Download The Responsive National State (1871-1914)

Jacob Schulman
AP Euro
February 14, 2007
Mr. Mumma
Days 6 & 7: The Responsive National State (1871-1914)
I. The Responsive National State:
A. Unification of Italy and Germany marked end of a period of nation building
- After 1871, Europe was organized into strong states
- Only on the extreme borders of Europe did people strive for unity and independence
B. After 1871, European nations had a common framework- national state
- Emergence of mass politics, growing loyalty towards the national state
C. Ordinary people felt increasing loyalty
- More people could vote1914- UMS is the rule
Made ordinary men feel like they were needed, that they could influence government
- Women started to demand voting:
- First success in US, by 1913- 12 states allowed women to vote
- Protests before 1914 gave way to triumph for women’s suffrage after WWI
D. National parliaments/parties started to represent people more responsively:
- Multiparty system existed in most countriesCould leverage rights for members
- Governments passed laws to eliminate general problemsMade them look better
E. Downside to building support:
- Gvts could manipulate national feeling to create a sense of unity, undermining problems
- After 1871: Gvts used antiliberal, militaristic policis to manage domestic issues, but
increased international tensionsLed to war in 1914
F. Some leaders tried to build extreme nationalist movements by stirring animosity towards
imaginary enemies (Esp. Jews)
The German Empire:
A. Germany after 1871: Federal union of Prussia + 24 other small states
- Strong national government with chancellor (Bismarck until 1890)
- Elected lower house (Reichstag)Gave political parties opportunities
B. National Liberals: supported Bismarck, legislation needed to further unify Germany
- Backed Bismarck’s attack on the Church- “Kulturkampf” (“Struggle for civilization”)
- Didn’t like Pius IX’s claim of papal infallibilityWanted church loyalty above nat’l loyalty
- Kulturkampf had only some success (only with Prots)Caths supported the church
- Bismarck ended Kulturkampf in 1878- uneasy alliance for economic sake
C. 1873: Worldwide financial crash
- Grain prices dropped due to shipments from US, Canada
- More railroads cut shipping prices
- Peasant farmers (Cath) couldn’t keep upCatholic Center Party had to raise tariffs
- Prot Junkers had to embrace cause of higher tariffspreviously favored free trade
Bismarck went along with the tariffMade everyone happy
D. Bismarck wanted to raise taxesChose to make higher tariffs
- Other nations did similarFrance: high tariffs to protect agriculture
- German gvt responded effectivelyGot even greater loyalty
Rise of self-centered nationalism came from protectionismLed to internat’l tension
E. Bismarck tried to stop growth of socialism: Feared its revolutionary message
- After 2 unsuccessful attempts to kill William I by radicals, Bismarck passed law through
the Reichstag
- Law strictly controlled socialist meetings, censored writings, outlawed Social Democratic
Party
The socialists displayed disciplineBismarck had to try something else
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F. Bismarck’s conservative state took social measures to get the support of the working class
- Laws of 1883, 1884: National sickness and accident insurance
- Law of 1889: old-age pensions and retirement benefits
Paid through contributions from wage earners and employers, grants from the state
First of its kind system
* Didn’t take people from voting socialist, but it protected them at least some
* Combination of political competition and government effort to win support
G. Issues in German domestic policy were socialism and Marxian Social Democratic party
- 1890: William II Emperor (young, unstable, idealistic)Opposed Bismarck’s law to keep
the ban on the socialist party
Forced Bismarck to resignGerman foreign policy changed for the worse
Made new laws to aid workers, legalize socialist party activity
H. William II couldn’t get workers to renounce socialism
- More Social Democrats were elected to the Reichstag in 1890s
Broadened base and got more patriotic tone after war in SE Africa
I. 1912: Socialists became the largest party in the Reichstagheightened fears of upheaval
Were actually becoming less radical
- Leading up to WWI: Socialist opposition to more military spending and expansion
declined
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Republican France:
A. War with Prussia undid efforts made by Napoleon III1871-France divided again
- Those who declared the 3rd Republic refused to admit defeat
Starved and defended Paris for weeks
B. France was forced by Germany to give up the Alsace-Lorraine Territory
Proclaiming of the “Paris Commune” (1871)- want Paris to govern without rest of Fr.
