1Who was General Hülsen?
1908, died at 52 after entertaining the Kaiser with a dance in a tutu
2Characterise Kaiser Wilhelm II (6)
- 27 in 1890
- Appeared ambitious and confident, but was inwardly nervous and unpredictable
- Controlling, but uncommitted to administrative work
- 'Reisekaiser' - travelling emperor
- Militaristic and with a love of pageantry
- Very sensitive to criticism
3Pan-German league and RS
60 RS deputies belonged to this league in 1914
4What was the relationship between WII and Caprivi?
Difficult, with WII often interfering as influenced by the camarillo
5Centre of Camarillo
Phillip Eulenburg
6Who was Baron von Holstein?
Strong right-wing nationalist who controlled foreign affairs 1890<
7When was Hohenlohe appointed chancellor?
1894; after Caprivi's resignation
8When was the initiation of Weltpolitik? What was it?
1897; an expansionist foreign policy including colonial and naval expansion
9How was Sammlungspolitik carried out?
Through right-wing pressure groups seeking influence in the Reichstag with the leadership of powerful elites
10When and what was the Navy League?
1898; promoted Weltpolitik and had c500,000 members
11When and what was the Agrarian League?
1893; promoted agricultural interests and had c250,000-330,000 in 1913
12When and what was the Industrialists' League?
1895; promoted manufacturing interests
13When and what was the Army League
1912; promote military expansion and had c300,000 and 500 branches by 1914
14When and what was the Pan-German League?
1891; aimed to unite ethnic Germans worldwide and suppress democracy and Judaism
15When was Bülow appointed chancellor?
1900; after Hohenlohe
16What was Caprivi's 'New Course'? (4)
- End Anti-Socialist Law
- Greater power for ministers
- Tariff reduction
- Social reform
171893 reduction of military service in(3)
- 3 -> 2 years
- Heptennial military review
- RS passes bill to increase army by 84,000
18When and what was the Schlieffen Plan?
1892; German Chief develops plan in case of war with France
19What are the examples of a continued attempt at restricting socialism? (2)
- 1894 Subversion Bill
- 1899 Anti-Union Bill
(Both failed due to a decrease in Conservative representation in the RS between 1893-98)
20How did WII describe Hohenlohe?
As a 'straw doll'
21What was Bülow's nickname?
'The eel,' because of his close relationship with and flattering of WII
22What was Bülow's approach to Sammlungspolitik?
Bülow abandoned the anti-socialism aspect but still tried to appeal to patriotism
23What law was introduced in 1902?
A new tariff law to appease agrarians and industrialists
24What did Posadwosky-Wehner do?
Introduced social reforms in the form of 'state socialism,' such as accident and health insurance
25Who was Posadowsky-Wehner?
He was the Minister for the Interior between 1900-03
26Why did the SPD increase vote in 1903? (2)
- Reception of credit for 1900-03 socialist policies
- Concerns about rising food prices bc of tariffs
27What reforms came into place as a result of socialist pressure?
- 1904: payment for RS deputies
- 1906: enablement of lower-middle and working class men to put themselves forward at deputies
28When and what was the Bülow Bloc? Why was it made?
1907; a coalition of Conservatives, Agrarian League members and Liberals, to avoid reliance on Zentrum
29When and what was the Hottentot election?
1907; Bülow used patriotism to swing the vote towards the right
30What happened to the National Debt between 1900-08?
It had doubled between these years
31How did the different parties want to approach the National Debt issue?
Right; favoured increased taxation on consumer goods
Left; favoured increased taxation on property and inheritance
32Why did Bülow resign?
A mix of a series of scandals and due to his failed 1909 finance bill
33When was Bethmann-Hollweg appointed Chancellor?
June 1909; after Bülow
34When and what was the Daily Telegraph Affair?
October 1908; Wilhelm II gave an interview to a British newspaper presenting Germans as anti-British to make his own image better, making Germans angry
35When and what was the Zabern Affair?
