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The German constitution Flashcards

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1
Q

When was the second German empire proclaimed?

A

1871.

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2
Q

Who was the first German Emperor?

A

Kaiser William I

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3
Q

When was the Franco-Prussian war and what did was it in pursuit of?

A

Prussian enterprise-defeated France. German war in which all the states fought.

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4
Q

How many states were there?

A

25

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5
Q

What are three descriptions that historians have given to describe the nature of the German constitution?

A

Semi-autocracy, military monarchy, constitutional monarchy.

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6
Q

What was the North German confederation and in what circumstances was it created? Who was in it?

A

1867- following prussia against Austria in the seven weeks war. All the states apart from Wurttemberg, Baden, Hesse Darmstadt.

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7
Q

What was the role of the Kaiser?

A

The Kaiser could control foreign policy, make treaties and alliances, commanded the army and could declare war and make peace. Execution of all federal laws. Wilhelm was happy to leave the main job to the Kaiser and limited himself to a figurehead rather than the political head.

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8
Q

What was the role of the chancellor?

A

The chancellor was responsible to the emperor and not the Reichstag. He chaired sessions of the Bundesrat and could appoint and dismiss state secretaries.

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9
Q

What was the role of the Reichstag?

A

National parliament. Elected by all males over 25. Accept of reject legislation but only had limited powers to initiate new laws. State secretaries could not sit in the Reichstag and were not responsible to it. Reichstag members elected every 5 years. In control of people’s tax money.

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10
Q

What was the role of the Bundesrat?

A

The federal council, 58 members, was nominated by the state assemblies. Prussia had 17 members, Bavaria 6 and the smaller states 1 each. Bundesrat consent was required for the passing of new laws. Had power to change the constitution. 14 member vote constituted a veto. Prussia advantage to veto parliament.

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11
Q

What was the role of the federal government and the lander?

A
  • Responsible for the Reich as a whole, including issues such as defence, foreign affairs, customs, railways and the postal service.
  • No longer sovereign or free to secede.
  • Preserved their own constitutions and admin.
  • Tax, education, police, local justice and transport. Bavaria, saxony and wurttemberg also retained their own armies.
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12
Q

When was the congress of Vienna and what did it do?

A

Condensed 360 German states into 38. Loosely affiliated under the German Confederation.

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13
Q

How much of the German population was Prussian at this point? How much territory was Prussian.?

A

3/5 of the population was Prussian. 2/3 of territorial power.

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14
Q

What did the constitution do in terms of pre-existing unification after the franco-prussian war?

A

Formalised it.

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15
Q

What can be said of the Lander in a positive light?

A

Autonomy of the lander shows respect for individuality of each state.

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16
Q

Was the constitution progressive in any way?

A

Yes the franchise was wider than Britain at the time. Constitution was one of Europe’s most progressive at this time.

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17
Q

Were there lots of political parties or few?

A

There were many, this demonstrated a wide representation of different attitudes.

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18
Q

What could the constitution do for political freedom?

A

Guaranteed freedom of press and political assembly.

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19
Q

What is a factor that was unprogressive in the constitution?

A

No secret ballot- imitation and courting.

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20
Q

When did Reichstag members first get paid?

A

1906.

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21
Q

Who was the chancellor chosen by?

A

Kaiser. Not elected.

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22
Q

What could the Kaiser do with the consent of the Bundesrat?

A

Dissolve the Reichstag.

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23
Q

What was detrimental about the Kaiser’s identity?

A

He was a Prussian- bias.

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24
Q

Who was the chancellor dependent on?

A

The Kaiser. He had to maintain a good relationship with him.

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25
Q

Who was the chancellor accountable to?

A

Basically no one apart from the Kaiser.

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26
Q

Was there a party tradition in Government?

A

No.

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27
Q

What did the constitution enshrine?

A

Prussian dominance.

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28
Q

Which Bavarian was chancellor from 1894 and disproves the idea that all influential Germans were Prussian

A

Hohenlohe-Schillingsfurst.

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29
Q

What is contradictory about the constiution?

A

Trying to maintain Prussian dominance whilst ‘integrating’ Germans in to a common identity.

30
Q

What was complex about it?

A

It tried to give people democratic influence through the Reichstag but also ensured that the Kaiser and Prussian elite retained proper power.

31
Q

What did the Reichstag do on a number of occasions?

A

Oppose Bismark and successors.

32
Q

What were the Southern states worried about?

A

That they were ‘losing’ to Prussia.

33
Q

What did Germany have a tradition of?

A

Authoritarianism. Saw it as a virtue and that political change should be kept at a minimum.

34
Q

What is the Bismarck quote about authoritarianism?

A

‘In order that German patriotism be active and effective, it needs as a rule to hang on the peg of dependence upon a dynasty’

35
Q

What was Bismarck’s general rule with the constitution?

A

To preserve the preeminence of traditional power structures despite the changing German society.

