The problem with Wilhelms II Germany

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The problem with Wilhelms II Germany

• Problems with democratic development
• Influence of the Kaiser
• Economic growth
• Aggressive foreign policy

2
The Kaiser

• Wilhelm probably had greater control over the
  course of events than any other ruler in Europe.
• The person of the Kaiser has been much debated
• clever but emotional
• not a deep thinker
• Junker and an supporter of the army
• The army and the nobility (Junkers) dominated
  politics in Wilhelmine Germany
• The army half a million

3
Political parties

• Conservatives - Junkers - favoured
  protectionistic politics
• Liberals turning towards the right
• The catholic Center party - balancing left and
  right
• The social democratic party of the workers
• Became the largest party - opposed to reformism
  in theory but not in practice

4
Dropping of the pilot

• Wilhelm dismissed Bismarck because of
  disagreement over two issues
• Wilhelm did not want to renew the reinsurance
  treaty with Russia
• And he did not want to renew the anti-socialist
  legislation of Bismarck

5
Wilhelmine labor politics

• The problem of the rising worker population the
  main internal problem
• Wilhelm preferred a more paternalistic view
  towards the workers than Bismarck
• sundays rest-days
• laws against child labour
• Commercial treaties reducing tariffs on food
• This policy did little to reduce support of
  workers to the social democrats
• The Junkers formed the agrarian league to fight
  for protectionism

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4.2. Economic expansion

• Underlying factors
• Rapid population growth 50-65 million people
  1890-1910
• Steady growth in heavy industry (surpassing
  Britain
• Railway expansion 41009 km to 60000 km 1890 to
  1910
• Merchant fleet growing even faster

7
Economic expansion

• Government and banks supportive of new industries
• Germans progressive in electrical and chemical
  industries.
• Fertilisers and sugar beets
• Half of world electrotechnical trade in German
  hands 1913 AEG Siemens

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Effect of economic boom

• Effect on working conditions
• Better wages
• Slum clearance programs
• increased demands of workers
• the workers party SPD had limited say in politics
  even if it was the largest party 1914

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5.3 Caprivi chancellor

• Caprivi rejected the Bismarckian idea of enemies
  of the state
• Anti-socialist laws allowed to lapse
• Better working conditions
• Less restrictions agains minorities
• Some limits on Prussias independence
• Agricultural tariffs reduced

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Caprivis fall

• Caprivi ran into trouble with liberals and
  junkers
• Wilhelm disappointed with the socialism of
  workers.
• Even if Caprivi did not renew the reinsurance
  treaty he had no welt interest

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5.4 Wilhelms chancellors

• Hohenlohe 1894-1900
• A lull before the storm
• Von Bulow1900-1909
• More aggressive in foreign adventures
• Daily Telegraph affair
• Bulow sacked
• Wilhelm discredited
• Bethmann-Hollweg 1909-1917
• Ignorant of foreign affairs
• Not the best choice for july 1914

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The Reichstag

• Could never put pressure on government
• Why was it so weak
• Chancellor not responsible to reichstag
• Uneven constituencies
• Parties unable to form coalition
• Bismarck split them
• Not used to practical politics
• Social democrats marxist rhetoric

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The predominance of the army

• The army is growing as the most powerful
  instituion of government
• Weak Chancellors
• Unreliable monarch
• Divided reichstag
• Germans couldnt forget the glories of Sedan and
  Sadowa
• Zabern affair - the army is predominant in
  society
• Schlieffen plan military thinking

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Fritz Fischers view

• German foreign policy after 1897 must be
  understood as a response to the internal threat
  of Socialism and democracy.
• Samlungspolitik
• New tariffs on grain and the naval buildup
  program and an ambitious foreign policy were
  attempts to capture public support by government
  in serious difficulties.
• A new union of rye and steel
• The growth of the Social democratic party was
  alarming election victory 1912

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Foreign policy before Wilhelm II

• Bismarks policy
• Isolation of France,
• keeping good relations with Russia
• Reinsurance treaty
• The new leaders thought this treaty incompatible
  with promises to Austria
• The dismissal of Bismarck ended russo-german
  relations.

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Russian and British reaction

• 1891-1894 The Franco-Russian alliance formed.
• Now the Germans possibly face war on two fronts
  and in 1891 the Schlieffen plan is drawn in
  response.
• Britain was the only power outside alliances to
  1904
• Germans wanted to frighten the British into
  alliance.
• Naval building was supposed to do this but had
  opposite effect
• From 1904 Austria and Germany are isolated.

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Weltpolitik

• Personal ambiton of the kaiser
• Appointed the hawks to office
• Tirpitz navalministry, Bulow foreign office
• Growing industry and economy needs outlet
• Unification only the first step to world power
• Weltpolitik united the people behind agressive
  state nationalism
• Used to distract the workers and the middle
  classes

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Weltpolitik

• Great states want influence
• Had colonial ambitions - esp. after 1890
• But what they got was before 1890
• except two Samoan islands
• Kruger telegram
• Influnce in China
• Berlin-Baghdad railway through Ottoman empire
• supposed to open economic oppertunities
• but Germans had to share it with Britain and
  France
• limited economic and political advantage

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Wilhelm and navy expansion

• The isolation from Russia called for the
  Schlieffen plan which called for increase in the
  army.
• Bulow and Tirpitz started the naval expansion by
  the naval laws (1897)
• Tirpitz convinced the reichstag and the public of
  the necessity of this if Germany wanted to be a
  world power.
• Naval arms race with Britain

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Morocco

• Colonial policy want a sphere of influence,
  trading rights etc.
• European policy want to frustrate and tackle the
  French in a save area.
• The all over gain was limited, Germany gave
  Morocco up and got instead small regions in
  Africa and a reassurance of France and British
  entente.

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European foreign policy

• Navy, colonies, middle east affair all alianate
  the british.
• 1905 a rather desperate attempt by Tsar Nicholas
  and Wilhelm to reach agreement
• Bjork treaty not ratified
• With only the friendship of Austria and
  halfhearted Italy, Germans start to complain
  about encirclement
• whatever comes from Vienna is my command (Wilhelm
  in 1912)

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Historical debate

• Wilhelmine Germany 1890-1914
• What was the mainstream of historical thinking
  about Wilhelmine Germany before Fischer.
• Why did Fritz Fischers claim that Germany was
  primarly responsible for the outbreak of the war
  call for a new evaluation of Wilhelmine society
  and politics.
• If you look at Wehlers portrayal of Wilhelmine
  politics, are they different from Bismarcks
  politics?
• What are the main points of criticism aimed at
  Wehlers ideas by recent historians.

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The political situation

• Germany is hardly a democracy
• The democraticly elected reichstag has
  legislative powers, limited control over budget
  and no say in appointment of ministers
• The ministers are responsible to the kaiser, he
  appoints the and dismisses them
• The kaiser had also the power to dissolve the
  reichstag