Changes in soceity

• During industrialisation ,Geramany focused on maufacturing rather than agricultural production
• The Ruhr region was the driving force behind Germany's sucess during inustrialisation
• By WW1 coal production levels matched Britain and iron and steel production surpassed British levels
• Growth of industrialisation meant the creation of better transport infrastructure, including railways, trains and ships meaning better communication lines and trade routes
• Berlin's population doubled between 1875 and 1910
• Urbanisation meant 60% of Germans lived in towns and cities by 1910 because of this living conditions were often bad and many people died from disease
• The success of industrialisation attracted many immigrants to Germany particularly from Eastern Europe causing many Germans to hate 'foreigners' especially Jews
• the wealth divide increased
• Although some people became wealthier from industrialism, most workers felt exploited leading to the rise of socialism.
• socialism


  belief everyone in society should share the profits of industry
• Mainly the working class supported socialism scaring the middle and upper class
• The social democratic party (SPD) represented socialism in politics
• From 1890 onwards the SPD won the most votes in the Reichstag
• By 1912 the SPD had the most seats in the Reichstag
• The Kaiser was more a supporter of right wing nationalism than socialism
• The government enacted social reform to get popular support and stop people supporting the SPD
• By 1891 it was illegal for anyone under the age of 13 to work, women to work more than 11 hours a day and anyone to work on Sunday
• By 1900 reforms were introduced that increased the time workers could claim off work if they had suffered an accident
• By 1901 industrial courts were created to settle disputes between employees and employers.Compulsory in towns with a population of over 20,000
• By 1903 health care was expanded
• The governments social reforms intended to keep Germna workers loyal to the state and not to improve their living standards