December 1913; harsh treatment of Alsace citizens supported by Wilhelm
36What the military and political state of Germany was by 1914?
Germany possessed the largest socialist party but also the largest military by this time
37What the state of the free trade unions were by 1913?
2.5m members and Europe's largest labour organisation, not including other, non-secular associations
38What was the Pan-German League's publication in 1912?
'If I were Kaiser,' and overtly anti-Semitic pamphlet
39What reform was pushed for but defeated in 1910?
A reform of the Prussian Landtag to move it away from the three-stage voting system
40When was universal male suffrage introduced?
1911, for those over 21
41Why did the SPD get 110 seats in 1912?
- Hollweg's failure to lush patriotism tactic
- Economic indebtedness
42What does Schattenkaiser mean?
'Shadow emperor'; policies were shaped mainly by economic circumstances and the influence of elite groups
43What was Wilhelm's 'personal rule'? When was it at its peak?
1897-1908; an (potentially unconstitutional) over-involvement in govt, dictating policy, appointments, legislation and diplomacy
44When and what was the Daily Telegraph Affair?
Oct 1908; publication of Wilhelm's opinions alienated GB, France, Russia, Japan, as well as Germany itself, as it felt he had not represented them at all
45What were the consequences of the Daily Telegraph Affair? (5)
- Worsened international relations
- Furore in German Press
- RS call for curbs on Wilhelm's activities
- Wilhelm only becomes more aloof
- Bülow made the scapegoat
46When and what was the Zabern Affair?
Dec 1913; while stationed in Alsace-Lorraine, German officers said disgusting things about France. It was leaked to the newspapers, causing a big scandal, but Wilhelm expressed his support for the military there.
47What were the consequences of the Zabern Affair? (4)
- Prompted heated Reichstag debate over German militarism
- Vote of no-confidence against Bethmann-Hollwegg
- Put severe strain on relationship between Alsace-Lorraine and Germany
- Loss of Kaiser's prestige
48What have the 1890s been described as?
The period when the 'masses' became more politically organised and formidable; a movement away from Bismarckian politics in which the population had been excluded from the political process
49Whose side did the Kaiser fall on in relation to the 'masses' politics?
The right wing-nationalist pressure groups and the military
50What was the state of the SPD by 1914?
The largest Socialist party in Europe
51What was the state of the military by 1914?
The largest in Europe
52When and what was May Day?
International Workers' Congress in Paris designated May Day as a public holiday in 1889, and in 1919 the National Assembly in Weimar declared it a public holiday in Germany; gave workers a sense of solidarity and identity
53When and what were the SPD conferences?
Halle, 1890, and Erfurt, 1891; well-attended and created the Erfurt Programme, which committed the party to Marxism
54How was the SPD divided?
Only to a small degree, but there was a struggle between those who wanted revolution, Luxemburg and Liebknecht, and those who wanted evolution, such as August Bebel
55When and what was the General Federation of Trade Unions?
1890; founded by Carl Legien, campaigning for workers' rights and encouraging strikes to achieve their ends
56How large were free trade inions by 1913?
They had 2.3m+ members, becoming Europe's largest labour organisation
57How many members of trade unions were there overall by 1914?
c5.8m
58Who supported the Zentrum?
- Catholics
- Minorities
59Who supported the National Liberals?
- Upper-middle classes
- Businesses
60How were the Liberal parties divided?
- Right: National Liberals; oppose socialism and favour expansionism
- Left: Progressives; more oppositional, social reform and RS power extension
61Who did the DKP represent?
- Junkers
- Military officers
62Who did the FKP represent?
- Non-Prussian landowners
- Industrial elites
63Who opposed all reformist policies and became very confrontational from 1900?
Pan-German League
64When and what was the Pan-German's league pamphlet published by Heinrich Class?
1912, 'If I were Kaiser', overtly Anti-Semitic