NA, led by Adolphe Thiers wouldn’t acceptFrench army crushed it
B. France slowly started to build a national unit, got much stability before 1914
- Monarchists could agree on who would be kingstarted to fade out
- Thiers’ firm measures showed the conservative countryside how good the new gvt was
C. Leon Gambetta: combined eloquence with personal touch
- Established absolute parliamentary supremacy between 1877-1879
Third Republic had firm foundations for 10 years, even with splitting into parties
D. Moderate Republicans- wanted to win the hears of the next generation
Legalized trade unions, acquired Colonies
E. Jules Ferry: got laws passed 1879-1886 for free public educationNation-builder
- France education had been controlled by the churchchanged to new teachers teaching
patriotic republicanism to win loyalty of the young citizens of the republic
- Encouraged teachers to marry, promised they would teach at same locationDifferent
from old nuns (celibate), could better cope with loneliness, worried about low birthrate
F. Many French Catholics rallied to the republic in the 1890slimited acceptance of the
modern world by pope Leo XIII
G. Dreyfus Affair: Imprisonment of a Jewish captain in the French army for being Jewish
Exposed disunity that still existed in France and that the political views were not consistent
all over France
- Dreyfus was finally proved innocent and revived republican views against the church
Gvt severed all ties with the Church and were not paid by the state any longer
Great Britain and Ireland:
A. Britain in the 19th cent was seen as an example of peace and successful evolution
- Seemed to enjoy an effective 2 party parliament skillfully governing the country
B. After middle class males got to vote in 1832, politicians were worried about new addition
- John Stuart Mill- On Liberty- (Benthamite), want to protect the rights of individuals in the
emerging age of mass election
- 1867- Benjamin Disraeli (Conservative Party)- extends vote the all middle-class males
and higher paid workerswanted to broaden Conservative support
Third Reform Bill of 1884: UMSwanted more votes
C. House of Lords was content to slumberTried to reassert itself
- Ruled against labor unions; after Liberal Party emerged, vetoed laws passed by the
commons- “People’s Budget” (to increase spending on social welfare)
Gave in when King threatened to introduce more lords to pass the bill
D. Led to popular democracySocial welfare measures passed quickly between 1906-1914
- Liberal Party- David Lloyd George- raised taxes on the rich in the People’s Budget
Nat’l health insurance, unemployment benefits, pensions
E. Ireland almost brought England to civil war on eve of WWIFamine fueled rev. movement
Eng started to ease up on Irelandprime minister William Gladstone intro’d bills to give
self-gvtHurt by the fact that Ireland was not unified (Caths [Ulster county] and Prots)
- Ulsterites vowed to resist home rule in IrelandRaised volunteers (100k) and were
supported by most of England
- Bill to compromise home-rule (excluding Northern counties) was not passed
Irish question was overtaken by a world war in August 1914
F. Irish developments showed the power of national feeling in the 19th centuryNo triumphs
were able to be won with conflicting nationalisms from Caths/Prots in Ireland
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- Sweden couldn’t stop the Norwegian national movementAble to break free
Austro-Hungarian Empire:
A. Conflicting nationalisms in Ireland was similar to Austro-Hungarian Empire in early 20th cent
- 1849: Magyar nat’lism drove Hungarians to declare independent empireCrushed
Ruled by Emperor Joseph Francis as a conquered territory, tried to Germanize it
B. Defeat by Prussia in 1866 caused Austria to compromise and establish “dual-monarchy”
- Divided the empire in 2Magyars got independence, “barbarians”
Had only a shared king, ministries of finance, defence, etc.
C. Austria: Germans were only 1/31895- Germans felt threatened by other ethnicities
- Particular division in the language to be used for educationMade it difficult to receive a
majority to pass bills, instead ruled by decree
D. Hungary: Magyar nobility restored constitution of 1848 and dominated everyone else
- Promoted use of Hungarian language in schools, gvtAngered minorities (leaders
wanted independence from Hungary)
E. 1871: Austro-Hungarian empire was destroyed by nationalism
Jewish Emancipation and Modern Anti-Semitism:
A. Revolutionary changes in Jewish life in W. and C. Europe
- France 1791: Jews gained civil rights (slowly though)
- Frankfurt Assembly endorsed full rights for German Jews
- 1871: Constitution of new German Empire consolidate Jewish emancipation in C.Eu.
