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What did the constitution of 1871 establish?
German Parliament (Reichstag)
What was the lower house known as?
Reichstag
Who was able to vote in Germany in 1871?
Men over 25
Did Bismarck like democracy?
No but thought allowing a democratic vote would minimize opposition
What did Bismarck legislate Reichstag members should be payed?
Nothing
What did the lack of payment for Reichstag cause?
Less privileged found it very difficult to run
Why was the Rechstag limited regarding actual powers? X4
Could only respond to legislation presented by the Reich or Bundesrat
Bundesrat could veto all legislation
The chancellor, Kaiser nor Military Chiefs had any responsibility to Reichstag's
If the Reichstag rejected Kaiser legislation Kaiser could dissolve them
What could be argued about the Reichstag in 1871?
Restricted and Insincere form of Democracy
Who did the National Liberals Support?
German Empire
Where wass the National Liberals based?
North
What did the German Peoples party oppose?
Creating a unified Germany
Where was the German Peoples Party Based?
South
Who did the Centre Party Represent?
Catholic Interests
5 areas where the Centre Party Support Strongest?
Bavaria
Baden
Rhineland
Silesia
Polish Eastern Side of Prussia
What did the German Conservative Party represent?
Interests of land owning Junker class of Purssia
Why was the reichstag important in creating a unified Germany?
Created one unified German nation under one process where Germans across the country could excericse their voice
What did the Reichstag facilitate regarding debate?
Allowed it to be voiced in an open forum
Why was criticism in an open forum important?
In overcoming the serious regional divisions
What cultures were included in Germay?
Poles
Danes
French
What were ethnic attitudes to Germany and What did this cause?
They were often discriminated against due to suspicion where loyalty lie
They often had their own separatist party
Who did the National Liberals Respresent?
Wealthy and Educated Middle class
Saxony Havover
What party emerged due to social divisions?
Socialist Workers PArty of Germany (SPD in 1890)
Why were social divisions prominent in Germany?
The rapid urbanisation combined with the depression ecouraged the appeal of Socialism
What did Reichstag clearly show?
The divisions within the German empire
Why can the Reichstag be argued as important regarding minorities?
It gave a voice to them
How much of the vote ddi nationalist sepratist parties win in 1874?
Around 10%
Why did Nationalist party vote decline?
As minorities become more assimilated with Germany they began to vote for the main parties
How can the minorities being assimilated within Germany be demonstrated?
The Reichstag's voting
What was the most popular party in the Reichstag in the first decade after unification?
National Liberal Party
Who formed the national liberals?
Politicians who supported Bismarcks creation of unifed Germany
When was the national liberals formed?
1867
Who led the national liberals and what ddi they represent?
Rudolf von Benningsen
Industrial and middle class interests
What did the national liberals focus their ideology on?
National Unity
Promotion on civil liberties
Did the Liberals advocate for free trade?
YES and saw it as beneficial to expand middle class wealth and an unified industry
How much of the vote did the National Liberals get in the first German election in 1871?
30.1%
How much of the vote did the Centre party get in the 1874 election?
18.6%
What are 5 things Bismarck working with the national liberals result in policy wise?
Removal of movement restrictions
Laws restricting charging interest on loans removed
Weights and measurements were standardised
Reichsmark was the sole legal currency
Import duties on certain metals removed
What are 2 reasons Bismarck chose to work with the National Liberals?
The national Liberal ideology supported consitutional change towards greater democracy and civil liberty
They were the largest party and so could not simply be ignored and hoped the middle class that voted for them would be happy with the new German system and they would be less concerned with Bismark resistance of greater democracy
Who did Both Bismarck and The National Liberals fear and why?
Catholic Support for the Centre Support
A threat to national unity
What did the National Liberals Support Bismarck doing as a result of their fear?
His attempt to restrict the Catholic Church
What was Growing by the Mid 1870s Between Bismarck and The National Liberals?
Tension due to his refusal to extend parliamentary power
What was Bismarcks response to the growing tension between him and the national Liberals?
Split the party and work with the more right wing elements
What provided Bismarck his oppurtunity to split the national Liberals?
The economic downturn
Why did the economic downturn allow Bismarck to split The National Liberals?
Strong push for tarrif reform and was supported by Conervative Party which wass supported by previous national liberal voters
What undermined the national liberals in 1878?
The campaign on tariff reform
What did the tarriff reform campaign present those who supported free trade as?
Traitors of German interest
What did the National Liberals vote decline to in 1878?
23.1%
What had the National Liberals vote been in 1871?
30.1%
What was the defining split in the national liberals over?
The vote over protective tariffs
When was the vote over protective tarrifs?
1879
When did the national liberals split officially?
August 1880
What did the more conservative right become known as due to the National LIberal Split?
National Liberals as they remained with the party
What did the Left of The National Liberals become in 1880?
Liberal Union
Had Bismarck achieved his goal?
Yes as split the national liberals but gave rise to the Centre Party
Why was the Reichstag more difficult to govern for Bismarck after the national liberal split? X3
Bismarck was opposed to Working with the center party but they were the largest in the Reichstag and
the split in the vote between the national liberals meant that there was no chance of a colatition and so an overall decline in Bismark popularity within the Reichstag
The left liberals gained support with Progressive party and eventually merged to become German Free Minded people the second most popular in Reichstag as also opposed to Bismarck
When did the German Free Minded Party become the second most popular party in the Reichstag?
