Urban Working Class Flashcards
What significant demographic change occurred in Germany after 1871?
The growth of the urban working class due to rapid urbanisation and industrial growth
Prior to 1871, Germany’s population was mainly rural, with two-thirds living in villages.
What percentage of the German population lived in urbanised towns by 1914?
66 percent
This marked a significant shift from the predominantly rural population before 1871.
What problems arose due to rapid urbanisation in Germany?
Housing and sanitation issues for the growing working class
These issues prompted urbanised workers to seek greater political representation.
What political movement emerged in Germany to represent the working class?
The Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) was formed in 1875
The SPD focused on advocating for the political views of the German working class.
How did trade union membership change from 1877 to 1891?
Increased from around 50,000 to 278,000
This reflects the growing political engagement of the working class.
What was the response of Chancellor Bismarck to the SPD?
Attempted persecution and anti-socialist legislation
Despite these efforts, the SPD continued to grow in support.
What was the SPD’s vote count increase between 1875 and 1890?
Increased from 0.5 million to 1.5 million
This illustrates the rising influence of the SPD in German politics even in spite of Chancellor Bismark.
What is the Reichstag?
The German parliament, also known as the Bundestag
Technically refers to the building opened in 1894 but often refers to the parliament itself from 1871.
Define ‘Proletarian’.
A member of the working classes
True or False: Urbanisation in Germany was associated with industrialisation.
True
Urbanisation typically coincides with industrial growth and economic development.
What was the outcome of Bismarck’s attempts to undermine the SPD & what did he do?
The SPD continued to grow despite Bismarck’s attempts.
Bismarck proposed limiting the franchise and destroying the SPD, but Kaiser Wilhelm II rejected these proposals.
What social policies were extended by subsequent chancellors after Bismarck?
Accident insurance, child labour restrictions, sickness insurance.
These policies aimed to placate the working class and discourage support for the SPD.
What significant change occurred in the Reichstag by 1912?
The SPD became the largest party in the Reichstag.
This was due to the political changes caused by the growth of the urban working class.
How did the majority of the German working class respond to the First World War initially?
They supported the war effort along with the SPD and trade unions.
This support began to deteriorate by the summer of 1916.
What factors contributed to the decline of support for the war among workers by 1916?
New restrictions on workers’ freedom introduced by the Auxiliary Service act 1916 and food shortages.
The winter of 1916/17 caused considerable food shortages.
What event in January 1918 marked significant political opposition among the working class?
400,000 Berlin workers went on strike.
This strike soon spread to the rest of Germany, leading to over a million workers on strike within a month.
What was the result of the end of the war in November 1918?
Further unrest that led to the fall of the Kaiserreich and the creation of the Weimar Republic.
The combination of food shortages, mass casualties, and political opposition contributed to this unrest.
What key rights were guaranteed by the Weimar Constitution for employees?
Equal rights with employers and an eight-hour workday.
These provisions aimed to improve working conditions during the Weimar period.
How did urbanization in Germany change from 1910 to 1940?
The population of large urban areas grew at a rate of only 36 percent.
This was a slowdown compared to previous decades.
What was the population of Berlin by 1925?
Over four million.
This was a significant increase from less than two million in 1919.
What was established to help those out of work during the Weimar period?
Unemployment insurance.
This was part of the social policies to support the working class.
What was the unemployment rate in Germany by January 1933?
Nine million unemployed.
This was a significant increase from the unemployment levels in 1929.
What was the trend in real wages for the working class during the Weimar period from 1924 to 1929?
Real wages increased significantly, (two million new houses where also built allievating overcrowding in large German cities)
They increased by 9 percent in 1927 and by 12 percent in 1928.
Fill in the blank: The economic crisis in the Weimar Republic fueled the rise of the _______.
Nazi Party.
The Nazi Party was officially known as the National Socialist German Workers’ Party.
What was the unemployment rate in Germany by 1932?
31 percent.
This was a stark increase compared to ten percent in 1929.
By what percentage did the working class grow from 1929 to 1938 under the Nazis?
Around ten percent.
This growth occurred as the Nazis expanded German industry in preparation for war.
What was the decline in the percentage of the working population remaining in rural communities in West Germany from 1950 to 1970?
Fell from 23.1 percent in 1950 to 8.3 percent in 1970.
This was during a period of considerable economic growth.
What was the impact of Nazi policies on urbanised workers from 1933 to 1945?
Increased employment due to public work schemes and rearmament programmes at the expense of their rights.
However trade unions were banned and the ability to strike was prohibited.
What was the population growth in West Germany from 1950 to 1980?
Grew by 50 percent to 61.7 million.
This growth fueled movement to large, industrialized centres.
By what percentage did the working class grow from 1929 to 1938 under the Nazis?
Around ten percent.
This growth occurred as the Nazis expanded German industry in preparation for war.
What was the role of ‘guest workers’ in West Germany?
They were brought in to fill labour shortages in industries such as electrical engineering and shipbuilding.
Predominantly from Turkey and Greece, guest workers had fixed contracts and lacked permanent residency. 1966they grew to 1.2 million creating an ‘underclass’ of ethnic workers in cities as they often were employed in the lowest paying jobs.
How many guest workers were recruited by the West German government 1973?
About 14 million.
After 1973 the government ended the programme but allowed many guest workers to stay.
What was the decline in the percentage of the working population remaining in rural communities in West Germany from 1950 to 1970?
Fell from 23.1 percent in 1950 to 8.3 percent in 1970.
This was during a period of considerable economic growth.
What was the population growth in West Germany from 1950 to 1980?
Grew by 50 percent to 61.7 million.
This growth fueled movement to large, industrialized centres.
How many guest workers were recruited by the West German government?
About 14 million.
The number of guest workers grew from 150,000 in 1959 to 1.2 million by 1966.
