To what extent did Bismarck successfully achieve his political, goals in the years 1870-79? Flashcards
What were Bismarck’s goals?
Bismarck’s political goals were ones of achieving unity under Prussian dominance through nationalism, reducing divisions in order to create a ‘Reichdeuste’, a homogenous German conscience.
What inhibited the function of the Reichstag?
The chancellor could dissolve it at any time
What are the two categories?
Did succeed and didn’t succeed
Whilst the Reichstag could be dissolved by the chancellor, what meant that the people still had a degree of influence over it?
difficult to dissolve the Reichstag for every bill that was passed
What was the voting qualification for the Reichstag?
universal suffrage of all males of 25
What about the Reichstag suggests that it wasn’t allowing him to achieve his political goals?
The fact that Bismarck had to change the constitution regarding the Reichstag in the 1880s suggests that it was not supporting his political goals well enough in the preceding decade.
What about voting suggests that Bismarck was beginning to be successful in creating unity and people were starting to get behind his cause?
-The fact that in 1871 30% of the German population voted for a Pro-Bimarck party, the National Liberals, suggests that he is starting to succeed in creating unity behind him and his cause.
When in the time period did Bismarck achieve most unity?
Towards the beginning of the era Bismarck managed more political unity than at the end of the era.
In 1871, what percentage of people voted for the pro Bismarck National liberal party?
30.1%
In 1874, what percentage of people voted for the pro Bismarck National liberal party?
29.7%, though this dropped marginally from 1871, they remained the largest party in the Reichstag
Though the National Liberals, with whom Bismarck co-operated 1871-1879, were the largest party, how did they create division and prevent Bismarck achieving his goals?
They actually exacerbated north/south divisions and class divisions, as they were based in the North and represented educated and wealthy middle classes
How did the national liberal’s split fail to support Bismarck’s goals?
Towards the end of this era the split with the national liberals not only created political disunity in itself, but also precipitated a split within the national liberal’s voter base, causing social disunity.
What was the peak vote for smaller parties in the Reichstag?
10% was in 1878
What does the fact that the vote for smaller parties peaked in 1878 and then declined show?
The fact that their peak of 10% was in 1878 and reduced after that could be indicative of successful social integration of their political base, leading to political unity.
What did Bismarck’s tolerance of smaller parties allow?
marginal and minority groups to feel represented in the Reichstag
What impact did smaller parties have on the Reichstag?
-Smaller parties complicated proceedings and hampered some attempts to integrate and assimilate those who they represented fully into German Society.
What allowed Bismarck to achieve short term political unity?
Kulturkampf allowed Bismarck to achieve short term political unity
How did the kulturkampf allow Bismarck to create short term political unity?
Allowed to co-opertion with the national liberals to remain successful until 1878
How did the kulturkampf help Bismarck’s political goals?
Bismarck’s goal of unity was a homogenous German people, a “reichsdeuste”, so those with a different language and culture were preventing this, meaning that the Kulturkampf was a step towards making a more homogenous people.
What was the limitations of the extent to which the Kulutrkampf supported Bismarck’s political goals?
Socially, the Kulturkampf, particularly in the second half of this period, created fundamental social divisions what unity it did bring was founded on a basis of disunity within society.
By 1879, how many Priests had been arrested or exiled as a part of kulturkampf?
1800 Priests arrested or exiled
How did the Kulturkampf lead to regional divides?
Most Catholics were in the southern states, however the legislation came form the northern states
What was the impact of the Kulturkampf on the Catholic Party?
Strengthened the Catholic party and coalesced all anti-Bismarck people into supporters of the Catholic party
How did the Kulturkampf create division within Government?
Both junkers and the Prussian royal family opposed it
What happend to the Kulturkampf in 1879 that would suggest that it had ceased to be of any help to Bismarck’s political goals?
he ended it
What in schools helped Bismarck to achieve his goal of nationalism?
compulsory nationalism classes
What about the army helped Bismarck to instil nationalism?
conscription
According to Bismarck, Germans were meant to unify against the threat of what?
Reichsfeinde
When did Bismarck use the assassination attempts on Wilhelm 1st to declare socialism a threat?
as late as 1878
What doe the fact that Bismarck was using the assassination attempts on Wilhelm 1st to declare socialism a threat as late as 1878 show?
that really his goal of unity was achieved neither politically nor socially by 1879. This fear of Socialists would have been better at creating unity in the Junkers and middle classes than it would have been in the lower classes.
What party did Bismarck make illegal to create unity?
SADP
Though the SADP may have been made illegal, what remained?
heir movement remained and later emerged again as the SPD,
What does the fact that the SADP re-emerged as the SPD demonstrate?
many of Bismarck’s achievements were cosmetic.
The use of extreme action such as the exile of ethnic poles, suggests that divisions were so great that what?
Extreme action was the only way Bismarck could achieve any notion of unity
The richest 5% of the electorate voted for what percentage of the deputies?
⅓
The middle and lower classes, despite accounting for 85% of the German population, elected only what percentage of the deputies?
⅓
What percentage of Germans elected each proportion of the deputies?
the 5% richest elected ⅓ and the 85% middle and lower class majority elected a third
How could the universal suffrage be described?
A cosmetic illusion of democracy
Despite the Geographical divides, which southern state did the National Liberals do well in?
Baden
What about Bismarck could suggest a real desire to reduce divisions?
being pragmatic