Kaiser Wilhelm II

• Kaiser Wilhelm II

  -The German Empire was created in 1871 and lasted until 1918. It was ruled by Kaiser Wilhelm II from 1888.

  -The constitution made the Kaiser the most powerful figure in government

  -The Reichstag was also created ( a german parliament), but in reality it held little power.
• Kaiser

  -Inherits his position and rules it like a king

  -Has personal control of the army and the foreign policy

  -Appoints and dismisses the chancellor

  -Dissolve the Reichstag at any time
• Chancellor

  -Runs the government and proposes new legislation

  -Doesn't need the support of the Reichstag or the Bundesrat to stay in power(Had more influence than the bundesrat and the reichstag)
• Bundesrat

  -Members are representatives from each state in the German empire

  -It's consent is needed for all legislation but only the Kaiser could overrule it and impose its power.( Bundesrat was more powerful than the Reichstag. Only accountable to the kaiser)
• Reichstag

  -Members elected by the public every three years(and every five years after 1888).

  -Members pass or reject legislation handed down by the Bundesrat (Reichstag couldn't put forward its own legislation and didn't have any say in who became chancellor or who served in government.
• Kaiser Wilhelm II

  -Didn't believe in democracy and disliked working with the Reichstag. Instead he preferred to place his trust in the army, and often relied on military advisors to help him make important decisions.
• Kaiser Wilhelm II

  -The Prussian army played a vital role in Germany's unification in 1871(Before 1871, Germany was made up of lots of independent states in which one of them was called Prussia).Wilhelm II was strongly influenced by the Prussian armies prestige and power, and as a result he adopted a system of militarism which meant strengthening Germany's military(its army and navy) and using it to increase Germany's influence.

  -Wilhelm wanted to make Germany an ultimate world power. He also believed in Germany's traditional class system,where the upper class held the most power in society.
• Germany experienced Economic and Social change

  -In the early 20th century, Germany's economy was modernised and the working classes grew massively.

  -Germany's economy expanded massively between 1890 and 1914. Production of Iron and coal doubled, and by 1914 Germany produced two-thirds of Europe's steel. It was also successful in new industries like chemical manufacturing.

  -As a result of Industrialisation, new jobs were created and the population in Germany's cities grew. The working classes expanded and the upper class had less economic power 
• Germany experienced Economic and Social change

  -The working classes played a larger part in German society, but their working conditions were extremely poor. They had a growing sense of identity and wanted better representation.
• Germany experienced Economic and Social change

  -This contributed to rise in socialism- a political ideology promoting equality, and public ownership of industry. This led to a growth in support for the Social Democratic Party in Germany(The German aristocracy and Kaiser Wilhelm feared the growth of Socialism- Wilhelm was worried that the SPD wanted a revolution to overthrow the monarchy and destroy the German class system.)