Bismarck’s - PowerPoint Presentation

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Bismarck’sGermany

HI290- History of GermanySlide2
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Otto von Bismarck (1815-98)

Born in

Sch

önhausen

in Brandenburg, the son of a Pomeranian

Junker

.

Educated at

Göttingen

University.

1836: Entered the Prussian civil service.

1839: Retired from the civil service to manage the family estates.

1849: Elected as an ultra-conservative member of the Prussian

Landtag

.

1851: Joined the Prussian diplomatic corps, serving as Prussian representative to the Federal

Diet

and then ambassador to Russia and France.

1862: Appointed Prussian Minister-President.

1867: Became Chancellor of the North German Confederation.

1871-90: Chancellor of the German Empire.Slide4

The ‘mad Junker’?Junker – a corruption of Junger Herr (Young Sir): the title given to Prussian landowners east of the River Elbe. Closely associated with Conservative politics in the 19th century.The ‘White Revolutionary’?

Realpolitik

– ‘a system of politics or principles based on practical rather than moral or ideological considerations.’ (OED).

German Nationalist or Prussian Patriot?

The ‘Bismarck Myth’Slide5

The architects of German Unification – Bismarck (left) with General Albrecht von Roon (centre) and Field Marshal

Helmuth

von

Moltke

(right).Slide6
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The Constitution of the German Empire

Reich

Government

The Chancellor (

Reichskanzler

)

The ‘highest official in the Reich’

Also Minister-President of Prussia

Responsible to the Emperor, not parliament

Chairman of the

Bundesrat

Appointed government ministers

Could ignore resolutions passed by the

Reichstag

The Emperor (Kaiser) Always the King of Prussia Could appoint/dismiss the Chancellor Could dissolve the Reichstag Could make treaties/declare war Commander-in-Chief of the army Had to approve all federal laws Possessed the right to interpret the constitution

Bundesrat (upper house) The Federal Council Made up of 58 members nominated by states Not directly elected Consent required in passing new laws 14 votes needed to veto legislation Prussia had 17 of the 58 seats Bavaria had 6, the other states had 1 each

Reichstag (lower house) The National parliament Elected by all males over 25 Limited powers to initiate new legislation Government ministers could not be members Members were not paid Could approve or reject the federal budget Elections normally held every 5 years

FederalCentralised government with specific Responsibilities for the Reich as a whole(foreign policy, defence, customs etc.)

StateRegional government with responsibilitiesFor individual states (education, direct Taxation, health, local justice etc.)Slide8

German party politics dominated by five parties/interest groups until 1918: Conservatives, Catholic Centre, National Liberals, SDP, and Radicals (Liberals, German Progress Party). Even after unification large numbers of Germans had difficulty in identifying with the new stateLiberals – increasingly conscious that Bismarck’s Empire was not the united Germany they had desired for so long.Conservatives – who remained un-reconciled to the idea of a united Germany.Workers’ movement felt that unification had done little to improve their lot and that the system had been deliberately designed to prevent them achieving their goals.National SymbolsNo national flag until 1896

No national anthem until 1922 (!)

Disagreement over national holidays

The Emergence of German IdentitySlide9

The

Niederwald

‘Germania’ Monument (1885) The Teutoburger Wald Monument (1875)Slide10

Statue of Bismarck in the Großer Stern in Berlin (1901)Slide11

PolesDanesAlsatiansOther Germans (Bavarians/Hanovarians)JewsEnemies Within: ‘Minorities’Slide12

Enemies Within: The Kulturkampf

1870: The doctrine of Papal Infallibility published.

1872: Catholic schools brought under state control. The Jesuit Order banned from Germany.

1873: The ‘May Laws’

Only candidates for ordination who had been trained in Germany and passed a state approved examination could become priests.

All religious appointments had to be approved by the state.

1874: Civil marriage introduced.

1875: All religious orders except nursing orders banned.

1878-80: End of the

Kulturkampf

– Dr Falk dismissed and some of the anti-Catholic laws repealed.

“Between Berlin and Rome”

Kladderadatsch

(1875)Slide13

Economic DevelopmentSlide14

The Development of the SPD1869: August Bebel and Wilhelm Liebknecht form the Marxist Social Democratic Workers’ Party.1875: This merges with Ferdinand Lassale’s General German Workers’ Association to form the Social Democratic Party of Germany (

Sozialdemokratische

Partei

Deutschlands, SPD) at a ‘Unity Conference’ in Gotha.

The party’s ‘Gotha Programme’ called for

“universal, direct, equal suffrage, with secret ballot and obligatory voting for all citizens over 20 years of age”

freedom of press, association and assembly

the abolition of child & female labour

a shorter working week

free, universal primary education

While the SPD was an avowedly Marxist party, pledged to overthrow the established bourgeois order, they were committed to doing so through legal means.

Founders of the SPD, August Babel (top left), Wilhelm

Leibknecht (top right), Carl Wilhelm Tölcke (bottom left) and Ferdinand Lassalle (bottom right) cluster around the guiding intellectual influence, Karl Marx.Slide15

Anti-Socialist Legislation

Bismarck was fundamentally opposed to Socialism – they represented a threat to the very fabric of the society he sought to preserve.

1876: Legislation banning the publication of Socialist propaganda defeated in the Reichstag.

1878: Two failed assassination attempts on Wilhelm I provide an opportunity to introduce anti-Socialist legislation.

Oct 1878: The Anti-Socialist Law passed by the Reichstag. This

Banned socialist organizations (including trade unions)

Gave the police powers to break up socialist meetings

Outlawed the publication and distribution of socialist literatureSlide16

1883: Sickness Insurance ActProvided medical treatment and up to 13 weeks sick pay for 3 million low-paid workers. 1884: Accident Insurance ActProvided protection for workers permanently disabled or sick for more than 13 weeks.1889: Old Age & Disability ActProvided old age and disability pensions for people over 70 and those permanently disabled.

State SocialismSlide17

1888 – The Year of Three Emperors

Wilhelm I (1861-88) Friedrich III (1888) Wilhelm II (1888-1918)Slide18

“I shall let the old man shuffle on for six months . . . then I shall rule myself.”

Wilhelm II

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‘Dropping the Pilot’“Dropping the Pilot”,

Punch

, 29 March 1890Slide20

AssessmentBismarck’s admirersHe maintained peace between 1871 and 1890His policies helped Germany’s economic developmentHe pioneered state socialism

In the 1870s he worked closely with the National Liberals and implemented many liberal policies

He was not a dictator – his powers were limited and he worked with the parties in the Reichstag

His long tenure in power points to his political skill

Bismarck’s critics

He was responsible for France remaining isolated and embittered

His influence has been exaggerated

“Negative integration” – using attacks on minorities to whip up patriotism

The

Kulturkampf

was a major miscalculation

His anti-socialist policies were unsuccessful

He was unable to delegate and jealous of perceived rivals

A flawed legacy – Bismarck’s rule led to Wilhemine & Nazi Germany