The Kaiserreich 1871-1914 - Wilhelm II

Question 1

who was Kaiser Wilhelm II?

Answer 1

born in 1859, his mother was Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter, father was crown prince, weak and insecure - compensated by being outspoken, he was synonymous with Germany, strong sense of nationalism, seen as good-looking

Question 2

what were the Kaiser’s goals for Germany?

Answer 2

wanted to surpass Britain in particular the Navy and the empire

Question 3

what was Wilhelm II like as a ruler?

Answer 3

believed in divine right of kings, claimed traditional authority as part of Hohenzollern dynasty, interest in the military, erratic moods - unpredictable, disinterested in day-to-day government, wanted to establish a ‘personal rule’ where he directed policy with minimal contact from the Reichstag

Question 4

how does historian John Rohl feel about the Kaiser?

Answer 4

A strong personal rule -
Personality of Wilhelm had major impact on period 1900-1914.
The Kaiser built an autocratic semi-absolutist system within which his personal militaristic and conservative agenda was advanced.

Question 5

how did historian, Hans Ulrich Wehler, feel about the Kaiser?

Answer 5

A shadow emperor -
Wilhelm reigned but did not rule.
Lacked ability to direct policy or influence the real decision makers.
Power instead held by elite groups in German society.

Question 6

what were the Reichstag election results in 1912?

Answer 6

• Social Democrats gained seats
• Conservatives remain steady, slight increase then drop in 1912
• Centre parties were relatively constant

Question 7

what were the key events during Caprivi’s time as Chancellor? (1890-1894)

Answer 7

• he created a ‘new course’ for Germany which would end Anti-Socialist Laws, reduce tariffs, introduce social reforms such as a reduction in working hours and have more influence over policy-making for ministers
• 1893 - agreed to reduce military service from 3 years to 2 and allow the Reichstag to discuss the budget every 5 years instead of 7 - in return the Reichstag passed a bill increasing the army by 84,000 men

Question 8

how were Caprivi’s laws received?

Answer 8

• Generally welcomed by working classes, socialists, industrialists, Zentrum and Liberals.
• Opposed by Prussian landowners and the circle of aristocrats known as camarillo.

Question 9

what was the relationship like between the Kaiser and Caprivi?

Answer 9

• found the Kaiser difficult to work with as he often interfered in Caprivi’s bills such as allowing Protestant and Catholic churches to have more control over education
• in 1893 elections the Socialists made considerable gains so the Kaiser introduced the Anti-Socialist Subversion Bill was needed again

Question 10

why did Caprivi resign?

Answer 10

Philipp zu Eulenburg encouraged the Kaiser to act independently (such as ignoring the Reichstag), Caprivi complained ‘my relations with the All Highest have become intolerable. You cannot imagine how relieved I will feel to get out of here’

Question 11

what were the key events during Hohenloe’s time as Chancellor? (1894-1900)

Answer 11

• the Kaiser became more interested in Weltpolitik
• several right-wing pressure groups emerged from the 1890s which lobbied ministers, sought influence in the Reichstag and used the press to spread their views. They were led by influential elites with wealth and contacts e.g. the Navy League
• introduced two bills (1894 and 1899) to curb Socialist subversion both of which were thrown out by the Reichstag
• the Kaiser attempted to impose prison sentences for strike action however these were rejected by the Reichstag

Question 12

why was Hohenloe selected for the job of Chancellor?

Answer 12

• He posed no political threat to the Kaiser.
• He was little more than a figurehead chancellor - described by the Kaiser as a ‘strawdoll’

Question 13

why did Hohenloe resign?

Answer 13

disagreement with the Kaiser over colonial policy

Question 14

Describe two right wing pressure groups

Answer 14

Pan-German League - predominantly middle class, anti-sematic, aimed to unite ethnic Germans around the world, acquire colonies and suppress socialism and democracy
Navy League - largest group, aimed to promote naval expansion, develop popular support for the navy, put pressure on Reichstag to pass naval bills

Question 15

what happened to the German Economy between 1870 and 1913?

Answer 15

• Germany’s productive capacity increased eight fold - by 1914 Germany was Europe’s industrial superpower
• Their steel production increased nine-fold and by 1914 was double that of Britain
• AEG and Siemens dominated the electrical industry - 1914 half of the world’s electrical products were German
• Exports rose from 2.9 to 10.1 billion between 1880-1914
• by 1914 Germany was the world’s third largest creditor
• Daimler-Benz manufactured the world’s first marketable automobile

Question 16

what were the reasons for Germany’s economic success?