1884
When was Bismarck serverly weak in his ability to manage Reichstg?
1881 and 1886
What was the name given to Bismarcks anticatholic legislation in the early 1870s?
Kuturkampf
What declared by the Catholic Church in Rome in the 1860s did the National Liberals oppose?
The values of liberalism and secularsim (1864)
Declaration of Papal Infallibility (1870)
What did Seclaration of Papal Infallibitlity mean?
The people spiritual powers had authority over secular power in regarding to the political allegiance of Catholics
Why did the National Liberals oppose the Catholic Churches declarations?
It opposed the very ideology the party was build upon
The papal infallibility would undermine the hoped for unity of the German nation
What was the majority in ‘new Germany’?
Protestant
What were the Centre Party determined to protect?
The Catholic Minority
What did the Centre Party fight to keep upheld in the New German Constitution of 1871?
The protection of the rights of Catholics
Where and How had Catholic Rights been protected pre 1871?
Prussia by the consitution of 1850
How much roughly was the Catholic population in 1815 when including Austria?
Over half of the population
Once Austria was defeated in 1866 by Prussia what ddi the Catholics become?
Minority
What did the centre party call for the continuation of regarding education and marriage?
Secularism W
What was Bismarcks main concern regarding the centre party?
Support for German- Speaking Catholics
Support for Catholic non-German ethnic grounds in Germany such as Catholic-Polish and French of Alsace
What side of the Prussia war did the majority of Catholics go to?
Austria against Purssia
What did the Church Support which reinforced Bismarcks belief of the Catholics as outsiders? X3
Teaching of Polish Language
Alsace Lorraine as a autonomous area
War against allied Italy so the pope could regain lands lost in 1870
Which Centre Policy was particulary inflammatory to Bismarck?
Supporting the continuation of teaching Polish as this was Key in Bismarcks policy to unify all German people and weaken non German identities
What did Bismarck would happen by supressing non German cultures?
The non- ethnic German youth would see their loyalty as belonging to Germany as they grew
How did Bismarck initially try to deal with the Centre Party impacting unity in Germany?
Convince the Vatican to withdraw its support to the Centre Party
How did Bismarck then attempt to deal with the Centre Party and unity after his rejection from the Vatican?
Working with the national Liberals to launch a campaign against Catholic institutions knowns as Kulturkampf
What were features of Kulturkampf? X3
Allowing state authority to inspect Catholic Schools
Banning Jesuit priestly order from Germany
State controlling education and priest appointments
Did Bismarcks inital Kulturkampf policies work?
No so more repressive ones were introduced
What were the more repressive features of Kulturkampf?
Church property siezed by the statw
Clergy not appointed by the state expelled from Germany
‘Bread Basket Law’
What was the bread basket law?
Withdrew support for any priest who did not publically declare support for the German State
How many priesnts were jailed/ exiled as a result of the stricter Kulturkampf?
1,800
How much marks worth of Church property did the German state sieze due to Kulturkampf?
16 million Reichsmarks
What did the Army have to do due to the Kulturkampf?
Break up Catholic protests against the Kulturkampf measures
Did Kulturkampf achieve its goals?
NO
the persecution enforced seperation of Catholics separation- Ostracised them
Strengthened the support for the Centre Party
Centre party one of the few parties that gained votes across classes due to unity through religion
What did the Centre Party vote increase by from 1871-1874?
18.6% to 27.9%
Who were the equal biggest party in the Reichstag by 1878?
Centre Party
National Liberals
What were disadvantages to being catholic due to Kulturkamps?
Finding employment particulary in civil service
Few Catholics among Germanys business and financial leaders
Less educated
How much more likely wer Protestant males to attend Univeristy compared to their Catholic counterparts due to Kulturkampf?
50% more likely
When had Kulturkampf ended and why?
1879
Bismarck no longer found it useful politically
Why ddi Kulturkampf end? X3
Bismarck needed support in Reichstag due to National Liberals split
Pope Pius IX died in 1878 and was replaced by a new more compromising Pope
the Prussian Conservatives and Royal Family opposed it
What was a key problem hindering the unity of the whole of Germany?
No uniting symbols
No flag
No national anthym
No national Holiday
Why was the national Holiday celebrating Germanys defeat of France in 1870 opposed by many?
The southern states did not play a large role and preffered to celebrated victories they contributed to
Who did Many Politicans view the holiday of Germanys win over France?
Celebration of Prussian Militariaism
What did Parliament try to do by introducing uniting policies?
Reichsdeutsche
What did reichsdeutsche policies consist of? X6
All levels of education required to teach nationalism as a subject
Students encouraged to see 1871 as a fulfilment of a historical identity
Curriculum focused on instilling loyalty to the Kaiser and obedience to the Kaiser reich
Street processions celebrating great national victories
Teaching German over Polish or French
Expulsion of Poles and Jews from Germany late 1870s
What did the promotion of German national identity serve Bismarck domestically?
Ability to mobilise public opinion
What word did Bismarck use to rally the support of the German people?
Reichsfeinde (enemies of the empire)
Who Bismarck call Reichsfeinde ?
France
Catholic Church
Give 2 reasons why targeting Alleged enemies of Germany is important for Bismarck.
National integration of the people over their patriotic hatred and fear of the enemy
Divert attention from calls for greater democracy
How did Bismarck declare socialism a threat in 1878?
Use the 2 assasination attempts on Wilhelm I
Note 
Flashcard (100)