Download KEY TERM DEFINITION

Revision: German Unification (by Leonie, Lea & Christina)
KEY TERM
DEFINITION
(Anglo-Prussian)
Dualism
Austria and Prussia had a long running conflict and rivalry for
supremacy in central Europe during the 18th and 19th century,
this became known as Dualism. Wars were part of the rivalry
but also a race for prestige to be seen as the legitimate force of
the German-speaking people.
“blood & iron”
Prussian Prime Minister Otto von Bismarck delivered his
1862
famous “Blood and Iron” speech at a meeting of the budget
commission of the Prussian Parliament on September 30, 1862.
He emphatically called for a “smaller German” nation-state
dominated by Prussia and rejected demands for liberal reforms
(and he criticised the revolution of 1848/9… parliamentary
democracy is of no use)
Wars of Unification The German empire came into being as a result of three wars
fought by Prussia between the years 1864 and 1871. These
three wars became known as the wars of unification. (GermanDanish War, Austro-Prussian War, Franco-Prussian War )
German-Danish
Schleswig and Holstein were under Danish sovereignty. After
War
the death of the Danish king, Christian of Glücksburg succeeded
(1864)
and annexed Schleswig. After this Prussia and Austria
intervened. The Danes were quickly defeated. The treaty of
Vienna followed with the Danish surrender. The Gastein Treaty
distributed Holstein to Austria and Schleswig to Prussia. They
remained under joined sovereignty (who wanted that and
why?); there was no full annexation by Prussia. (How about the
connection between Schleswig, Holstein and the German
Confederation? German-speaking people?)
Austro-Prussian
In 1866 there was again dispute over the duchies of Schleswig
War
and Holstein. Bismarck concluded a secret alliance with Italy
(1866)
and provoked Austria by proposing an unacceptable
constitution to the federal diet (repeatedly). Austria broke the
Gastein Treaty (by doing what?). The Austrian troops were
quickly defeated. There was no annexation of Austrian territory.
(Why not? Why would Bismarck convince the King of treating
Austria rather leniently?) => end of Austro-Prussian dualism
It followed the creation of the North German Confederation and
Italy gained Venetia.
Battle of Königgrätz The battle of Königgrätz was the decisive battle of the AustroPrussian war in which Austria was defeated on July 1866. The
Prussian victory entailed Austria’s exclusion from a Prussiandominated Germany.
North-German
The North-German Confederation was the union of the German
Confederation
states north of the river Main formed in 1867 under Prussian
hegemony after Prussia’s victory over Austria in the AustroPrussian war in 1866.
(Berlin was its capital, The Prussian king also served as the
Confederation’s king, and the Prussian chancellor was its chancellor
as well)
Its constitution served as a model for that of the German
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Empire. The Confederation was in general a step towards the
unification of Germany and a symbol of Prussian dominance,
due to the exclusion of Austria.
Zollparlament
(customs union
parliament)
Hohenzollern
Candidature
Ems Telegram
Franco-Prussian
War
(1870-1871)
Battle of Sedan
In the time of the North German Confederation the southern
states were forced to join the customs union parliament. In
some parts it can be seen as a step towards unification,
nevertheless representatives who were against a unification
were elected for this parliament, so it was all in all no (major)
step towards unification.
In 1868 the Spanish Queen Isabella II was deposed and the
crown was offered to Prince of Leopold of the Hohenzollern
dynasty. (= Prussia!)
Prussia welcomed this because they expected an improvement
of trade and sympathies, moreover it should prevent France
from going to war with Prussia and enhance the Spanish
gratitude towards Prussia.
France was against this agreement due to the fact that they
believed a Prussian puppet would be on the Spanish throne and
they would be geographically encircled (by?).
A telegram sent to Otto von Bismarck and subsequently
published by him in an edited version designed to offend the
French government. The telegram reported an encounter
between King William I of Prussia and the French ambassador,
in which William politely refused to promise that no member of
his family would ever seek the Spanish throne, which would
constitute a threat to France. The edited version published by
Bismarck was much harsher, leaving for example out the king’s
reasons for rejecting the French demand, and it was designed to
provoke the French. The telegram was a public humiliation for
France and it followed the French declaration of war (as
clamoured for by the French population).