Answer 16

• pop. growth - 50 million in 1890 to 68 million in 1914
• Urbanisation - only 40% lived in countryside
• railway
• education - between 1890-1914 German university enrolments increased from 28,000 to 60,000
• banks gave generous credit to industrial firms

Question 17

what was the agrarian league?

Answer 17

• an economic pressure group
• worked directly on public opinion through newspapers, panphelts and travelling lecturers, worked closely with the Conservative party

Question 18

which economic group did the National Liberals and Catholic Centre Party try to represent?

Answer 18

they tried to balance between conflicting economic groups: nat libs between heavy industry and agrarian interests and centre party between demands of peasants and claims of catholic working class

Question 19

how could interest groups wield power over political parties?

Answer 19

their importance during elections, for example threatening to remove financial support from a party if their demands were not met - they might even run or support a rival candidate

Question 20

what were the limits on the power of interest groups?

Answer 20

there were limits to what the gov were prepared to concede in order to benefit the larger needs of society
international prestige, armaments policy, social stability, national efficiency all required the continuing growth of industry, trade and exports

Question 21

what was weltpolitik?

Answer 21

world politic, idea of making Germany the centre of the world

Question 22

why was weltpolitik introduced?

Answer 22

• 1897 - 3 new government appointees - Admiral Tirpitz, the navy secretary, Bernard Bulow, the foreign minister, count Posadwsky Wehner, the interior minister
• economic - colonies and raw materials ere needed if Germany was to face stagnation
• political pressure - important conservative pressure groups such as the Pan-German League favoured German expansion and militarism

Question 23

the emergence of the alliance system

Answer 23

triple alliance - Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy - renewed 1907-1912
1894 - Franco-Russian Entente
1902 - Anglo-Japanese Treaty
1904 - Entente Cordiale - France and Britain
1907 - Anglo-Russian Entente - Britain and Russia - forming a triple entente

Question 24

why did Germany want to expand their navy?

Answer 24

• Wilhelm believed that Germany’s future relied on their navy and was disappointed that it only ranked 7th in the world
• Britain didn’t want Germany as their equal
• didn’t occur to Germany that they needed British support against French and Russia

Question 25

the Navy League

Answer 25

established in 1898 and supported financially by Krupp, membership of 30,000

Question 26

what was the 1898 naval bill?

Answer 26

proposed 16 major ships carried out 212 votes to 139 - opposed by those on the right who thought money should be spent on the army and left who opposed any increase in military spending

Question 27

what was the 1900 bill?

Answer 27

second navy law that allowed for construction of 3 ships a year for the next 6 years - passed with a greater majority than the first bill

Question 28

what happened in 1908-1912?

Answer 28

naval building stepped up, leading to a dangerous and expensive arms race with Britain

Question 29

what were the key events that occurred during Bulow’s time as chancellor? (1900-1909)

Answer 29

1902 - new tariff law restored duties on agricultural products and a few key manufacturers increasing revenue for the navy whilst appeasing agrarian interest
1900-03 - Powdowsky developed social security through reforms such as health and accident insurance aiming to draw attention away from the Socialists (thought the socialists were credited for them)
1903 - SPD vote increased by 26 seats
1904 - secret ballot
1906 - establishment of payment for the Reichstag deputies - permitting lower, middle and working class men with no income to put themselves forward as deputies
1907 - Hottentot election
1907 - Bulow negotiated the ‘Bulow Bloc’ consisting of Conservatives, members of the Agrarian League and Liberals to avoid reliance on Zentrum
1900-1908 - National debt doubled
repressive action against Poles, minorities and an increase in anti-Semitism

Question 30

why, in 1905, was Bulow’s relationship with the Kaiser no longer as harmonious as previously?

Answer 30

Bulow failed to control the Reichstag and win the approval needed for the Kaiser’s increased military spending
also - large financial deficit due to expansion of the navy

Question 31

what was the Hottentot election?

Answer 31

election in 1907 was fought on the issue of support for Bulow’s policies in South-West Africa. The Zentrum and SPD were critical of the government’s imperial policies and forced the election. However, a huge campaign was mounted against these two parties, branding them ‘unpatriotic’ and this swung the vote.

