Kaiser Wilhelm II and the difficulties of ruling Germany Flashcards
What state was the most power prior to the unification and what was its core belief?
Prussia
Militarism - country should have strong armed forces
When was Germany unified?
1871
Who are the Bundesrat?
The representatives sent by each state to consult with the Kaiser
Who was Kaiser supported by?
- advisors/ministers
- chief minister - Chancellor
- Reichstag - elected by all men over the age of 25
Problems with the Kaiser government
- Kaiser could chose to ignore the advice and make all the decision he wanted on his own
- He made all the decisions related to the army navy and other foreign countries
Who was Kaiser in 1888?
Wilhelm, at the age of 29
How was the German industry built?
Industrialisation - in 1913, they were producing more iron and steel and as much coal as Britain.
German industries were dominating Europe markets in Electrical goods and chemicals
Why did more people join trade unions?
- many workers were unhappy, wages were low, working conditions were poor and food was expensive
- strikes were organised in the hope that Kaiser might do something to improve the conditions
Why did workers vote for SPD
Belief in Socialism - idea that power and wealth should be shared equally among the people
Around 1 in 3 voted for this party
What did the Social democrats hope for?
Kaiser might share some of his power and would allow the Reichstag to make social reforms or improve workers rights and conditions
What was a major problem for Kaiser’s government
rise in popularity of socialism
What is Weltpolitik?
Kaiser wanted to transform Germany into a global power with control over countries in different parts of the world
What countries were in the German empire in 1913?
Togo, Cameroons, East Africa, South West Africa, Kaiser Wilhelm Land, Kiaochow
Why were a series of Naval Laws passed between 1898 and 1912?
In order to protect his empire
This saw a rapid increase in size and huge amount of money was spent
Kaiser expanded the army too
How was it possible for the size of army and the navy to be increased?
- Taxes were raised
- Money was borrowed
