Transcript `New Course` under Kaiser Wilhelm II

HIST2086
Bismarck: The Iron Chancellor
Bismarck’s resignation
and
the ‘New Course’
(1890-1914)
Lecture 19
18 November 2010
Kaiser Wilhelm I and Bismarck,
1862-88
• Often stormy, emotional, noisy joint meetings
• Strong mutual comprehension of other
• Kaiser’s willingness to let Bismarck his own
way
= Bismarck’s hold on power never in question
Kaiser Friedrich III and Bismarck,1888
• Kaiser strongly influenced by his mother Augusta
von Sachsen & his wife Viktoria with liberal
ideas (≠ his father + Bismarck)
• Dismissal of Prussia’s conservative interior
minister von Puttkamer + Bismarck’s position no
longer secure
• Bismarck’s concerned about liberal and pro-British
tendencies of imperial couple
= Kaiser’s rule too short (99 days) to help his liberal
friends into long-lasting influential positions
Kaiser Wilhelm II
• Convinced German nationalist
• Committed to belief to rule by Divine Right
• Educated in Prussia’s military spirit
• Strongly interested in modern technologies &
sciences
• Complex character + full of contradictions:
☺Intelligent, talented, cultured, energetic
☻ Overbearing, arrogant, erratic
Kaiser Wilhelm II and Bismarck,
1888-90
•
•
•
•
(+) Yearlong friendship between them
(+) K.’s admiration for B. in public
(-) Age difference: K. 29 y. ≠ B. 73 y.
(-) B. underestimated K.’s determination to
rule + to reign
• (-) K.’s wish to dispense with B. ASAP
= Continuing conflicts …
Conflicts
• Foreign policy: K.’s questioning Germany’s links with
Russia ≠ B.’s insistence on R.I.T. of 1887
• Social policy: K’s confidence of winning over working class
by modest extension of welfare system (no child labour +
Sunday working)
≠ B.’s favour of further repression
→ B.’s attempt to make Anti-Socialist law permanent
defeated in Reichstag (Jan 1890)
→ K.’s sole announcement of new social laws
= B.’s trapped between self-confident K. + hostile
Reichstag: His power crumbled
Bismarck’s resignation
• Quarrel about ministers’ right to advise monarch
(Mar 1890):
→ B.’s insistence of order of 1852: ‘MinisterPresident as channel’
→ K.’s order to withdraw order
→ Stormy meeting + K.’s ultimatum to B. to resign
= B.’s resignation for ‘health reasons’
= Long-term estrangement between them
Imperial Chancellors, 1871-1918
• Fürst Otto von Bismarck, 1871-90
• Leo von Caprivi, 1890-94
• Fürst Chlodwig zu HohenloheSchillingsfürst, 1894-1900
• Bernhard von Bülow, 1900-09
• Theodor von Bethmann Hollweg, 1909-17
• Georg Michaelis, 1917
• Georg Graf von Hertling, 1917-18
• Prince Max von Baden, 1918
Germany’s Economy, 1815-1914
• Backward until 1830 but rapidly transformed by P
+ Customs Union (1834)
• Upsurge in agricultural production due to Ginvented chemistry (fertilizers)
• Strong growth of heavy industry + high technology:
Industrial Revolution starts ca. 1840s
• Surpassed GB ca. 1900-10 in production of iron,
steel, electrics, chemicals
= Rise to top-economic power in EU
Rise of Rightist Movements
- Agrarian League (Bund Deutscher Landwirte)
→ A manipulative strategy from Junkers AND
reflection of growing concerns of rural
population
- Pan-German League (Alldeutscher Verband)
→ Nationalism: ‘membra disiecta’ + Germans abroad
+ colonies
= Mass agitation with strong influence on society
= Conflict + cooperation with government
Domestic Politics, 1890-1914
‘New Course’ under Kaiser Wilhelm II
• Personal semi-authoritarian regime of Emperor (Kaiser)
• Lack of parliamentary-constitutional reforms
• Prevention of democratisation
• Permanent struggles between government and political
parties in parliament (Reichstag)
• Rise of SPD and Left Liberals: Major victory in 1912
= Feeling of siege” in government + growing perception of
being encircled by enemies from in- & outside G.
Foreign Politics, 1890-1900s
‘New Course’ under Kaiser Wilhelm II
• Imperialist power politics + colonialism in Africa &
Asia-Pacific
• Impulsive diplomatic actions of Wilhelm II
• General overestimation of G’s power position
= Non-renewal of alliance with R
→ Dual Alliance F + R: ‘Encirclement of G’ with
only A + OE as major allies
= Rising tensions with GB due to Tirpitz’ naval race
Foreign Politics, 1900s-1914
• Weltpolitik (world policy) :
To secure new colonial territories + spheres
of influence worldwide → Attempt to create
formal & informal empires
• Flottenpolitik (naval policy) :
To extensively enlarge German navy →
Attempt to create 2nd largest battle fleet to
rival GB
The German Colonies, 1913-14
Area in 1,000 square
kilometres
Population in 1,000:
Natives
Population in 1,000:
Whites
In Africa:
Togo
88
1,031
0,4
Cameroon
504
3,326
1,8
German South-West
Africa
830
80
15
German East Africa
1,020
7,645
5
In Asia and Pacific:
Palau, Caroline /
Marianne / Marshall
Islands, Samoa
13,2
15
0,5
German New Guinea
and Bismarck
Archipelago
230
719
0,9
Kiautschow
(Qingdao)
0,56
192
4,4
Collapse of Bismarck’s alliance system
• Franco-Russian Dual Alliance, 1894
• Germany’s naval construction program, 1898
• Britain abandons ‘splendid isolation’, 1898
→ British-Japanese Alliance, 1902
→‘ Entente Cordiale’ France-Britain, 1904
= Germany ‘encircled by enemies’: Two-Front-War
danger extremely high
Results
• Weltpolitik:
A failure → political drawbacks and diplomatic
isolation
• Flottenpolitik:
A failure → permanent estrangement with Britain
+ domestic stalemate after Reichstag elections
of 1912
= Strong feeling of overall stalemate in G’s
foreign AND domestic policies inside
German civilian + military leadership
Conclusion
• Long path to unified G. nation state made possible only by 3
wars vs. neighbours
• Liberalism weak due to strong position of conservatism &
militarism: Split into National (Right) + Left Liberals
• Struggle of authoritarian monarchy, with democratic
elements, vs. SPD & Left Liberals
• Overestimation of G’s power after Bismarck’s dismissal →
Isolation + tensions in EU
• Outdated political system ≠ economically & scientifically
most-advanced and modern state in world