Transcript Historical debate

The problem with Wilhelms II
Germany
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Problems with democratic development
Influence of the Kaiser
Economic growth
Aggressive foreign policy
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The Kaiser
• “Wilhelm probably had greater control over the
course of events than any other ruler in Europe.”
• The person of the Kaiser has been much debated
– clever but emotional
– not a deep thinker
– Junker and an supporter of the army
• The army and the nobility (Junkers) dominated
politics in Wilhelmine Germany
– The army half a million
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Political parties
• Conservatives - Junkers - favoured
protectionistic politics
• Liberals turning towards the right
• The catholic Center party - balancing left
and right
• The social democratic party of the workers
– Became the largest party - opposed to
reformism in theory but not in practice
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Dropping of the pilot
• Wilhelm dismissed Bismarck because of disagreement
over two issues
– Wilhelm did not want to renew the reinsurance treaty
with Russia
– And he did not want to renew the anti-socialist
legislation of Bismarck
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Wilhelmine labor politics
• The problem of the rising worker population the main
internal problem
• Wilhelm preferred a more paternalistic view
towards the workers than Bismarck
• sundays rest-days
• laws against child labour
• Commercial treaties reducing tariffs on food
– This policy did little to reduce support of workers to the
social democrats
– The Junkers formed the agrarian league to fight for
protectionism
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4.2. Economic expansion
• Underlying factors:
– Rapid population growth 50-65 million people
1890-1910
– Steady growth in heavy industry (surpassing
Britain
– Railway expansion 41009 km to 60000 km
1890 to 1910
– Merchant fleet growing even faster
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Economic expansion
• Government and banks supportive of new
industries
– Germans progressive in electrical and chemical
industries.
• Fertilisers and sugar beets
• Half of world electrotechnical trade in German
hands 1913 – AEG Siemens
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Effect of economic boom
• Effect on working conditions
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Better wages
Slum clearance programs
increased demands of workers
the workers party SPD had limited say in
politics even if it was the largest party 1914
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5.3 Caprivi chancellor
• Caprivi rejected the Bismarckian idea of
enemies of the state:
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Anti-socialist laws allowed to lapse
Better working conditions
Less restrictions agains minorities
Some limits on Prussias independence
Agricultural tariffs reduced
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Caprivis fall
• Caprivi ran into trouble with liberals and
junkers –
• Wilhelm disappointed with the socialism of
workers.
• Even if Caprivi did not renew the
reinsurance treaty he had no “welt” interest
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5.4 Wilhelms chancellors
• Hohenlohe 1894-1900
– A lull before the storm
• Von Bulow1900-1909
– More aggressive in foreign adventures
– Daily Telegraph affair
• –Bulow sacked
• Wilhelm discredited
• Bethmann-Hollweg 1909-1917
– Ignorant of foreign affairs
– Not the best choice for july 1914
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The Reichstag
• Could never put pressure on government
• Why was it so weak
– Chancellor not responsible to reichstag
– Uneven constituencies
– Parties unable to form coalition
• Bismarck split them
• Not used to practical politics
• Social democrats – marxist rhetoric
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The predominance of the army
• The army is growing as the most powerful
instituion of government
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Weak Chancellors
Unreliable monarch
Divided reichstag
Germans couldn’t forget the glories of Sedan and
Sadowa
• Zabern affair - the army is predominant in society
• Schlieffen plan military thinking
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Fritz Fischers view
• “German foreign policy after 1897 must be
understood as a response to the internal threat of
Socialism and democracy”.
• Samlungspolitik:
– New tariffs on grain and the naval buildup program and
an ambitious foreign policy were attempts to capture
public support by government in serious difficulties.
– A new union of rye and steel
– The growth of the Social democratic party was
alarming – election victory 1912
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Foreign policy before Wilhelm II
• Bismarks policy:
– Isolation of France,
– keeping good relations with Russia
• Reinsurance treaty
• The new leaders thought this treaty
incompatible with promises to Austria
• The dismissal of Bismarck ended russogerman relations.
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Russian and British reaction
• 1891-1894 The Franco-Russian alliance formed.
– Now the Germans possibly face war on two fronts and
in 1891 the Schlieffen plan is drawn in response.
• Britain was the only power outside alliances to
1904
• Germans wanted to frighten the British into alliance.
• Naval building was supposed to do this but had
opposite effect
– From 1904 Austria and Germany are isolated.
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Weltpolitik
• Personal ambiton of the kaiser
• Appointed the hawks to office
– Tirpitz navalministry, Bulow foreign office
• Growing industry and economy needs outlet
• Unification only the first step to world power
• Weltpolitik united the people behind agressive
state nationalism
– Used to distract the workers and the middle classes
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Weltpolitik
• Great states want influence
– Had colonial ambitions - esp. after 1890
– But what they got was before 1890
• except two Samoan islands
– Kruger telegram
– Influnce in China
• Berlin-Baghdad railway through Ottoman empire
– supposed to open economic oppertunities
– but Germans had to share it with Britain and France
– limited economic and political advantage
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Wilhelm and navy expansion
• The isolation from Russia called for the
Schlieffen plan which called for increase in
the army.
• Bulow and Tirpitz started the naval
expansion by the naval laws (1897)
– Tirpitz convinced the reichstag and the public
of the necessity of this if Germany wanted to be
a world power.
– Naval arms race with Britain
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Morocco
• Colonial policy: want a sphere of influence,
trading rights etc.
• European policy: want to frustrate and
tackle the French in a save area.
• The all over gain was limited, Germany
gave Morocco up and got instead small
regions in Africa and a reassurance of
France and British entente.
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European foreign policy
• Navy, colonies, middle east affair all alianate the
british.
• 1905 a rather desperate attempt by Tsar Nicholas
and Wilhelm to reach agreement
– Bjork treaty not ratified
• With only the friendship of Austria and
halfhearted Italy, Germans start to complain about
encirclement
• whatever comes from Vienna is my command
(Wilhelm in 1912)
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Historical debate
• Wilhelmine Germany 1890-1914
– What was the mainstream of historical thinking about
Wilhelmine Germany before Fischer.
– Why did Fritz Fischers claim that Germany was
primarly responsible for the outbreak of the war call for
a new evaluation of Wilhelmine society and politics.
– If you look at Wehlers portrayal of Wilhelmine politics,
are they different from Bismarcks politics?
– What are the main points of criticism aimed at Wehlers
ideas by recent historians.
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The political situation
• Germany is hardly a democracy
• The democraticly elected reichstag has
legislative powers, limited control over
budget and no say in appointment of
ministers
• The ministers are responsible to the kaiser,
he appoints the and dismisses them
• The kaiser had also the power to dissolve
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the reichstag