Question 32

what was the Eulenberg Affair? (1906-07)

Answer 32

controversy surrounding prominent members of the Kaiser’s cabinet and entourage

Question 33

what was the Daily Telegraph Affair? (1908)

Answer 33

the Kaiser gave an interview to the British newspaper (without telling the Reichstag) suggesting that Germans were anti-British - Bulow was given the opportunity to supress the publication but failed to do so

Question 34

what bill did Bulow fail to pass in 1909?

Answer 34

the finance bill

Question 35

what were the key events during Behmann-Hollweg’s time as chancellor? (1909-1913)

Answer 35

1911 - introduction of universal male suffrage at 21 years
1912 elections - 1 in 3 Germans voted for the SPD
July 1913 - Reichstag was persuaded to increase the size of the army but only because it was funded by a special ‘defence tax’ on the value of property

Question 36

what was the Zabern affair?

Answer 36

Zabern was an area in Alsace-Lorraine. evidence that the German army was behaving badly/being aggressive to the citizens. Reflected badly on the Kaiser.

Question 37

what happened in the 1912 election?

Answer 37

the SPD won 110 seats becoming the biggest party in the Reichstag. The Bulow Bloc collapsed and BH had to rely on backroom deals and compromises to get support for government bills

Question 38

what were the budgetary problems under BH?

Answer 38

increase in inheritance tax was finally accepted however by 1914 Reich debt had reached five billion marks. No easy solution.

Question 39

what were the demands for reform under BH?

Answer 39

in the Prussian Landtag the Conservatives had a virtually unassailable position. The three-class electoral system was outdated. in 1908 the SPD won 23% of the vote in the Prussian elections but only won 7 seats. The conservatives won 212 seats - 16% of the vote. They were increasing demands for reform.

Question 40

how successful was BH?

Answer 40

• allowed the Kaiser to take control
• the SPD and the Liberals had majority in the Reichstag and the chancellor could no longer win majorities in the Reichstag
• vote of no confidence against the chancellor in the Reichstag in 1913 however the Kaiser kept BH in office. As a result, he stopped trying to work with the Reichstag and issued imperial decrees without consultation or approval

Question 41

increased nationalism under BH

Answer 41

growth of right wing pressure groups and anti-sematism and Aryan nation

Question 42

why was there a struggle under Kaiser Wilhelm II between the Reichstag and the power of the Kaiser and his chancellors?

Answer 42

• the Kaiser came to power to exert authority
• the Kaiser’s decisions regarding appointment and dismissal of chancellors was essentially constitutional. When trust was lost they were forced from office.
• during 1897-1908 the Kaiser reached his peak of personal rule
• the Reichstag couldn’t introduce or amend legislation however it had the power to approve or reject law
• the Reichstag was obstructed and the separation between Kaiser’s government and the demands of the masses - reflected in the 1871 constitution when the SPD grew in votes
• inference of Wilhelm II increased pressure on his chancellors - 2 incidents showed the Kaiser viewed his autocratic powers differently from the Reichstag

Question 43

what was the significance of Kultur?

Answer 43

• growing nationalist sentiment
• sense of superior German accomplishment
• demonstrated seriousness of Anglo-Saxon ‘civilisations’
• however…
• growing diversity
• avant-garde movement in art, traditional painting, new drama and pulp fiction
• culture wars of Wilhelmine years represent a conflict between tradition and modernity

Question 44

traditional culture

Answer 44

• novels by Thomas Mann
• Painting by von Lenbach and von Werner
• Music by Brahms and Wagner

Question 45

the avant garde

Answer 45

• Realism, impressionism, expressionism in art.
• Architecture and design - Gropius, Le Corbusier.
• Music - Strauss and Schoenberg.
• Many elements of ‘Weimar Culture’ already in place.
• Berlin - lively café culture.
• Munich - large community of writers and artists.

Question 46

how widespread were anti-modernist attitudes?

Answer 46

• The Nazis presented themselves as bitter foes of cultural modernity.
• It has often been argued that these ‘anti-modernist’ attitudes were widespread in Wilhelmine Germany, and that in these attitudes lay the cultural roots of Nazism.
• Modernity did have its critics – many disliked ‘Americanisation’ and the growth of the modern city. This was often linked to a dislike of the proletariat.
• Those in rural Germany feared the changing nature of society.
• There were also political groups that exploited prejudices in society – socialism, those with a ‘deviant’ sexuality, avant-garde artists and Jews.
• However, it’s not a case of right vs left. Many on the left celebrated rural, traditional life. Many right-wing Germans admired modern science and technology.

