To What Extent Was Wilhelmine Germany an Entrenched Authoritarian State?
To what extent was Wilhelmine Germany an entrenched Authoritarian state?
Kaiser Wilhelm II came to power in 1888 after Wilhelm I died and a brief reign from Frederick III, his behaviour could be unpredictable and although he was the grandson of Queen Victoria he was anti-British, however he admired them at the same time. He believed in the divine right of kings, the theory claimed that, kings were only answerable to God, and it was sinful for their subjects to resist them. Wilhelm II was determined to exercise much more direct control over government than his grandfather, this was apparent in 1890 when Wilhelm disagreed with Bismarck’s anti-socialist policies, colonial expansion and relations with Russia, consequently Bismarck retired ‘because of his health’. Wilhelm II was determined to reinstate the importance of the imperial throne, as opposed to the country being run by parliament, he wanted to demonstrate how important an all-powerful monarch was. This can be seen by Germany having 4 chancellors under Wilhelm II and each for less than ten years; Wilhelm II wished to have weak chancellors that he could easily control.
Kulturkampf, was an attempt by Bismarck, to suppress the Catholic Church, he feared that because the German Empire established in 1871 had a substantial minority of Catholics that their loyalty to Rome would conflict with their loyalty to the empire. Consequently he conducted a struggle with the Catholics, by the May laws of 1873-5 education was bought under state control and state approval was required for the licensing of priests. Bismarck’s anti-Catholic campaign backfired after the Catholic Centre Party made gains in the Reichstag elections of 1874 and 1877. And since Bismarck required their support against the Liberals over tariffs, he toned down the Kulturkampf and removed some of the May Laws. However, once Wilhelm II was Kaiser the differences between the state and the church were set aside in an attempt to oppose socialism at all cost,
Kaiser Wilhelm II came to power in 1888 after Wilhelm I died and a brief reign from Frederick III, his behaviour could be unpredictable and although he was the grandson of Queen Victoria he was anti-British, however he admired them at the same time. He believed in the divine right of kings, the theory claimed that, kings were only answerable to God, and it was sinful for their subjects to resist them. Wilhelm II was determined to exercise much more direct control over government than his grandfather, this was apparent in 1890 when Wilhelm disagreed with Bismarck’s anti-socialist policies, colonial expansion and relations with Russia, consequently Bismarck retired ‘because of his health’. Wilhelm II was determined to reinstate the importance of the imperial throne, as opposed to the country being run by parliament, he wanted to demonstrate how important an all-powerful monarch was. This can be seen by Germany having 4 chancellors under Wilhelm II and each for less than ten years; Wilhelm II wished to have weak chancellors that he could easily control.
Kulturkampf, was an attempt by Bismarck, to suppress the Catholic Church, he feared that because the German Empire established in 1871 had a substantial minority of Catholics that their loyalty to Rome would conflict with their loyalty to the empire. Consequently he conducted a struggle with the Catholics, by the May laws of 1873-5 education was bought under state control and state approval was required for the licensing of priests. Bismarck’s anti-Catholic campaign backfired after the Catholic Centre Party made gains in the Reichstag elections of 1874 and 1877. And since Bismarck required their support against the Liberals over tariffs, he toned down the Kulturkampf and removed some of the May Laws. However, once Wilhelm II was Kaiser the differences between the state and the church were set aside in an attempt to oppose socialism at all cost,