The Franco Prussian war was the war in which a coalition of
German states led by Prussia defeated France. (southern states
joined North in war)
It was caused by the Ems telegram, a public humiliation of
France instigated by Bismarck. After France was defeated in the
Battle of Sedan, the Treaty of Frankfurt was initiated and the
German Empire was proclaimed in Versailles on January 8,
1871.
The war marked the end of French hegemony in continental
Europe and resulted in the creation of a unified Germany.
The battle of Sedan was the decisive battle fought during the
Franco-Prussian war on September 1, 1870. It resulted in the
capture of Emperor Napoleon III and large numbers of his
troops. Furthermore it decided the war in favour of Prussia and
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its allies.
Treaty of Frankfurt
The Treaty of Frankfurt was a peace treaty signed in Frankfurt
on May 10, 1871 at the end of the Franco-Prussian War. It
included the annexation of Alsace-Lorraine (coal, iron!) by
Germany and an indemnity by France. Moreover, German
soldiers were stationed in France until the reparations were
paid.
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KEY QUESTIONS
 What was Bismarck’s attitude towards Austria / war?
Until 1854 Bismarck’s stance remained rather pro-Austria. Many commentators
have interpreted the later transformation as the result of Austria’s attempt to
change Germany’s status quo in its favour. Later on Bismarck’s attitude towards
Austria was a rather negative one. He was in favour of the “smaller” German
solution, which excluded Austria. Over the Schleswig-Holstein affair, he isolated
Austria successfully from Russia and from France in preparation for the conflict
of 1866 when the Austro-Prussian war took place.
Afterwards Bismarck goaded France, with the help of the Ems telegram, into war
(Franco-Prussian War) by which the German states were finally unified. This
shows his acceptance of going to war, and provoking war in order to reach his
goals. In his mind ‘war is the continuation of politics by other means’ (p.43
Flagship History book). Nevertheless, he regarded those ‘other means’ as
dangerous and to be avoided whenever possible. On the other hand his ‘blood
and iron’ speech gives the impression that he was indeed in favour of using
violent means to unify Germany and that they were in fact unavoidable.
 In how far was the Zollparlament a step towards unification?
The Zollparlament was a in some parts a step towards the unification of Germany.
The change of the customs union parliament into a political institution was an
attempt to bind the southern states closer to the Prussian-dominated NorthGerman Confederation. And with the help of the parliament the economic
unification of Germany was reached in some perspective.
Nevertheless, in the customs union elections representatives who were directly
against a unification were elected. This and the fact that the participants from the
south were forced to join leads to the conclusion that the customs union
parliament cannot be seen as a (major) step towards unification.
 Was it a unification “by blood and iron”?
Bismarck gave a speech to the budget commission of the Prussian federal diet on
September 29, 1862, which has become famous as the “blood and iron” speech. In
this speech the chancellor argues that an army is needed to solve the
constitutional crisis (i.e.?), that problems like this cannot be solved by speeches
or majority verdicts, but have to be solved by military means.
Now the question arises if the whole unification can be seen as a unification by
“blood and iron”. When talking about this one has to take into account that
Bismarck’s attitude towards war was “positive”, that means that he was sure that
war was inevitable for a unification, and this war clearly a part of his programme.
Furthermore the wars of unification from 1864 to 1871 of course also speak for
this statement.
All in all one can assume that Bismarck clearly included the measures of blood
and iron in his plans for a unified Germany, he manipulated other states or
alliances in order to achieve his goals, making use of military means. Moreover he
used the wars in order to create a feeling of nationalism among the Germans.
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 Was it a unification “from above”?
The unification of Germany was not caused by a democratic movement of the
German population, but by the measures taken by the authority. Nevertheless, it
was demanded by a wide part of the German people, and the authority gained
support by the population during and after the wars.
