichstag

Question 4

What was the Reichstag and what could it do?

Answer 4

The National Parliament, elected by all men over 25. Could accept/reject legislation but had limited powers to initiate new laws, state secretaries were excluded from membership and were not responsible to it, its members were unpaid, and members were elected every 5 years unless it was dissolved by the Kaiser.

Question 5

What was the Bundesrat and what could it do?

Answer 5

Federal Council made up of 58 members, nominated by the state assemblies. Its consent was needed for passing new laws, and 14 votes constituted a veto. Prussia had 17 members, Bavaria had 6, and the other, smaller states had 1 each. This meant prussia alone could veto any law it wanted. In reality, the Bundesrat just rubber stamped the Chancellor’s policies.

Question 6

What is a federal government?

Answer 6

A government in which several states, while independent in domestic affairs, combine for general purposes. The German Federal Government had responsibilities for the Reich as a whole, such as defence, foreign affairs, civil and criminal law, customs, railways, and the postal service.

Question 7

What was state government?

Answer 7

The states within the Reich preserved their own constitutions, rulers, parliament, and administrative systems. They maintained considerable powers over taxation, education, police, local justice, and transport. Bavaria, Saxony, and Wurttemberg even kept their own armies. However, the states were not free to leave (Secede).

Question 8

Why could you argue that the German political system was Autocratic?

Answer 8

The Kaiser ultimately held all power in Germany.

Question 9

Why could you argue that the German political system was democratic?

Answer 9

The Reichstag and Bundesrat had consideral potential power

Question 10

How was Prussia dominant in the Reich?

Answer 10

1. Prussia possessed 90% of Germany’s population and 2/3 of its territory. Returned 235 deputies out of a total of 397 in the Reich. Prussia also held 17 seats in the Bundesrat.
   - Prussian King (German Emperor) was head of the imperial executive and civil service and supreme warlord of the Reich’s armed forces.
   - Apart from 1872-73 and 1892-96, the Imperial Chancellor was also the prime minister of Prussia.
2. Prussian and Imperial institutions were so intertwined that they could barely be distinguished.
3. Prussia’s aristocracy held dominant positions in the political, military, and administrative structure of the Empire.
4. The Prussian State Parliament was dominated by aristocracy, the rich, military, and Conservative civil service, which hindered the development of parliamentary democracy in Germany as a whole.

Question 11

How was Prussia not dominant?

Answer 11

The identity of “old Prussia” was diluted by its integration into the Reich. It could no longer be governed without considering the interests of Germany as a whole. Its influence was slowly undermined by the need for making consessions to the states. Non-Prussians soon held important posts in the Reich and in Prussia. Most Germans now loyal to the new Reich.

Question 12

What was Bismarck like as Chancellor?

Answer 12

He had an immensely strong position due to his reputation as the man who brought about Unification and his influence of Wilhelm I.
He loathed any rival authority so ensured that other ministers acted as mere senior clerks. Secretaries of state were not allowed to confer with the Kaiser without his permission.
Reduced power due to:
• Germany being a federal state
• Reichstag was a major constraint
• Long absences from Berlin, and poor health

Question 13

What did people think of Bismarck as Chancellor?

Answer 13

Contemporaries viewed him as a ‘legend’.
Recent historians represent him as a lucky opportunist and criticise his vindictiveness, intolerance of criticism, and his bullying of others to get his way.

Question 14

What did Bismarck think of the Reichstag?

Answer 14

Bismarck wanted power within Germany to remain in the hands of the Emperor, his army officers’, his minister’s, and the Chancellor’s (himself). Therefore he disliked the Reichstag somewhat and viewed them as a collection of squabbling politicians.
However, he was prepared to work with the Reichstag if they accepted his proposals or some compromise that he saw as acceptable. If they couldn’t reach an agreement, he would simply dissolve the Reichstag.

Question 15

Why did the Reichstag politicians not utilise their power?

Answer 15

The balance of power was strongly in favour of the monarchy and most Germans remained very respectful of authority, believing it was right that the Emperor and his Chancellor should rule.

Question 16

Socialist leader August Bebel claimed that the reichstag was rhe “fig leaf of depotism.” What evidence is there that he was wrong?

Answer 16

•No bill could become a law until it passed the Reichstag
•The government needed more money, which could only be provided by the Reichstag
•Debates were widely reported in the press so the Chancellor and Ministers of State could be questioned and embarrassed.
•For many Germans, the Reichstag was the focus of national attention.
•No parliament in the world in the 1870s was elected on a broader franchise (the right to vote for a representative in national elections)
•Universal male suffrage promoted the development of mass political parties that Bismarck couldn’t afford to ignore.
•The Reichstag often criticised/thwarted Bismarck’s plans

Question 17

Prussia in the army

Answer 17

The Prussian was the largest of the four that made up the German army. The other three (Bavaria, Saxony, and Wurttemburg) all came under the Emperor’s command in war and followed the Prussian lead in organisation, instruction, and weaponry. Prussian-German officers owed loyalty to the King/Emperor, not to the state.

Question 18

What was conscription?

Answer 18

Ensured all German men served for 2-3 years in the army. This gave officers the opportunity to build on values introduced in school: discipline, pride in military institutions, love of the Fatherland.

Question 19

What was the army’s relationship to the Reichstag?

Answer 19

Virtually independent of the Reichstag as the military budget was not subject to annual approval. It was not bound to consult any civilian authority before acting. Many officers were conservatives who had little time for the Reichstag, liberals, and socialists.

Question 20

What was Wilhelm I like as Emperor?

Answer 20

Became King of Prussia in 1861 and viewed this role as more important than his role as Emperor of Germany. He was generally happy to leave the task of governing Germany to Bismarck. He had some reservations about some of Bismarck’s measures such as Kulturkampf, but he appreciated his ability. Bismarck described Wilhelm as polite, gentlemanly, and courteous with the attitude and manners of a Prussian army officer.

Question 21

Give 4 reasons that the Reich was not united

Answer 21

1. Each state had its own traditions as well as powers over education, agriculture, religious matters, and local government.
2. Over 60% of the population were Protestant, but Catholicism was strong in Alsace-Lorraine, South-West Germany, the Rhineland, and among the Poles.
3. 10% of the Reich’s population were non-German minorities - Poles, Danes and French.
4. There were economic and social divisions (rich and poor, industrialising North and West and the rural South and East.

Question 22

How did Nationalism change in 1871?

Answer 22

Pre 1871 - a progressive force that aimed to sweep away the old regime and introduce Liberal and representative government.
Post 1871 - more Conservative, German nation as now identified with the new Reich and any criticism was denounced as unpatriotic. A distinct national identity developed.