Germany 1871-1990
Essay Plans
1
,Index
How effective was the 1871 Constitution?..................................................3
How successful was Bismark in achieving his key foreign and domestic
policy goals between 1871-79?...................................................................6
What was the biggest challenge Bismarck faced 1871-9?........................10
What made Germany difficult to govern 1871-79?....................................14
How successfully did the political system successfully overcome the key
divisions facing Germany in 1871?............................................................18
To what extent did WW1 cause political and social division 1914-18?......21
What was the main reason for Germany’s withdrawal from WW1?...........23
How significant a threat to stability was the 1918-19 German Revolution?
..................................................................................................................26
To what extent did Ebert achieve his political aims 1918-19?...................28
How effective was the Weimar Constitution of 1919?...............................30
How /How effectively did Hitler establish the Nazi dictatorship between
1933 and 1935?.........................................................................................32
To what extent was Hitler a dictator by 1935............................................39
What was the main factor that enabled the Nazis to consolidate power
between 1933 and 1935............................................................................42
HFDYA The SPD lost the 1949 election mainly due to the leadership of Kurt
Schumacher...............................................................................................46
To what extent did the FRG undergo a process of denazification in the
1950s?.......................................................................................................48
How successful was the Constitution of the FRG in establishing a stable
and long term democracy?........................................................................50
How effective was the new Christian Democratic Union of Konrad
Adenauer and the reconstituted SPD in shaping the new Federal Republic
from 1949-60?...........................................................................................52
What was the most important reason behind the reunification of
Germany?..................................................................................................54
What was the most important reason for the reunification of Germany?. .58
How significant a role did X play in causing the Refugee Crisis?...............61
Which leader was most important for German reunification?...................64
2
,How effective was the 1871 Constitution?
Criteria:
Delivering Democracy:
- Wide franchise in Reichstag (all males over 25 vote).
- Democratically-elected Reichstag had significant powers:
o could approve/reject federal budget each year for non-military
expenditure (military grants only reviewed every 7 years after
1874);
o contributed to key areas of policy (defence, customs, religious
policy); could initiate legislation itself;
o Reichstag committees were responsible for overseeing a
growing number of governance issues;
o according to Article 22 of the constitution Reichstag
proceedings in open session must be truthfully published,
thereby furthering public participation and interest in issues of
the day.
- Frequency of elections- at least every 5 years. Between 1871-9
there are four elections. The emergence of political parties within
the Reichstag, based on popular support for parliamentary
influence, organised and professionalised politics.
- BUT:
o Women couldn’t vote in Reichstag elections; Chancellor could
ignore resolutions passed by Reichstag; Emperor could dismiss
Reichstag at will.
o Bundesrat- important because it was responsible for
overseeing Reich legislation, with the role of deciding what
bills would go before the Reichstag and enjoying powers of
veto on legislation- not elected, appointed.
o Neither imperial ministers nor the Chancellor were
accountable to the Reichstag- there was no ‘vote of
confidence’ or ability for the Reichstag to remove a
Chancellor.
o Democratic element within the constitution led to tensions
between the Reichstag and the executive: eg 1874 army
budget, opposed by National Liberals; 1876 National Liberals’
opposition of anti-Socialist law; Centre Party’s rise and
opposition to Kulturkampf).
3
, Avoiding Prussian domination/rivalry between states:
- Federal structure (with powers shared between states and central
government- eg state governments oversee education, health, local
justice and only state governments/lander could raise direct taxes)
represented
- traditions of German states, securing their loyalty to new Reich.
German states continued to exchange ambassadors with each other.
- Bundesrat politically powerful and its representation was
determined by state according to size/population (NB Prussia
enjoyed 65% of the territory, 62% of the population and the greatest
industrial strength of the new Germany).
- Occasionally states opposed Berlin with success: for example
Bismarck wanted to bring railways under central control to enhance
the power and prestige of Berlin, but Bavarian opposition to this
meant Bismarck instead had to negotiate with individual railway
companies. It took Prussia thirty years to acquire control of two-
thirds of the railways in Germany as a result.
- BUT:
o Prussian domination of Bundesrat (14 votes needed to veto
Reichstag legislation and Prussia had 17).
o Prussian militarism/military strategy dominated the new
Germany army (particular importance to new nation feeling
vulnerable with fears of French revenge, and as a nation
forged in war). Under Article 61 of the constitution the
Prussian military code was incorporated across the Reich from
1871.
o The King of Prussia was the German Emperor and supreme
commander of the Reich’s armed forces. The Chancellor was
also the First Minister of Prussia- he was therefore answerable
to two legislatures: the Reichstag and the Prussian Landtag.
o The Bundesrat lacked the machinery for drafting laws and
therefore relied on the Prussia civil service, which remained
larger than the Reich’s civil service up until WWI. Most officials
in the imperial chancellery were Prussian.
o The Kulturkampf, most prominent policy of Bismarck’s first
government supported by a majority in the Reichstag, highly
divisive on geographic lines (Catholic south vs Protestant
north).
