Traditional conservatism dominated Europe in the early 1800s, concentrating power in a small ruling class dedicated to keeping things the way they were. However, a restless working class threatened existing power structures with large revolts during the 1830s and 1840s. Otto van Bismarck was able to harness this turmoil, turning ultramontane and liberal forces against each other to maintain the status quo in a new form of conservatism. Bismarck’s early legislation pitted liberals against the ultramontanists to remove any external threats to Germany’s government. While Bismarck’s first religious law seems to be about openness of religion, abolishing “all restrictions on citizenship or civil rights based on differences in religious confession”
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After fighting the ultramontanes, Bismarck began his pacification of the working class through welfare benefits. After the Reichstag opened, many Socialists believed that they would have “no possibility of having an influence on legislation” since the government could arrest any candidates at any time (Doc 2). To convince Liebknecht and other outspoken Socialists of their good intent, Wilhelm passed laws protecting “workers against industrial accidents” and organizing the “commercial health insurance system,” as long as they avoided “Social Democratic excesses” (Doc 5). Bismarck did similarly with a speech supporting the idea that the “state must help persons in distress” resulting from workplace accidents (Doc 6). While these events might convince a citizen of the German government’s new, genuine care for their workers, an internal letter to Bismarck from a high-ranking official described fighting the religious ultramontanes with an army with “workers making up its main contingent, who are won over and bound to the idea of the Reich through its very benefits” (Doc 3). It is clear that that was the general attitude of government, because Bismarck then convinced the workers that the government was looking out for them while simultaneously hooking them on government benefits, subverting their will to match that of the Conservative …show more content…
A political cartoon shows the legal manipulations he implemented against the workers and then the ultramontanes, with Bismarck captaining a ship whose steering wheel is made of three spokes: conservatives, ultramontanes, and liberals. Influenced by his advisor Hermann Wagener, Bismarck knew that “it is extremely dangerous to take up the battle against the ultramontane and socialist parties simultaneously”, but was able to crush religion through laws and pacify workers with welfare (Doc 3). Bismarck's ability to embrace new policy allowed him to maintain power internally and externally in a way that old Conservatives
After fighting the ultramontanes, Bismarck began his pacification of the working class through welfare benefits. After the Reichstag opened, many Socialists believed that they would have “no possibility of having an influence on legislation” since the government could arrest any candidates at any time (Doc 2). To convince Liebknecht and other outspoken Socialists of their good intent, Wilhelm passed laws protecting “workers against industrial accidents” and organizing the “commercial health insurance system,” as long as they avoided “Social Democratic excesses” (Doc 5). Bismarck did similarly with a speech supporting the idea that the “state must help persons in distress” resulting from workplace accidents (Doc 6). While these events might convince a citizen of the German government’s new, genuine care for their workers, an internal letter to Bismarck from a high-ranking official described fighting the religious ultramontanes with an army with “workers making up its main contingent, who are won over and bound to the idea of the Reich through its very benefits” (Doc 3). It is clear that that was the general attitude of government, because Bismarck then convinced the workers that the government was looking out for them while simultaneously hooking them on government benefits, subverting their will to match that of the Conservative …show more content…
A political cartoon shows the legal manipulations he implemented against the workers and then the ultramontanes, with Bismarck captaining a ship whose steering wheel is made of three spokes: conservatives, ultramontanes, and liberals. Influenced by his advisor Hermann Wagener, Bismarck knew that “it is extremely dangerous to take up the battle against the ultramontane and socialist parties simultaneously”, but was able to crush religion through laws and pacify workers with welfare (Doc 3). Bismarck's ability to embrace new policy allowed him to maintain power internally and externally in a way that old Conservatives