 What impact did the Treaty of Frankfurt have on Franco-German relations?
The treaty had a negative impact on the Franco-German relations.
The terms of the treaty were regarded as too harsh among the French and
created a general animosity among them towards Germany, also known as
revanchism.
 “hereditary enmity”; Treaty of Versailles…
 humiliation: proclamation of the Empire in the Hall of Mirrors / Versailles
 How did the other European nations react to the “rise of Germany”?
The other European powers were not in favour of Germany’s rise to power,
especially due to their annexation of a lot of new territory they feared the balance
of power within Europe threatened. With the creation of Germany in 1871, the
old balance of power involving France, a rump Brandenburg-Prussia, AustriaHungary, and Russia was replaced by a new system.
France was humiliated by the Ems telegram, furthermore the loss of AlsaceLorraine and Treaty of Frankfurt as said before caused their displeasure; this
indicates of course that they feared Germany’s new power.
Austria of course also had to accept a defeat in the Austro-Prussian War and the
exclusion from Germany within Europe.
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KEY TERM
DEFINITION
Second Empire
After the ‘wars of unification’ the Second German Empire
was proclaimed in Versailles on January 18, 1871.
Negotiations between monarchs and governments resulted
in a ‘unification from above’ which was the opposite of the
aspired (but failed) unification in 1848/49. The power
stayed with the rulers of 25 still remaining single states and
on top was the ‘Kaiser’, who was simultaneously the king of
Prussia. Otto von Bismarck became chancellor and
maintained important influence
1871 Constitution
The constitution of 1871 was based on the one of the North
German Confederation and consisted of a complex entity of
federal and centralist components. It was the attempt to
find a balance between the interest of liberals and
aristocrats. Two important bodies were part of the new
‘Reich’: the ‘Bundesrat’, consisting of representatives from
the states and the ‘Reichstag’, elected by the male
population older than 25 years. The emperor had the major
influence on the governmental bodies as well as on the
chancellor Bismarck. (fig leaf for absolutism?)
Political
The several political parties represented the diverse
parties
strands among the German population
The
Party with strength among Prussia’s Protestant and
Conservativ aristocratic landowners and dominance in the Prussian
es
Landtag. It was suspicious of Bismarck’s approaches
towards liberalism and nationalism but remained a
moderate force in the ‘Reichstag’.
The Centre Party representing the interest of the Roman Catholic
Party
Church with members of all social classes was seen as dual
threat by Bismarck to the new Reich. Being seen as the
opposition, the party’s electoral success was constant and
its internal coherence consolidated.
The
Bismarck’s strongest supporters endorsed the unification,
National
the change to an industrialist Germany and the
Liberals
‘Kulturkampf’. Its members were mainly from the
protestant elite who opted for a liberal constitutional state.
The Social The workers’ party was basically opposed to the political
Democrats system during the Reich and demanded social reforms.
Declared as enemies of the state the SAP (Sozialistische
Arbeiter Partei), precursor of the SPD, was prohibited in
1878. But the suppression did not harm the party’s rise; the
number of members and its importance grew steadily.
The Left
The left-wing socialist force remained modest in 1871
Enemies of the
Bismarck tried to consolidate the inner coherence in the
state(Reichsfeinde)
Reich and therefore declared two groups enemies of the
state: the Social Democrats and the Catholics. He wanted to
contain both strands of “threats to the Reich” and took
several measures to combat them. He feared his political
dominance to be endangered and wanted to work towards
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‘Carrot
and stick
policy’
(Zuckerbr
ot und
Peitsche)
AntiSocialist
laws
State
Socialism
Struggle for Culture/of
Civilization
(Kulturkampf)
Papal Infallibility
(Unfehlbarkeit)
Falk Laws
Pulpit and School Laws
a constitution which did not diminish this.
Bismarck’s reaction to the industrialization was two-sided:
on the one hand he tried to suppress the socialist
movement with laws against socialism and declared the
socialist ‘Reichsfeinde’, on the other hand his ‘state
socialism’ improved the conditions for the workers
significantly.
