Nationalism Triumphs in Europe
(1800-1914)
Strengthening Germany
WEX II
Chapter 22, Section 2
Strengthening Germany
At the end of this section, I will be able to
answer the following questions:
 What forces spurred the growth of the
German economy?
 What domestic policies did Bismarck
pursue?
 What were the goals of William II?
Strengthening Germany
#1. What forces spurred the growth of the
German economy?
Please answer Before the Presentation!
 ___________________________________
 ___________________________________
 ___________________________________
 ___________________________________
 ___________________________________
Strengthening Germany
#2. What domestic policies did Bismarck
pursue?
Please answer Before the Presentation!
 ___________________________________
 ___________________________________
 ___________________________________
 ___________________________________
 ___________________________________
Strengthening Germany
#3. What were the goals of William II?
Please answer Before the Presentation!
 ___________________________________
 ___________________________________
 ___________________________________
 ___________________________________
 ___________________________________
 ___________________________________
Strengthening Germany
What advantages did Germany have to
spur it’s economic progress in the late
1800s?
 Huge natural resources of coal & iron
 Disciplined & educated work force
 Rapid population growth provided both a
market for products & a work force
 Earlier progress gave Germany an edge
Strengthening Germany
What other advantages did Germany
possess?
 They supported research & development in
universities & hired scientists
 Promoted economic development:
– Single currency
– Reorganized the banking system
– Coordinates railroad systems
– Raised tariffs during a world wide depression
Strengthening Germany
What actions did the Iron Chancellor take?
 Pursued several foreign policy goals:
– Keep France weak & isolated
– Build strong links with Austria & Russia
– Decided that Germany wouldn’t compete with
Britain for naval power
– “Water rats do not fight with land rats”
– Bismarck
Strengthening Germany
What domestic policies did Bismarck
pursue?
 The Iron Chancellor crushed all loyalties &
opposition to the imperial state
 He focused his attacks to
– The Catholic Church
– Communists
Strengthening Germany
Why didn’t Bismarck like the Catholic
Church?
 Bismarck was a Lutheran
 Catholics made up 1/3 of the population
 Bismarck believed that Catholic loyalty,
especially with the clergy, was to the pope
 He believed that everyone’s first loyalty
should be to Germany
Strengthening Germany
What was the “Kulturkamph” or Bismarck’s
Battle for civilization?
 Bismarck wanted to make Catholics put loyalty to
the state above allegiance for the Church
 He passed laws giving the state the right to
supervise Catholic education & approve the
appointment of priests
– Couples had to be married by civil authority
– Expelled the Jesuits from Prussia
Strengthening Germany
Was Kulturkampf successful?
 NO!
 Bismarck’s plan backfired!
 The faithful rallied behind the Church
 The Catholic Center party gained
strength in the Reichstag
Strengthening Germany
How did Bismarck respond?
 He was a realist
 He accepted the situation
 Made peace with the Church
Strengthening Germany
Did Bismarck like the Communist Party?
NO!
 Bismarck saw the socialism as a threat to
the new Germany
Strengthening Germany
What did the Communists do?
 The German Marxists organized the Social
Democratic party which called for
parliamentary democracy and laws to
improve working conditions for the working
class.
 Bismarck feared that the socialists would
undermine the loyalty of the German people
& turn them towards revolution
Strengthening Germany
How did Bismarck respond to this socialist
threat?
 Bismarck decided to woo workers away
from socialism
 Provided health & accident insurance
 Old age insurance with retirement plans
 He became a leader in social reform
Strengthening Germany
Did Bismarck’s social plan work?
Partially
 Workers benefited from his programs
 However, they didn’t abandon socialism
 Social Democratic party continued to grow
– 1912 – most seats in the Reichstag
 However, Bismarck showed that workers
conditions could improve without revolting
Strengthening Germany
What changes did William II make?
 Kaiser William II succeeded his grandfather
as Kaiser
 He wanted to put his own stamp on
Germany
– He believed that he was assigned leadership of
Germany from God
 He shocked the world by asking Bismarck to
resign
Strengthening Germany
Why would William II want Bismarck to
resign?
 “There is only one master in the Reich,
and that is I.”
 Kaiser William II
Strengthening Germany
How did Kaiser William II rule?
 Resisted any democratic reforms
 Supported an excellent school system
– Taught obedience & the “3 R’s”
 Provided many social services
– Welfare benefits to cheap transportation
 Continued to build up the military and
expand the Germany navy
Strengthening Germany
Strengthening Germany
#1. What forces spurred the growth of the
German economy?
Please answer After the Presentation!
 ___________________________________
 ___________________________________
 ___________________________________
 ___________________________________
 ___________________________________
Strengthening Germany
#2. What domestic policies did Bismarck
pursue?
Please answer After the Presentation!
 ___________________________________
 ___________________________________
 ___________________________________
 ___________________________________
 ___________________________________
Strengthening Germany
#3. What were the goals of William II?
Please answer After the Presentation!
 ___________________________________
 ___________________________________
 ___________________________________
 ___________________________________
 ___________________________________
 ___________________________________
 Strengthening Germany
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r/222-germany-strenghtens/2