To what extent did social and political tensions that existed during the second reich increase during the first world war?

Question 1

Social

Answer 1

Social issues existing during 2nd reich:

• anti socialist laws in 1878 where Bismarck exiled 1500 SPD members and banned party (working class party)
• recession in early 1870s from over-investment and unification

social problems in world war one:
-sharks of the industry making profits from war Time industries whilst workers saw deterioration of living standards
-293,000 died from hypothermia and 750,000 from starvation
-failure of potato crop and turnip winter of 1916
-1.8 million germans died, 16% of all those conscripted
-infant mortality increased 50 %
-35% of pigs killed to save grain
Overall resentment between the workers and employers, the fact Ebert calls on both to work together and introduced stinnes liegen act suggests this social divide was exacerbated by the war

Question 2

Political

Answer 2

Problems under 2nd reich
-lack of democracy and representation, men 25 and older could vote, reichstag couldn’t initiate legislation and was overruled by Prussian dominated Bundestag

Increases in political tensions

• Silent dictatorship saw the undermining of the Kaiser who was rendered useless during the war, as Hindenburg and Ludendorff replaced Falkenhayn as commander of the army
• Bethmann was forced to resign as chancellor in 1917 due to his own ineffectiveness during the war, as the Prussia duo did not need his guidance in directing Germany
• the Reichstag did not back the Chancellor, who called on the Kaisers support which had obviously declined
• Kreuznach programme; Bethmann didnt think that the demands were realistic but was forced to go along with them under the silent dictatorship
• Erzberger peace revolution- Hindenburg and Ludendorff angry at the resolution and reichstag for drafting it up but used it to force Bethmann out of office

Question 3

Economic

Answer 3

Problems in second reich
-short term economic depression and split of national liberals over protectionist policies slowed down the rate at which they were introduced

world war one problems:

• KRA under Walter Rathenau saw rising costs in the war due to the munitions crisis; he managed to save it but at a greater cost to German society
• their decision not to raise taxes, especially for wealthier people, meant they were reliant on war bonds that the Lower classes couldnt afford to lose; losing the war meant they were unlikely to see this money returned and saw degraded standards of living whilst the wealthy were largely unaffected
• only 16% of the war paid for by tax, increases socio-economic divides between rich and poor
• initiating total war included the ASL which saw neither the civilian or military population spared, this only led to increased costs that the government could not pay for
• they were faced with debts of 140billion reichmarks from their own population alone