Question 47

who was the right wing?

Answer 47

• German Conservatives (Prussian Junkers, military elite and free Conservatives (wealthy industrialists)
• Anti-Socialist and anti-democratic
• right wing pressure groups: agrarian league etc
• colonisation, expansionist foreign policy, protectionism

Question 48

who were the centre?

Answer 48

• Catholic Zentrum party and the Liberals.
• Zentrum made up of a mix of social classes so divided on many issues.
• The Liberals supported by upper middle class.
• Made up of the National Liberals (opposed to socialism) and the Liberals and Progressives who were more oppositional, seeking social reform.

Question 49

who were the SPD? (the left)

Answer 49

• increasingly moderate in outlook
• grew phenomenally after 1890
• ‘erfurt programme’ drawn up demanding abolition of class rule, equal rights and use of income tax, property tax and inheritance tax for government revenue
• Babel and others developed theory of gradual socialism with the goal of constitutional change
• a revisionist amended the Erfurt programme stating a desire to work through the Reichstag was defeated in 1900
• Marxist pacifism enabled workers to work together against the bourgeoisie was entirely at odds with the culture of militaristic Germany in the early 20th century
• gov’s attempt to combat the Socialists’ steady rise by portraying them as enemies of the state in Sammlungspolitik simply prevented compromise and helped to split German society into two opposing extremes

Question 50

who were the other left wing?

Answer 50

• growing industrialisation and urbanisation encouraged the growth of trade unions and in 1890 the General federation of trade Unions was founded by Carl Legien
• TU campaigned for better working conditions, shorter hours, more pay and encouraged workers to challenge capitalist exploitation
• the free trade unions had more than 2.5 million members by 1913 and became Europe’s largest labour organisation

Question 51

who was August Babel?

Answer 51

• Son of a Prussian army officer.
• Became a socialist after reading the work of Ferdinand Lassalle, which popularized the ideas of Karl Marx.
• Formed the SDAP with Wilhelm Liebknecht in 1869. Merged with ADAV in 1875 to create the SPD
• Chairman of the SPD from 1892 until his death in 1913

Question 52

who was Eduard Bernstein?

Answer 52

• Joined the SPD in 1872
• Emigrated to Switzerland after the Anti-Socialist Law was passed.
• Returned to Germany in 1901. Held revisionist views that best way to obtain socialism in an industrialized country was through trade union activity and parliamentary politics. This brought him into conflict with left-wing of the Social Democrat Party.
• Elected to the Reichstag (1902-06 and 1912-18) where he led the right-wing of the Social Democrat Party.

Question 53

who was Karl Liebknecht?

Answer 53

• Son of Wilhelm Liebknecht
• Became a member of the SPD in 1900 and was president of the Socialist Youth International from 1907 to 1910
• Opposed the revisionist views of Bernstein.
  Liebknecht also wrote extensively against militarism, and one of his papers led to his being arrested in 1907 and imprisoned for 18 months.
• Elected to the Reichstag in 1912, a member of the SPD’s left wing.

Question 54

who were the two wealthiest groups in Wilhelmine German society?

Answer 54

The elites - ‘old’ landed aristocracy (e.g. Junkers) and those who made a fortune in industry and manufacturing such as the Krupps, Thyssens and Hugenbergs.

Question 55

which groups made up the middle class?

Answer 55

Industrial managers, highly skilled experts in new industrial techniques and educated professionals such as doctors and lawyers made up the ‘upper’ middle class. White-collar workers such as clerks, small businessmen and shopkeepers, collectively known as the ‘Mittelstand’ formed the ‘lower’ middle class.

Question 56

how was the urban working class divided?

Answer 56

At the top were the foremen and highly-skilled workers who were conscious of their perceived superiority over other workers. The middle ranks of the working class consisted of the semi-skilled workers e.g. coal miners who were among the better paid for this group and supported movement towards reform. Finally, there was a ‘lower working class’ of unskilled workers who were most vulnerable to economic fluctuations. They were largely apolitical and uninterested in revolutionary advancement.

Question 57

what sort of attitudes were held by the peasantry and how was their way of life under attack?

Answer 57

Peasant status varied between substantial peasant proprietors who employed others and the landless labourers. Peasant interests often coincided with the Junkers despite their different lifestyles and they tended to be quite conservative. Peasants were victims of industrial change and whilst those serving industrials centres did well, the growing population and the practice of dividing estates between sons (which happened everywhere in Germany except Bavaria) forced increasing numbers to leave the land and ‘drift to the towns’ where they joined working class ranks.