The socialists were accused by Bismarck of two assaults
upon Kaiser Wilhelm I and this helped to increase the fear
of a revolution. The laws, which banned socialist
associations and assemblies, trade unions and party’s press
publications, were released by the newly elected Reichstag
and repeatedly renewed until 1980.
Several measures were taken to improve the workers’
conditions such as the implementation of poor relief, health
care and social insurances. Bismarck had recognized that
the “stick” alone could not conquer socialism, so he
intended to appease the working class and detract support
for the socialists with the “carrot”.
The ‘Kulturkampf’ against the Catholic church, represented
by the Centre Party, dominated the first decade of domestic
policies in the Reich. Bismarck, supported by the liberals,
forced the separation of state and church because he feared
the papal influence on the new Reich and on his authority
(string Catholic south; late to join in / unification). He
released several laws to diminish the importance of the
church to strengthen his own.
The doctrine of Papal Infallibility was defined in 1870 and
said that any moral or doctrinal statement made by the
pope was, due to his position as God’s representative on
Earth, ultimately correct and unquestionable. The doctrine
did undermine the chancellor’s authority and was a clear
challenge to his power.
Adalbert Falk was the Prussian Minister of Religious Affairs
and, instructed by Bismarck, he took firm action against the
Catholic church during the ‘Kulturkampf’. First, he cut any
diplomatic relation with the Vatican (May 1872), then
banned the Jesuit Order in Germany (July 1872) and finally
released the ‘May Laws’ (1873). Those laws subordinated
the Catholic church nearly entirely to estate regulation
(education of clergy, clerical appointments, governmental
final examination for clerics, strict control…) and in 1875
the compulsory civil marriage was created.
The Pulpit Law (Kanzelparagraph) was a decree that
prohibited all clerics to make state affairs the subject of
announcement (in sermons) that could endanger the public
peace. In case of violation, imprisonment of up to two years
was the punishment. The Pulpit Law was included in the
criminal code in 1871 until 1953. The school laws included
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(political) antiSemitism //
“Germanisation”
School reform
the stately supervision of schools.
After an economic crisis in 1873, Jews were regarded as one
reason for the misery and anti-Semitic parties, hostility and
prejudices germinated in the Reich. The German people tried
to petition against the equal treatment of Jews in 1880 and the
lower classes felt their existence threatened by them.
Furthermore, a part of Bismarck’s ‘Kulturkampf’ was a hostile
policy towards the Polish that he regarded as a threat to the
Reich (why?). The “Germanisation” should suppress the
national and cultural identity of the Poles (by doing what?),
but it also intensified their coherence (how?).
The whole supervision of schools was taken away from the
church and given to the state.
 New curricula? Purpose => teaching obedience /
preventing socialist ideas from spreading
KEY QUESTIONS
 The 1871 Constitution – A fig leaf for absolutism?
Karl Liebknecht declared the Reichstag to be a” fig leaf covering the nakedness of
absolutism” and this was a clear offensive against the new constitution. Germany in 1871
was a federal state with a division of power between central and state governments.
Even though Prussia remained the most influential force and had the largest
representation in the Reichstag (cf. number of seats and number of seats needed for a
veto). Also, the Prussian king was not only head of state, he was simultaneously the
German Kaiser, had control over the army, appointed his own ministers and also the
chancellor. (chancellor was only responsible to the Emperor)
Democratic features of the new constitution were the universal manhood suffrage for the
Reichstag elections and the existence of various, independent parties.
The Bundesrat was composed of representatives of the German states, chosen by the
Emperor.
But Germany was, at this time, often accused of being no full constitutional monarchy
because the Reichstag had no direct control over the actions of the chancellor or the
army and it had little say concerning foreign policy. Furthermore the chancellor was
member of no political party, so he stood aloof from the party system and the direct role
of parties in government policy was minimized. These circumstances that resemble an
authoritarian state system underlined the Reichstag’s ineffectiveness being subject to a
number of limitations, the development into a true parliamentary body was prevented
and the Kaiser held most of the power.
