Germany - 1.1.4 Difficulties in ruling Germany Flashcards
Unlike his predecessors, Kaiser Wilhelm II played a _______ and very _______ role in ruling Germany for most of his reign. He had very strong ideas about what he wanted to achieve but, despite his huge power, he faced difficulties in ruling Germany and realising the policies he wanted.
Central, active
What were the 5 main difficulties to Kaiser Wilhelm II ruling Germany?
- Growth of Parliamentary government
- Prussian militarism
- The Navy Laws
- Industrialisation
- Socialism
How did the Growth of Parliamentary Government present difficulties to the Kaiser ruling Germany?
Although the Kaiser could dismiss the Reichstag whenever he wanted, he did need it to pass legislation and could not directly influence elections. During his reign, political parties continued to develop and some held widely different views from the Kaiser, especially the SDP. Although the Kaiser generally got what he wanted, the growth of parliamentary government did see legislation delayed and sometimes amended, as well as influencing public opinion, which the Kaiser had to pay some attention to
How did Prussian militarism present difficulties to the Kaiser ruling Germany? (2)
The Kaiser was a keen supporter of militarism and this played a part in leading him into conflict with other major European powers. It also caused him problems domestically in two main areas:
- Leaders in the armed forces , especially army generals played a role as advisors to the king. Wilhelm II listened to their advice, which sometimes caused them problems . His dependence on army leaders for advice increased during the First World War, so they were effectively ruling Germany by 1918
- Maintaining and growing the size of the army were very expensive and the Kaiser needed the Reichstag’s approval for military spending
How did the Navy Laws present difficulties for the Kaiser ruling Germany? (2)
The Kaiser pushed for the navy to be greatly expanded and was therefore an enthusiastic supporter of the Navy Laws, but they still caused him some difficulties:
- Some members of the Reichstag and others in society were very opposed to the Navy Laws mostly because of the huge sums of money needed to enact them
- Army leaders disapproved of the Navy Laws because they believed the navy was growing at the expense of the army, which brought them into conflict with the Kaiser
How did Industrialisation create difficulties for the Kaiser ruling Germany? (2)
As well as bringing wealth to Germany, which increased its power in Europe, Industrialisation brought the Kaiser some problems:
- Industrialisation created many social problems, especially poor living and working conditions and conflict between workers due to immigration which the Kaiser and his government were expected to solve
- Industrialisation led to the working classes taking a greater interest in politics which led to a growth of socialism
How did Socialism create problems for the Kaiser ruling Germany?
The Kaiser, along with most of the ruling and middle classes, greatly feared socialism and the potential rise of workers to overthrow the existing social, economic and political system. It’s growth led to a major difficulty for the Kaiser as socialists formed their own political party - the Social Democratic Party - which attracted increasing popular support throughout his reign, gaining more and more seats in the Reichstag. The SPD frequently made it difficult for the Kaiser to get the legislation he wanted
