The Bismarck Reich : Germany

From then on, Bismarck worked towards “smaller German” unity. He broke France’s resistance in the Franco-German War of 1870/71, triggered by a diplomatic conflict over the succession to the Spanish throne. Defeated France had to cede Alsace-Lorraine and pay’ huge reparations. In the patriotic enthusiasm of the war, the southern German states joined up with the North German Confederation to form the German Empire (Deutsches Reich). At Versailles near Paris, King William I of Prussia was proclaimed German Emperor on 1 8 January 1 871.

German unity had not come about by popular decision “from below” but by a treaty between princes “from above”. Prussia’s predominance was stifling. To many, the new Reich seemed like a “greater Prussia”. The Reichstag (Imperial Diet) was elected by universal and equal suffrage. Although it had no say in the formation of the cabinet, it could influence government by its participation in lawmaking and its budgetary power. Although the Reich Chancellor was accountable only to the Emperor and not to parliament, he did have to try to get majorities for his policies in the Reichstag.

suffrage in the individual Lander (states) still varied. In eleven it was still class suffrage, dependent on tax Paid; in four there was still the old division into estates. The south German states, with their longer parliamentary tradition, reformed their electoral laws after the tum of the century, and Baden, Wurttemberg and °ayana made theirs the same as the Reich laws, ‘though Germany’s emergence as a modern indus-trial country strengthened the influence of the eco-nomically successful middle class, the people who still called the tune in society were the aristocrats, above all in the army officer corps where they predominated. Bismarck ruled as Reich Chancellor for 19 years.