 Was Bismarck’s rule at home a chancellor-dictatorship?
The Chancellor was, according to the 1871 Constitution, elected and dismissed by
the Kaiser who was head of state. Therefore, he was subject to the emperor and
did not have leeway. Still, Bismarck held three very important positions: he was
chancellor, Prussian prime minister and the Minister-President of Prussia’s
presidency of the Bundesrat.
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Furthermore, Bismarck was only answerable to the Kaiser and the Reichstag
could not outlaw him anyway. The power of the Reichstag was limited, it could
not propose laws, did not appoint the chancellor and had only minimal control
over the budget (respectively: gave up the power to decide on the budget). So
Bismarck had a lot of influence on German politics and had much say but he was
also restricted by the Kaiser’s opinion and will. (but Emperor mainly relied on
Bismarck; Bismarck threatening to dissolve the RT as a means of control; still, ne
needed support of RT, esp. for Anti-Socialist legislation)
 What was Bismarck’s attitude towards political parties?
Bismarck, as the chancellor of Germany, did not belong to a party himself. His idea of the
state was hardly compatible with democracy or liberalism and he disliked political party
participation (cf. attitude towards 1848/9). He wanted to diminish the influence of the
parties, as far as their opinion did not match with his conservative ideas. Strikingly, he
played parties off against each other. During his mandate his tendencies and
collaboration-partners changed often and radically and former “friends” became
opponents. For example in the beginning he collaborated, supported and shared views
with the Liberals but later (in 1878) Bismarck abandoned them and turned to the
conservatives
Bismarck’s dislike of other parties became very obvious when he declared the Centre
Party and the SPD as “Reichsfeinde”.
 What were the aims of and how successful was Bismarck’s domestic policy?
The aims of Bismarck’s policy were first of all to preserve the “status quo” with ruling
elites in power and therefore to prevent a revolution (from below) so he declared his
opponents as “Reichsfeinde”. Furthermore, he wanted to secure the Kaiser’s position and
his hegemony and eliminate the pope’s influence on German people. He wanted the final
separation of church and state. Against the “Reichsfeinde” he agitated as following: he
wanted to stop the growth of the SPD, control them, prevent their revolution and
prevent a spread of socialism. So, initially he passed the Anti-Socialist laws and
persecuted the socialists but when he recognized that his strategy of antagonism and
hostility did not work out properly (cf. steady gain in votes for SPD; socialism as an
international phenomenon; strengthening SPD by persecution => togetherness) he had
to try different means and created social welfare programs to win their support (to take
away votes for them!).
Concerning the “Kulturkampf” against the Catholics, Bismarck wanted to decrease the
influence of the church and the pope to a minimum. (loyalty: Pope not Reich; mainly
Catholic South)
Yet, the success of his domestic policy was reduced to the increase of the economic
importance and the Reich was extended to an economic and judicial unity. His other aims
failed strikingly. Bismarck lost the support from several parties like the Centre Party and
also from his former backers, the National Liberals, who turned away from him because
he abandoned free trade and started to collaborate with the Conservatives.
Most important, his enemies (Catholics, Socialists) were not weakened but considerably
strengthened: the socialist movement and their growth increased, and an underground
network was created. The Centre Party was the largest party by 1884, and ties between
Catholics and their resistance became stronger. It was a very bitter defeat for Bismarck
that nearly all laws he instituted, (except for school law and civil marriage) of the
“Kulturkampf” were later revised (1887). All in all Bismarck’s domestic policy was quite
unsuccessful. (roots of political anti-Semitism)
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KEY TERM
DEFINITION
Ottoman Empire
(Osmanisches Reich)
The Ottoman Empire began as a small Turkish principality
in the 13th century and ruled the Balkan states until they
wanted independence influenced by the rise of nationalism
in Europe which also triggered a conflict between Russia
and Austria. Russia supported the Balkan states (Slavs)
while Austria saw the Balkan uprising as a threat because it
also consisted of many different ethnic groups.