Question 58

how did the role of women change? was it the same for all women?

Answer 58

• Women in higher ranks of society tended to have a leisurely lifestyle, those one step down might be more directly involved in running a household but still entirely dependant on their husbands for income and status.
• By 1914, those in lower middling ranks in particular seized new opportunities presented by office work, though the number of women in this rank remained small. Working class and peasant women were far more likely to be manual labourers themselves. Urban dwellers traditionally performed piece-work to make goods for the textile trade. Industrial change presented new outlets here too and some women got jobs in larger factories.
• This led to ‘horror stories’ of growth in illegitimate children and prostitution.
• Peasant women tilled the fields with men. In the 1890s, some intellectuals began to question the position of women.
• At the time, women had no vote and their legal status was severely restricted such as their property becoming their husband’s after marriage.
• The Bund Deutscher Frauenvereine (est. 1894) campaigned for women’s rights and increased educational opportunities. August Bebel wrote tracts on female equality and the SPD campaigned for a female vote (unsuccessfully).

Question 59

how did a culture of militarism grow in Wilhelmine Germany?

Answer 59

• From the beginning of the second Reich, a culture of elitism was encouraged. Bismarck, himself a Junker, and the elites shared an interest in the new united Germany and extending their own wealth and power. The elites cooperated in the ‘alliance of steel and rye’, proving an important backbone of the Empire. They exerted influence through participation in politics and the creation of right wing pressure groups.
• The Kaiser, Wilhelm II, believed a strong military presence was a sign of power and troops had to take a personal oath of loyalty to the Kaiser rather than the state. The Kaiser was keen on tradition, military uniforms, decorative and ritualistic practices and a male-dominated military culture. His ambition was for Germany to win colonies which required military strength. The expanding military influence was the cause and product of Germany’s search for world power and weltpolitik.
• Higher ranks within the military were given to Junkers and more than half of all army officers had titles.
• The Zabern Affair in 1913 showed how the military could override civilian authority. Despite disputes over the military budget Germany had an army of 4 million men by 1914 (8x the size in 1890) and expenditure reached £60 million in 1913 to 1914. By 1914 Germany was a state of soldiers.

Question 60

how did industrialisation improve the lives of working people?

Answer 60

• Employment rates were generally high and real wages increased by 25% between 1895 and 1913. ‘State socialism’ began in the 1880s when the state intervened to provide some regulation.
• These included medical insurance (May 1883) covering 3 million workers, accident insurance (June 1884) and old age pensions (May 1889) introduced for people over 70. These measures provided some support and were extended over the next 30 years.
• Caprivi and Posadowsky-Wehner were also responsible for some major reforming legislation such as the recognition of trade unions, an extension to health insurance in 1903 and changes to employment laws which included a guaranteed minimum wage and restrictions on child employment. By 1914, over 15 million Germans were covered by sickness insurance, 28 million against accidents and 1 million received annual pensions.
• There were new opportunities for workers to advance themselves through education and new jobs particularly in white-collar areas. There were medical improvements enabling longer and healthier lives such as inoculation and hygiene developments.
• Leisure opportunities improved with better transport and the advent of cinema as well as new devices such as the telephone, typewriter and electric tram network.

Question 61

did conditions improve for all working people?

Answer 61

• The lower-middle and upper working classes reaped the greatest benefits however this may have caused more discontent with the lower ranks of workers who wanted a greater share of wealth if the country was flourishing financially.
• At the lower end of the working classes, living conditions were poor and many were forced to live in cramped inner-city streets. Although wages rose, there were still pockets of acute poverty with the threat of unemployment looming.
• Such conditions encouraged protests: on average 200,000 trade union workers per year went on strike between 1905 and 1913.
• Most within the working classes were loyal, diligent and patriotic however those who weren’t were attracted to the SPD.
• Conditions for peasants in the countryside were harsh also. Large factories such as Krupp of Essen attracted thousands of peasants’ sons who saw hope of a better future. In 1871, only 8 German towns had more than 100,000 inhabitants though by 1910 there were 48.
• There were still great numbers of people in rural areas. Application of more scientific farming, spread of communication and education helped some regions flourish. Overall, some constraints of harsh rural life and isolation disappeared and greater interaction between the town and the countryside meant that the fortunate could deem themselves better off in 1914 than 1871.

Question 62

what was the political condition of Germany by 1914?

