Prof. Andrew Donson
Modern German History
Reading Assignment #3
Bismarck’s Germany
Value: 6% of final reading assignment grade
1. What was the three-class voting system in Prussia? What purpose did it serve? Who supported it? Who opposed it (Fulbrook, A History of Germany, 126-127; Tipton, A History of Modern Germany, 112)
A voting system based on how much one paid in taxes. Conservatives supported the system because it reflected their interests. Liberals did not support it, because it did not support theirs. It was a skewed system of representation which allowed for the conservative Prussian Junkers to exert disproportionate influence in politics.
The small wealthy first class, made up of 153,000 people, or 4.7% of the population, …show more content…
Identify two arguments Bismarck gave for disregarding the Prussian constitution (Bismarck’s “Blood and Iron” Speech).
a) The constitution is weak in the sense that an abuse of constitutional rights could be undertaken by any side. For example, the Crown could dissolve the parliament twelve times in a row according to Bismarck.
b) The “great independence of the individual” made it hard in Prussia to govern with the Constitution.
9. What did Bismarck mean by the phrase “blood and iron” (Bismarck’s “Blood and Iron” Speech)?
The unfavorable borders brought about by the Vienna Treaties were not conducive to a healthy state; speeches and majority decisions cannot bring about such a state, so they must turn to blood and iron.
a) Blood = A unified Germany and German people within favorable borders. Iron = The rule of the people by one who is capable of practicing both freedom of thought and action.
10. Identify the two most draconian policies of the Kulturkampf, based on your reading of Hüsgen’s biography of Windhorst (Eduard Hüsgen, Ludwig Windthorst).
a) The ability of the police to search the houses of seemingly anyone they wished.
b) The ability to censor the press so …show more content…
As we have seen, the Reichstag had very little power by the end of his reign.
12. What reasons did Bismarck give in favor of the Law on Workmen’s Compensation? Do you think he was sincere? Why or why not (Bismarck’s Reichstag Speech on the Law for Workmen’s Compensation)?
a) The situation of the workers was not well as it pertained to their well-being, so the system needed to be changed.
b) It was the duty of the state to take care of its people. Thus, given the argument above, the state should make new laws in order to better the situation of the workers.
Given the way the situation was described by Bamberger, I do not fully believe Bismarck was sincere. He seemed to at first be attempting to appease those who pushed for the laws.
13. Why did liberals like Ludwig Bamberger oppose the 1884 Law on Workmen’s Compensation? Why did Social Democrats like Georg Vollmar oppose it (Bismarck’s Reichstag Speech on the Law for Workmen’s Compensation)?
Bamberger argued that the present system was too expensive and he postulated the argument that there would not be anyone who could efficiently pay for
Modern German History
Reading Assignment #3
Bismarck’s Germany
Value: 6% of final reading assignment grade
1. What was the three-class voting system in Prussia? What purpose did it serve? Who supported it? Who opposed it (Fulbrook, A History of Germany, 126-127; Tipton, A History of Modern Germany, 112)
A voting system based on how much one paid in taxes. Conservatives supported the system because it reflected their interests. Liberals did not support it, because it did not support theirs. It was a skewed system of representation which allowed for the conservative Prussian Junkers to exert disproportionate influence in politics.
The small wealthy first class, made up of 153,000 people, or 4.7% of the population, …show more content…
Identify two arguments Bismarck gave for disregarding the Prussian constitution (Bismarck’s “Blood and Iron” Speech).
a) The constitution is weak in the sense that an abuse of constitutional rights could be undertaken by any side. For example, the Crown could dissolve the parliament twelve times in a row according to Bismarck.
b) The “great independence of the individual” made it hard in Prussia to govern with the Constitution.
9. What did Bismarck mean by the phrase “blood and iron” (Bismarck’s “Blood and Iron” Speech)?
The unfavorable borders brought about by the Vienna Treaties were not conducive to a healthy state; speeches and majority decisions cannot bring about such a state, so they must turn to blood and iron.
a) Blood = A unified Germany and German people within favorable borders. Iron = The rule of the people by one who is capable of practicing both freedom of thought and action.
10. Identify the two most draconian policies of the Kulturkampf, based on your reading of Hüsgen’s biography of Windhorst (Eduard Hüsgen, Ludwig Windthorst).
a) The ability of the police to search the houses of seemingly anyone they wished.
b) The ability to censor the press so …show more content…
As we have seen, the Reichstag had very little power by the end of his reign.
12. What reasons did Bismarck give in favor of the Law on Workmen’s Compensation? Do you think he was sincere? Why or why not (Bismarck’s Reichstag Speech on the Law for Workmen’s Compensation)?
a) The situation of the workers was not well as it pertained to their well-being, so the system needed to be changed.
b) It was the duty of the state to take care of its people. Thus, given the argument above, the state should make new laws in order to better the situation of the workers.
Given the way the situation was described by Bamberger, I do not fully believe Bismarck was sincere. He seemed to at first be attempting to appease those who pushed for the laws.
13. Why did liberals like Ludwig Bamberger oppose the 1884 Law on Workmen’s Compensation? Why did Social Democrats like Georg Vollmar oppose it (Bismarck’s Reichstag Speech on the Law for Workmen’s Compensation)?
Bamberger argued that the present system was too expensive and he postulated the argument that there would not be anyone who could efficiently pay for