Germany under Kaiser Wilhelm

Question 1

Who was the Kaiser?

Answer 1

The Kaiser ruled the nation

Question 2

Who was Kaiser Wilhelm II

Answer 2

Became Kaiser in 1888, and had a plan to expand the German Empire.

Question 3

What ideology was a threat for Wilhelm?

Answer 3

Socialism

Question 4

What powers did the Kaiser have? (list 4)

Answer 4

Could appoint or dismiss the chancellor.

Could dissolve the Reichstag (parliament) if he wanted to.

Was in charge of foreign policy.

Was the head of German military.

Question 5

What was the largest and most powerful state before 1871?

Answer 5

Prussia, it’s power also largely shaped Germany.

Question 6

What did army officers advise the Kaiser about?

Answer 6

Political decisions, rather than MP’s or civil servants today.

Question 7

What did these army officers have to swear to the Kaiser?

Answer 7

An oath of loyalty.

Question 8

What political wing were army officers?

Answer 8

Right-wing (politically conservative).

Question 9

Who funded the army every five years?

Answer 9

The Reichstag

Question 10

Who was the chancellor?

Answer 10

The Kaiser’s chief minister.

Question 11

What powers did the chancellor have? (list 3)

Answer 11

Could appoint ministers to help him make policies.

Led the Bundesrat (federal council) by proposing new subjects, issues and laws to be discussed.

Had the power to ignore the Reichstag.

Question 12

What was the Bundesrat?

Answer 12

The German federal council.

Question 13

How many representatives of each German state formed the Bundesrat?

Answer 13

58.

Question 14

What could the Bundesrat do/ what was it used for?

Answer 14

Was consulted over German policies.

The council proposed laws to the Reichstag.

In return, the Bundesrat approved any law the Reichstag made.

Question 15

How many deputies formed the Reichstag?

Answer 15

397.

Question 16

How were the deputies of the Reichstag chosen?

Answer 16

Elected by the German voters (who were at the time only men over the age of 25).

Question 17

What powers did the Reichstag have?

Answer 17

Had the power to pass, alter, or reject laws proposed by the Bundesrat or Chancellor.

The Reichstag could give or refuse funding for the military every five years.

Question 18

What had happened to the growing Reichstag by the 1890s?

Answer 18

By the 1890s the Reichstag had begun to grow.

Although Kaiser Wilhelm II could dissolve the Reichstag, he could not stop the elections for parliament.

Political parties had begun to form. This meant that the deputies in the Reichstag had their own political agenda (plan).

While they did not have huge power, they put pressure on the government and could shape public opinion.

Question 19

What was the Landtag?

Answer 19

Each state had its own mini-government or mini-Reichstag. This was called the Landtag.

Question 20

Which Landtag was very influential?

Answer 20

The prussian Landtag was so influential that it dwarfed all other regional Landtags.

Question 21

The chancellor was ultimately a x for the Kaiser. If the Kaiser disagreed with him, the chancellor would be dismissed.

Answer 21

Puppet.

Question 22

Which Chancellor did Kaiser Wilhelm II dismiss and why?

Answer 22

Chancellor Bismarck, as he had effectively ruled Germany since unification (joining together as one state) since 1871.

Question 23

Who could and could not sack the Chancellor?

Answer 23

The Kaiser could but the MP’s could not.

Question 24

As Germany was a federal state, individual states had the power to control what?

Answer 24

Income tax (the tax people pay on earnings).

Question 25

Why was individual states having the power to control income tax a problem for the government?

Answer 25

It meant that it was difficult for the central government to raise enough tax to meet their budget.