Three Emperors’
The League of Three Emperors was an alliance between
League
Germany, Russia and Austria in 1872 in order to maintain
(Dreikaiserbund)
the status quo in Europe and cooperate in the elimination
of socialism and work for peace. But it was no military
alliance and was not very stable as well because of tensions
between Austria and Russia caused by the situation in the
Balkans 1877. Russia went to war with Turkey in order to
support the Serbs and Bulgarians, therefore Austria feared
its position in that area. However, the League was renewed
in 1881 and in 1884 for further three years.
Berlin Congress (1878) Bismarck was in command of the Berlin Congress in order
to solve the conflict in the Ottoman Empire but the
agreement caused lasting tensions. While Austria gained
control over Bosnia-Herzegovina, Britain gained control
over Cyprus and Bulgaria was divided. And even though
Russia got back its lost land from 1856, they felt robbed
and Germany fell out of Russia’s favour. (honest broker)
Dual Alliance
The Dual Alliance was an alliance between Germany and
(Zweibund)
Austria-Hungary in 1879 which left out Russia and secured
an assistance in case of a Russian attack and the neutral
disposition in the event of an invasion.
Triple Alliance
In 1882 the Dual Alliance was extended into the Triple
(Dreibund)
Alliance with Italy. It ensured mutual support in case of
being attacked by other countries.
Reinsurance Treaty
After the Dreikaiserbund was ruined by another Balkan
(Rückversicherungsvertr crisis from 1885 until 1887, Germany made a secret
ag)
Reinsurance Treaty with Russia in 1887 which promised
each other to remain neutral in case of an attack by a third
country. The treaty was very important because it would
prevent a two-front war in case of a French attack.
Mediterranean
To prevent further Russian expansion into the Balkans and
Agreement
to maintain the status quo in the Mediterranean regions
after Bismarck had secretly reorganized Russia’s rights in
Bulgaria and the Straits after the Bulgarian Crisis 1885,
Bismarck persuaded Britain, Austria-Hungary and Italy to
sign the Mediterranean Agreement in 1877.
’nightmare of coalitions’ Bismarck’s primary aim was to avoid war at all costs but
// two-front war
that was no guarantee that other states would avoid war
with Germany as well. Bismarck’s greatest fear was a war
with France and with Russia, which meant a two-front war
for Germany because of its vulnerable position in Europe.
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‘saturated Empire’
Even though France was weakened by the Franco-Prussian
War, Bismarck knew that it would recover soon and would
be desirous for revenge and trying to regain the lost AlsaceLorraine. Therefore he was determined to isolate France
(through alliances) and to prevent a Franco-Russian
alliance.
After the German unification 1871 and the wars of
unification, Bismarck saw Germany as being saturated
because he thought that further expansion would threaten
the balance of power in Europe and would cause a twofront war with France and Russia in the worst case. Further
he knew that other European powers would not tolerate
any further territorial acquisitions (and he first of all
intended to consolidate the Empire’s position in terms of
domestic policy)
KEY QESTIONS
 What were the aims of and how successful was Bismarck’s foreign policy?
First of all, one has to say that Bismarck’s foreign policy consisted of a complex
system of alliances. The function of the alliances should be the prevention of war,
especially a two-front war with Russia and France. In order to avoid this case,
Bismarck tried to isolate the French through certain alliances, especially with
Russia as well as with Austria. All treaties by Bismarck served to either remain
neutral or to support each other in the case of an attack and especially secured
Germany from a French attack. Therefore one can say that Bismarck had
established a well-organized system of alliances by 1890 that kept France and
Russia apart, but the failure to renew the Reinsurance Treaty introduced the
turning point of Bismarck’s successful foreign policy and his maintaining of the
status quo in Europe. Under Bismarck’s successor Leo von Caprivi Russia and
France established a counter-alliance in 1894 (an Entente!) which destroyed
Bismarck’s aim to separate the powers. All in all, one can say that Bismarck had
created a successful system in order to isolate France and prevent war, but this
system was too complex to maintain for lesser statesmen like Caprivi.
