1. Ruling the Second Reich, 1871-79

• The Franco-Prussian War

  1870-71
• The Northern German Confederation

  1867 - Prussias success in the 7 week war All the German states joined the confederation
• The Kaiser

  power to appoint and dismiss chancellor and to dissolve the reichstag - controlled foreign policy - make treaties and alliances - supervised the execution of all federal laws
• The Chancellor

  responsible to the emperor not the reichstag - could appoint or dismiss state secretaries responsible for various ministries
• the reichstag

  national parliament - elected by all males over 25 - accept or reject legislation - limited power to initiate new laws -
• the bundesrat

  58 members - nominated by the state assemblies - Prussia had 17 members - power to change the constitution
• the federal government

  responsibilities for the Reich
• the lander

  25 states - own constitution and administrative systems
• disunity

  each state had own traditions - 60% of population protestant (catholicism strong in the south-west) - 10% of the Reich pop were poles, Danes or French - economic and social divisions, rich and poor, industrial and rural
• Prussian dominance

  60% of German pop possessed by Prussia and 2/3 of territory - Prussian autocracy dominant in political, military and administrative structure of the empire -
• Germanisation of Prussia

  prussia could no longer be governed without consideration of the wider interests of Germany - influence slowly undermined
• Reichstag weaknesses

  bismarck wanted political power in Germany to remain in traditional hands - little opportunity for the exercise of democracy
• Reichstag strengths

  Kaiserreich needed a vast number of new laws, no bill could become a law until it passed the reichstag - no other parliament in the world in the 1870s was elected on a broader franchise
• the national liberals

  strongest political party - protestant middle class support - supported parliamentary democracy - Bismarcks most reliable allies
• the centre party

  defend catholic interests - second largest party
• the social democratic party

  SPD - moderate and revolutionary socialists - aim was to overthrow the existing order - campaigned for nationalisation
• the german conservative party

  mainly composed of Prussian landowners - sceptical about German unification
• the free conservatives

  wider geographical and social base - landowners and industrialists
• the progressives

  liberal party - opposed to Bismarcks authoritarian methods