At enabling power to be wielded effectively by the executive:
4
Essay Plans
1
,Index
How effective was the 1871 Constitution?..................................................3
How successful was Bismark in achieving his key foreign and domestic
policy goals between 1871-79?...................................................................6
What was the biggest challenge Bismarck faced 1871-9?........................10
What made Germany difficult to govern 1871-79?....................................14
How successfully did the political system successfully overcome the key
divisions facing Germany in 1871?............................................................18
To what extent did WW1 cause political and social division 1914-18?......21
What was the main reason for Germany’s withdrawal from WW1?...........23
How significant a threat to stability was the 1918-19 German Revolution?
..................................................................................................................26
To what extent did Ebert achieve his political aims 1918-19?...................28
How effective was the Weimar Constitution of 1919?...............................30
How /How effectively did Hitler establish the Nazi dictatorship between
1933 and 1935?.........................................................................................32
To what extent was Hitler a dictator by 1935............................................39
What was the main factor that enabled the Nazis to consolidate power
between 1933 and 1935............................................................................42
HFDYA The SPD lost the 1949 election mainly due to the leadership of Kurt
Schumacher...............................................................................................46
To what extent did the FRG undergo a process of denazification in the
1950s?.......................................................................................................48
How successful was the Constitution of the FRG in establishing a stable
and long term democracy?........................................................................50
How effective was the new Christian Democratic Union of Konrad
Adenauer and the reconstituted SPD in shaping the new Federal Republic
from 1949-60?...........................................................................................52
What was the most important reason behind the reunification of
Germany?..................................................................................................54
What was the most important reason for the reunification of Germany?. .58
How significant a role did X play in causing the Refugee Crisis?...............61
Which leader was most important for German reunification?...................64
2
,How effective was the 1871 Constitution?
Criteria:
Delivering Democracy:
- Wide franchise in Reichstag (all males over 25 vote).
- Democratically-elected Reichstag had significant powers:
o could approve/reject federal budget each year for non-military
expenditure (military grants only reviewed every 7 years after
1874);
o contributed to key areas of policy (defence, customs, religious
policy); could initiate legislation itself;
o Reichstag committees were responsible for overseeing a
growing number of governance issues;
o according to Article 22 of the constitution Reichstag
proceedings in open session must be truthfully published,
thereby furthering public participation and interest in issues of
the day.
- Frequency of elections- at least every 5 years. Between 1871-9
there are four elections. The emergence of political parties within
the Reichstag, based on popular support for parliamentary
influence, organised and professionalised politics.
- BUT:
o Women couldn’t vote in Reichstag elections; Chancellor could
ignore resolutions passed by Reichstag; Emperor could dismiss
Reichstag at will.
o Bundesrat- important because it was responsible for
overseeing Reich legislation, with the role of deciding what
bills would go before the Reichstag and enjoying powers of
veto on legislation- not elected, appointed.
o Neither imperial ministers nor the Chancellor were
accountable to the Reichstag- there was no ‘vote of
confidence’ or ability for the Reichstag to remove a
Chancellor.
o Democratic element within the constitution led to tensions
between the Reichstag and the executive: eg 1874 army
budget, opposed by National Liberals; 1876 National Liberals’
opposition of anti-Socialist law; Centre Party’s rise and
opposition to Kulturkampf).
3
, Avoiding Prussian domination/rivalry between states:
- Federal structure (with powers shared between states and central
government- eg state governments oversee education, health, local
justice and only state governments/lander could raise direct taxes)
represented
- traditions of German states, securing their loyalty to new Reich.
German states continued to exchange ambassadors with each other.
- Bundesrat politically powerful and its representation was
determined by state according to size/population (NB Prussia
enjoyed 65% of the territory, 62% of the population and the greatest
industrial strength of the new Germany).
- Occasionally states opposed Berlin with success: for example
Bismarck wanted to bring railways under central control to enhance
the power and prestige of Berlin, but Bavarian opposition to this
meant Bismarck instead had to negotiate with individual railway
companies. It took Prussia thirty years to acquire control of two-
thirds of the railways in Germany as a result.
- BUT:
o Prussian domination of Bundesrat (14 votes needed to veto
Reichstag legislation and Prussia had 17).
o Prussian militarism/military strategy dominated the new
Germany army (particular importance to new nation feeling
vulnerable with fears of French revenge, and as a nation
forged in war). Under Article 61 of the constitution the
Prussian military code was incorporated across the Reich from
1871.
o The King of Prussia was the German Emperor and supreme
commander of the Reich’s armed forces. The Chancellor was
also the First Minister of Prussia- he was therefore answerable
to two legislatures: the Reichstag and the Prussian Landtag.
o The Bundesrat lacked the machinery for drafting laws and
therefore relied on the Prussia civil service, which remained
larger than the Reich’s civil service up until WWI. Most officials
in the imperial chancellery were Prussian.
o The Kulturkampf, most prominent policy of Bismarck’s first
government supported by a majority in the Reichstag, highly
divisive on geographic lines (Catholic south vs Protestant
north).
At enabling power to be wielded effectively by the executive:
4
