Growth of Socialism

• Many workers were unhappy with low wages and poor working conditions.
• Workers joined trade unions and organised strikes hoping to force the government to improve pay and working conditions.
• By 1914, over three million workers had joined trade unions.
• A new political party - The Social Democratic Party:

  • Believed in socialism - power and wealth should be shared equally among the people.
  • It hoped the Kaiser might allow the Reichstag to make more social reforms or laws to improve workers rights and conditions.
  • It disagreed with the power and privileged positions held by land and factory owners.
  • One in three Germans voted for them.
• Some socialists took a more extreme view and wanted to rebel againt the Kaiser‘s rule. They wanted to start a revolution and allow towns and cities to be governed by councils of workers.