 What was Bismarck’s attitude towards the acquisition of colonies?
Bismarck was no colonial expansionist and not in favour of the acquisition of
colonies, especially because he saw Germany as a saturated Empire that had no
need for colonial expansion anymore. However, he founded colonies in Cameroon
and Togo (1884) and in East Africa (1885) in order to protect trade, to safeguard
raw materials and export markets and to take opportunities for capital
investment, all in all to maintain economic predominance. Further, he was under
pressure because the colonial issue affected German society. All in all, one can say
that Bismarck was not interested in colonial expansion but saw himself forced to
acquire colonies for economic reasons and caused by desire for colonies in
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Germany. (arguments for / against colonial expansionism in Germany? Further
intentions? Later: ‘place in the sun’?)
KEY TERM
DEFINITION
ThreeEmperors-Year
(1888)
(Dreikaiserjahr)
Because of the working relationship between Bismarck and Kaiser
Wilhelm I, who allowed Bismarck to make his own decisions, his
death in 1888 meant a decisive change for Bismarck. The successor
of the Kaiser, Friedrich, only reigned for three months and died. The
new successor was Wilhelm II, who was only 29 years old and was
determined to rule Germany himself. Further there was a clash of
personalities between him and Bismarck and they could not agree
over matters of policy, especially over the issue of socialism. While
Wilhelm favoured a policy of more social reform, Bismarck wanted
to introduce a more aggressive anti-socialist bill. After the Social
Democrats could enlarge the number of seats in the Reichstag,
Bismarck wanted to reduce the Reichstag’s power, which was
opposed by Wilhelm II. He wanted a new Chancellor, namely Leo
von Caprivi. After giving Bismarck an ultimatum, the latter resigned
in 1890 and was replaced by General Caprivi.
KEY QUESTIONS
 Why did Bismarck resign in 1890?
One of the major reasons for Bismarck’s resignation was Kaiser Wilhelm II, the
successor of Wilhelm I and Friedrich III and his different view on politics,
especially how to deal with the socialists, and Wilhelm’s desire to reign Germany
alone. As Wilhelm was much younger than Bismarck, their personalities did not
fit together. When the Social Democrats ‘ number of seats in the Reichstag rose to
35, Bismarck planned a coup in order to reduce their power but Wilhelm II did
not support the plan and wanted to replace Bismarck with Leo von Caprivi. The
Kaiser insisted on the Chancellor’s resignation until Bismarck resigned on 29
March 1890.
 How important was Bismarck in the process of German unification from
1862 to 1890?
First of all, one can say that Bismarck is responsible for (is the architect of) the
German unification of 1871 through the Wars of Unification with Denmark,
Austria and France and the confederation of princes. In Bismarck’s eyes the
German Reich was saturated and had no need to expand anymore, the outer
unification was done. Bismarck’s task at hand was to complete the German
unification inside the Reich. Even though he said: ‘ Let’s put Germany in the
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saddle, she will know how to ride’, which means that the process of the inner
unification will happen automatically, he had to face two major conflicts in
domestic policy: the “struggle for culture” and the socialist laws. Bismarck fought
against the Catholic Church and introduced laws against the Catholic influence as
well as measures of secularization as civil marriage and that the church had no
longer the supervision of schools. On the other hand he persecuted Socialists,
abolished the freedom of assembly and introduced Anti-Socialist laws and
censorship in order to weaken the SPD. All in all, Bismarck outer unification can
be seen as a great success, especially because it fulfilled the desire of many
nationalists. On the other hand, the inner unification has to be seen as having
failed miserably, because of Bismarck’s proceeding against political opponents
and his autocratic style of government that prevented the Germans from
becoming ‘citizens’ in the true sense. Therefore Bismarck can be named as an
important factor for German unification having unified the single states, but
however failed to unify German citizens and society.
 From Bismarck to Hitler? German “Sonderweg” (special
path)?
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