36
Q

What were Bismarck’s policies doing on behalf of the German ruling strata?

A

Acting as a ‘defensive social strategy’

37
Q

What did the Bundesrat do for the Junkers?

A

Gave them political control.

38
Q

Who were the Bundesrat members chosen by?

A

State leaders in Prussia.

39
Q

What did federalism mean for Prussia?

A

Federalism meant that Prussia had indirect control over other states without being culturally diluted by them.

40
Q

What did the Kaiser and Chancellor have?

A

Unfettered executive power :D Fun times.

41
Q

What effect did the Kaiser’s army have?

A

The army is a ‘traditional authoritarian device’ that nullified the intentions of liberals to demilitarise German power.

42
Q

How did Bismarck treat political parties?

A

Opportunistically.

43
Q

What was the main issue with having a lot of parties?

A

The prospect of having a share of gov was unlikely, let alone one that could wield you influence. As a result parties tended to pursue narrow interests and made it less likely that a party based form of democratic gov would evolve.

44
Q

What did the DKP do?

A

Landowning farmers, favoured tariffs, conservative, hostile to socialism and liberalism. Strong in Prussia.

45
Q

What did the RP do?

A

Wider geographical support. Conservative, backed by industrialists and landowners.

46
Q

What did the NLP do?

A

Traditionally the party of the economic and political liberalism. Bankers and industrialists and was becoming more conservative.

47
Q

What did the ZP do?

A

Formed in 1871 to uphold traditional catholic values against Protestant Prussia.

48
Q

What did the DFP do?

A

Formed in 1884 following the secession of the more radical wing of the NLP. Attracted support from intellectuals and middle classes. Commercials and professionals. In 1893 it split in 3 and was named the ‘people’s progressive party’.

49
Q

SPD

A

Marxist party with close connections to trade unions and supported by the working classes. Restricted by anti-socialist legislation from 1878 to 1890. Grew rapidly afterwards.

50
Q

National minorities.

A

Parties existed to represent the interests of poles,d danes and french.

51
Q

Right wing extremists.

A

Small, right wing and conservative parties.

52
Q

How did people connect with rulers after unif?

A

Maintained a strong connection despite unification.

53
Q

How much of the new Germany was Catholic?

A

1/3.

54
Q

What did unif ultimately come down to?

A

Prussia’s military dominance. Reflected by the power accorded to them in the new Germany.

55
Q

What undermines the idea that all sovereigns were equal?

A

Military and political power of the Kaiser.

56
Q

Did suffrage help overcome disunity?

A

Yes, universal suffrage provided a universal sense of unity.

57
Q

Which institutions and implementations helped to create a further sense of unity?

A

Single currency, sole measurements and weights, national legal system, civil service, German military and connecting rail.

58
Q

Which states had armies? What did the Kaiser -do to them- while at war?

A

Bavaria, saxony, Wurttemberg, Prussia. Assume leadership of all armies during war time. In peace armies were allied to their sovereign state.

59
Q

What were the most popular parties in the north and south?

A

ZP in south, NLP in North.

60
Q

How did the Reichstag elections help with disunity?

A

Constituted a unifying political process. Reichstag functioned as an open political forum that allowed dissent and objections to be voiced. Helped prevent violence in this way between 71 and 79.

61
Q

What were the popular parties among middle and working classes?

A

working class- S(A)PD and NLP for middle classes.

62
Q

What did the reichstag as a whole represent?

A

Germany that was sceptical of new German state. Parties hostile to unification. 1874 elections especially. Nationalist and separatist parties won 10% of the vote at this point. French and Polish supporting the ZP.

63
Q

When were the NLP most popular?

A

First decade after unif.

64
Q

Who led them?

A

Rudolf Von Benningsen.

65
Q

What did they believe about unification?

A

They had a strong patriotic belief about it.

66
Q

What did NLP ideology focus on at this point?

A

National identity and civil liberties. Free trade.

67
Q

What did the NLP pass in initial years after unif?

A

Freedom of movement restrictions removed and laws restricting the charging of interest on loans. Import duties on metal. Standardised currency, weights and measures.

68
Q

Why did Bismarck support the NLP?

A

They supported constitutional change that would grant greater democratisation and civil liberties. Hoped that this would satisfy liberal mid classes and prevent further demand for reform. Both Bismarck and NLP didnt like Cathys.

69
Q

What were the NLP and Bismarck fighting about by the mid 1870s?

A

Refusal to extend parliamentary power. Bismarck tries to split NLP and work with more right wing. Economic downturn in 1870s meant that Bismarck pushed for tariff reforms which was strongly supported by Junker conservatives and farmers.

70
Q

How did the NLP fare in the 1878 election?

A

NLP vote dropped 30%. Election campaign focused on tariff policy and Bismarck presented free trade supporters as traitors. Nimble realpolitik.

History (7 decks)

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