Answer 62

• creation of the German empire in 1871 brought a new constitution was was forward-looking in its establishment of a representative Reichstag and the granting of universal suffrage which placed the government firmly in the hands of the Emperor and his imperial chancellor
• Initially Bismarck, as that Chancellor, commanded the support of the National Liberals. However, it is a mark of the Chancellor’s power that he was, in 1878, able to discard a party that had become an embarrassment to him and rule with the support of the Conservatives and the Centre.
• But the Chancellor’s political support was still very tenuous and by the 1800s, Bismarck experience increasing problems with the Reichstag.
• His resignation, after quarrelling with the new Kaiser II in 1890, showed just how vulnerable the Chancellor’s position actually was.
• Kaiser Wilhelm II had no fewer than 4 different chancellors between 1890 and 1914, each dependant on his whim. Throughout this period a fear of socialism (and its much exaggerated revolutionary intentions) haunted the kaiser’s governments and, as the pace of industrialisation increased, right-wing conservatives increasingly lobbied for protective policies and the pursuit of Weltpolitik.
• The reichstag grew still more obstructive as chancellors sought to raise money to pay for the country’s military and social expenditure. The kaiser himself of 1908 and his attitude to the Zabern affair of 1913. By the time of 1912 election, which left the SPD as the largest party in the reichstag, the Bismarckian constituion had broken down; a factor that hlped to push the country towards the war in 1914.

Question 63

what was the economic condition of Germany in 1914?

Answer 63

• The years of the Second reich were a time of rapid expansion in both old and new industries. Improvements in communications increased urbanisation, the wider availability of modern machinery and the production of chemical fertilisers also provided new opportunities for farmers particularly those living near the big industrial centres.
• Growth was, of course, uneven. Some areas of Germany remained predominantly rural, but in the Ruhr, the Saar, Alsace-Lorraine, Silesia, Saxony and around Berlin industry boomed. The northern seaports, particularly Hamburg, also expanded as centres of ship-building and trade. Germans won a third of all the Nobel prizes awarded for science between 1909 and 1914 and led the world in the growth of high-technology industries such as chemicals, electricals, steel and cars.
• Economic growth brought economic ‘concentration’ - the creation of large firms and cartels that controlled single industries, for example chemicals, or a variety of processes that together produced manufactured goods, such as cars. New economic ‘giants’ emerged, such as krupps and Thyssen (steel magnets), BASF, Bayer, Hoechst and Agfa (chemicals), Siemens, bosch and AEG (electricals) and Benz and Daimler (cars). The directors of these huge firms wielded not only economic power, but also considerable political influence.
• These changes took place at such a pace that Germany was transformed between 1871 and 1914, as illustrated in this extract from David Blackbourn.

Question 64

what was the Schlieffen Plan? (3 August 1914)

Answer 64

• concern over war on two fronts
• Germany decided a pre-emptive manoeuvre - if they mobilise against Russia they must knock out France first. They believed that the Russian army was very strong the ‘Russian steamroller’ - it wasn’t.
• the plan forced Germany to declare war on France. France put up defences known as the Maginot Line.
• 1914 - Germany march through Belgium (and never make it to Paris)
• Britain has a treaty with Belgium (1839 treaty of London)

Question 65

what was the Sarajevo Crisis? (june-july 1914)

Answer 65

In Bosnia, the heir to the Austrian throne, Franz Ferdinand, goes to visit Sarajevo on a day of Serbian nationalism. The Serbians hate being controlled by Austria and so the two Serbian terrorists travel to Sarajevo and they plan to chuck two bombs at the heir drives past. They miss however (only a couple injured). Franz Ferdinand decided to go to the hospital to check on the injured. One of the terrorists stopped to buy a sandwich also and happened to be on the same street as Franz Ferdinand and ended up shooting Ferdinand and his wife. They died almost immediately.

Question 66

what was the mood in 1914?

Answer 66

• Propaganda - Germany under threat from England and France ‘poor Germany view’
• SPD - happy to fight until the ‘last drop of blood’ for Germany’s national independence, fame and greatness (didn’t previously support war - likely because they were worried of another Hottentot election)
• BH’s speech ‘we enter with a clear conscience’
• justifications for Germany’s actions - not a surprise, wished for a war, Germany is a strong force, believe their enemies want to stain their reputation, believe they didn’t start the war and didn’t trespass into Belgium
• university intellectuals and National Liberals supported the war