1.1 What was Germany like
before the First World War?
How was Germany ruled?
Prussia most powerful state before unification of Germany in 1871
o Prussian believed in Militarism
Had large arme with advanced weapons
o Prussian military officers and tactics formed basis of German army
German Kaiser was the supreme commander
o Ruled over all German states
o Each state had a representative (collectively known as Bundesrat)
to advise Kaiser over laws
o Kaiser had advisors/ministers – chief minister was the Chancellor.
o A parliament (Reichstag) elected by all men over 25
Discussed and voted on laws alongside the Bundesrat
o Kaiser could ignore advise
Kaiser Wilhelm II
Wilhelm became Kaiser in 1888
o Grandson of Queen Victoria and cousin of King George V of Britain
o Kaiser jealous of British power
Largest empire
Dominated world trade
Navy twice the size of two closest rivals put together
o Began process of industrialization
Had support of German businessmen
o By 1913, Germany producing more iron and steel and equal amount
of coal as Britain
Dominated electrical and chemical goods in Europe
Parliamentary Government and Growth of
Socialism
Bundesrat – a group made up of German state representatives who supported the
Kaiser (unlike the Reichstag, wo were elected politicians who challenged the Kaiser)
Chancellor – the chief minister in the German government
Industrialization – the process by which a country transforms from a mainly agricultural
society to one based on manufacturing and factories
Militarism – the belief that a country should maintain a strong armed forces and be
prepared to use it aggressively
Reichstag – the main, elected German parliament
Socialism – the system of government which supports democracy and greater
government involvement in the economy and society
SPD – the Social Democratic Party, one of the largest political parties in Germany
Trade Union – an association of workers formed to protect their interests
Weltpolitik – literally translated to ‘world policy’, this was the Kaiser’s plan to turn
Germany into a global power
before the First World War?
How was Germany ruled?
Prussia most powerful state before unification of Germany in 1871
o Prussian believed in Militarism
Had large arme with advanced weapons
o Prussian military officers and tactics formed basis of German army
German Kaiser was the supreme commander
o Ruled over all German states
o Each state had a representative (collectively known as Bundesrat)
to advise Kaiser over laws
o Kaiser had advisors/ministers – chief minister was the Chancellor.
o A parliament (Reichstag) elected by all men over 25
Discussed and voted on laws alongside the Bundesrat
o Kaiser could ignore advise
Kaiser Wilhelm II
Wilhelm became Kaiser in 1888
o Grandson of Queen Victoria and cousin of King George V of Britain
o Kaiser jealous of British power
Largest empire
Dominated world trade
Navy twice the size of two closest rivals put together
o Began process of industrialization
Had support of German businessmen
o By 1913, Germany producing more iron and steel and equal amount
of coal as Britain
Dominated electrical and chemical goods in Europe
Parliamentary Government and Growth of
Socialism
Bundesrat – a group made up of German state representatives who supported the
Kaiser (unlike the Reichstag, wo were elected politicians who challenged the Kaiser)
Chancellor – the chief minister in the German government
Industrialization – the process by which a country transforms from a mainly agricultural
society to one based on manufacturing and factories
Militarism – the belief that a country should maintain a strong armed forces and be
prepared to use it aggressively
Reichstag – the main, elected German parliament
Socialism – the system of government which supports democracy and greater
government involvement in the economy and society
SPD – the Social Democratic Party, one of the largest political parties in Germany
Trade Union – an association of workers formed to protect their interests
Weltpolitik – literally translated to ‘world policy’, this was the Kaiser’s plan to turn
Germany into a global power