* Exclusion from government employment and discrimination remained
B. Process of emancipation gave Jews challenges and opportunities
- Traditional Jewish jobs were undermined by free-market reforms
- Arts were opening to Jewish talent; excelled in wholesale and retail trade
- By 18871: Most Jews improved their position and joined the middle classes
C. Anti-Semitism reappeared after stock marked crash of 1873
- Modern development that built on general reaction against liberalism and its policies
- Belief that the Jewish race (NOT religion) posed a threat to German people
D. Anti-Semites made political parties to attack Jews (3% of votes in 1893 German election)
E. Karl Lueger and “Christian Socialists” won victories to turn Theodore Herzl from German
nationalism to Zionism (creation of a Jewish state)
- Lueger- fierce anti-semiteappealed to the German-speaking middle-class+Hitler
F. Before 1914: Most oppressive in E. U. (poverty)Russian Jews were denounced, police
and army didn’t pay attention as peasants looted and destroyed Jewish property
Jews left in search of a place to call their own
II. Marxism and the Socialist Movement:
A. Socialism troubled the prosperous and conservative citizens
- Before 1914- time of increasing conflict b/w Socialism and Nationalism
The Socialist International:
A. Socialism appealed to huge numbers of workers, growth of parties after 1871 was huge
B. Bismarck was unable to check the growth of the German Social Democratic party
- 1912: Millions of followers, largest party in Reichstag (Most successful in Germany)
C. Parties emerged in Russia (1883), France (late 1880s) (French Section of the Workers
International); Belgium and Austria-Hungary had strong parties too
D. Marxian socialist parties eventually linked together into an international organization
- The Communist Manifesto- “working men have no country”; moved to England
depressed, thought that the revolution would follow economic crisis (Capital-1867)
- Stayed friends with Richard Engels
E. Practical Organizer: 1864- founded the First International Working Men’s Association- used
as a means to spread his “scientific” doctrines of socialist revolution
F. Embraced the Paris Commune as a giant step towards socialist revolution
G. International proletarian solidarity was important1889- socialist leaders came together to
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form the 2nd International (until 1914)
- Every three years, met to discuss Socialist impact; had 1 main leader
Unions and Revisionism:
A. Socialism wasn’t really radical and revolutionaryWith more members, grew towards more
gradual change and improvement for the working class, less towards revolution
B. Workers were less inclined to follow radical programsfocused their attention on new
rights after they could vote, not immune to patriotic education, workers weren’t a unified social
group
C. Workers’ standard of living rose gradually after 1850 (higher wages, etc.)
Caused workers to become more moderate
D. Growth of labor unions reinforced the trend toward moderationInitially, unions were put
down and outlaws (people were even arrested for participating)
- GB: 1824,1825- unions gain right to exist, BUT NOT the right to strike
- More practical unions after Owen’s attempt to make 1 huge one failed
- Full acceptance in Britain by 1870sright to strike without being legally liable for $ lost
E. Germany was most industrialized, socialized, unionized country by 1914
- Unions didn’t get rights until 1869, until antisocialist law repealed in 1890
Skyrocketed the number of union members
- 1906-1913: Successful collective bargaining was prominentTONS were made
F. German trade unions and leaders were revisionists
- Revisionism: effort by various socialists to update Marxian doctrines to reflect realities
- Edward Bernstein: Evolutionary Socialism (1899)- Marx’s predictions of greater poverty
for the proletariat were proved false
Wanted to combine with other forces to win gradual gains for workers through unions
Denounced as heresy by the German Social Democratic Party and by 2nd International
G. France: Jean Juares- socialist leader- repudiated revisionist doctrines
- Russia: Questions of revolution split Russian Marxists
H. Before 1914: Socialist parties had clear-cut characteristics
- Russians and Austro-Hungarians were the most radical
- German empire was reformism, influenced by huge trade-union movement
- France: talked revolution and tried to practice it, but was not successful
- England: non-Marxian Labour party
I. Socialist policies and doctrines varied from nation to nation
- “nationalized” behind a façade of international unity
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