Germany Pre-1918 Flashcards
What was Germany made up of before 1871?
A number of different states
What did Prussia oversee in 1871 and why?
The amalgamation (merging of the states), as it was geographically central so they have easy access to most states (more control), it was the wealthiest, highest population, had the most land
What political view did German speakers have?
Liberal (democracy), Nationalists (loves their country)
What is a Reich?
Land, Empire, Power
Why was there problems with there being individual states?
Conflict between each state, lack of security
What was wanted from the unification?
Democracy (liberal view), total unification (all German speakers to be part of the second Reich)
What actually happened from the unification?
Military union (fighting for land), Austria excluded (German speakers), ruled by a Russian Kaiser (ruler)(sent military), not government
Who was happy about the results of the unification?
Prussians (got more power), German speakers unhappy
BUT, why could the unification be considered good for German Speakers?
Reich included most German Speakers, sense of national pride, Reichstag was set up (liberal way of showing democracy) - less power to the Kaiser, Universal male suffrage (all men can vote). This all made liberals happy.
Why did the economy grow rapidly after the unification?
Became the leading industrial nation in Europe by 1900, increasing their status, and their import costs declined from the large orders as there was no need for many orders since the states were now merged. Also, there was more land for factories, more people were working to produce products.
Why was the growing economy a good thing?
Living conditions were better - housing, food, school, healthcare, transportation.
What social class emerged?
The middle class (families with savings, owned factories)
Why was the working class discontented?
They were unsupported
What 2 kinds of people joined together to support the Kaiser?
Industrialists (owned factories, lived in urban areas) and Junkers (aristocratic landowners)
What is an aristocrat?
Someone with power passed onto them, a legacy of wealth
What is a fissure?
Divide between classes
What does SPD stand for?
Social Democratic Party
What did the SPD campaign for?
Social change
By what year was the SPD the largest political party?
1912
What happened to the political system?
Fragmented, broken
When did ww1 start?
1914
How did ww1 change the situation?
People supported the Kaiser calling the war, people believed the Kaiser when they said that allies had ‘encircled’ Germany (lie)(trusting leader in a crisis -Kaiser become popular), political truce in Reichstag, Kaiser remains popular despite troops being unsuccessful.
