Explain Why The First World War Ultimately Widened Rather Than Narrowed Germany's Political Divisions
‘The First World War ultimately widened rather than narrowed Germany’s political divisions’. Discuss.
The First World War had great effects upon Germany’s divisions; Germany’s political divisions were widened rather then narrowed by the outbreak of war.
Left wing parties, especially the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) made large gains in the 1912 German election. German government at the time was still dominated by the Prussian Junkers who feared the rise of these left wing parties. Fritz Fischer famously argued that they deliberately sought an external war to distract the population and whip up patriotic support for the government.
National unity was at its peak by the time of the outbreak of the war was portrayed to the German public as been a defence campaign against Slav aggression after the assassination of the Franz Ferdinand , the people of Germany saw it as a national duty to support there country both left and right wing supports . The Kaiser made a speech at the outbreak of war claiming that, ‘he see’s no political parties just German’s’ from this you would think Germany’s political divisions were over. The word Burgfrieden was used to describe national unity of shared suffering socialist movement supported the war for the majority of its duration inc. SPD. …show more content…
Or at least so he thought; his plan, known as "The Schlieffen Plan" was drawn to go to war against France on the west, while at the same time going to war against Russia on the east. His goal being to "defeat France in the time it took for Russia to mobilize their army, and turn back to the Eastern Front before Russia could react, The failure of the Schlieffen plan meant that German would have to fight a war on both fronts from the west France and from the east
The First World War had great effects upon Germany’s divisions; Germany’s political divisions were widened rather then narrowed by the outbreak of war.
Left wing parties, especially the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) made large gains in the 1912 German election. German government at the time was still dominated by the Prussian Junkers who feared the rise of these left wing parties. Fritz Fischer famously argued that they deliberately sought an external war to distract the population and whip up patriotic support for the government.
National unity was at its peak by the time of the outbreak of the war was portrayed to the German public as been a defence campaign against Slav aggression after the assassination of the Franz Ferdinand , the people of Germany saw it as a national duty to support there country both left and right wing supports . The Kaiser made a speech at the outbreak of war claiming that, ‘he see’s no political parties just German’s’ from this you would think Germany’s political divisions were over. The word Burgfrieden was used to describe national unity of shared suffering socialist movement supported the war for the majority of its duration inc. SPD. …show more content…
Or at least so he thought; his plan, known as "The Schlieffen Plan" was drawn to go to war against France on the west, while at the same time going to war against Russia on the east. His goal being to "defeat France in the time it took for Russia to mobilize their army, and turn back to the Eastern Front before Russia could react, The failure of the Schlieffen plan meant that German would have to fight a war on both fronts from the west France and from the east