The German Empire, 1871–1918

The German Empire, 1871–1918

Background: Establishment of the German Empire, 1871

  • The German Empire was formed in 1871 following the successful Franco-Prussian War.
  • Otto von Bismarck, who was Chancellor of Prussia, became the Chancellor of the newly formed Germany.
  • The political system was a federal one, with power largely centralised in Berlin, and the King of Prussia automatically serving as the head of state, or Kaiser.

Bismarck’s Domestic Policies

  • Bismarck was a conservative politician who sought to unite Germany under Prussian leadership.
  • His policy of Kulturkampf attempted to weaken the influence of the Catholic Church and integrate Catholics into a united German state.
  • Bismarck introduced a series of social welfare programmes for workers in the 1880s, a novel concept at the time, to stem the rise of socialism.

Germany under Kaiser Wilhelm II

  • Kaiser Wilhelm II ascended to the throne in 1888, and by 1890, he forced Bismarck to resign as Chancellor.
  • Wilhelm followed a policy of Weltpolitik, or ‘world policy’, to make Germany a global power through building a large navy and acquiring colonies.
  • Domestically, an economic boom known as the Gründerzeit lead to rapid industrialization and urbanization.

Role in International Politics

  • Under Wilhelm II, Germany developed a more aggressive foreign policy, which included a naval arms race with Britain and a series of diplomatic crises.
  • The alliances and tensions created under Wilhelm II played a significant part in the lead up to the begin of World War I in 1914.
  • The handling of the war deeply divided the German people and elicit widespread war-weariness by 1918.

End of the German Empire

  • In November 1918, as World War I neared its end, Germany was gripped by a series of mutinies, strikes, and protests known as the German Revolution.
  • Wilhelm II was forced to abdicate, and the German Empire was replaced by the Weimar Republic.

Legacy of the German Empire

  • The German Empire’s creation marked the first time that Germany was united as a nation-state.
  • The foreign policy decisions during this period are seen as a crucial component to the causes of World War I.
  • It set the stage for the political, social, and economic issues that plagued the Weimar Republic and later led to the rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party.