Since medieval times, Germany has been a leader of Europe. Politically and religiously, during a period of the Holy Roman Empire’s reign; militarily, during the 19th and early 20th centuries; and economically in the present era. In C.E. 962, Otto von Bismarck (OvB), the leader of the German Kingdom of Saxony, was crowned as the Holy Roman Emperor (HRE) and began an unbroken succession of German rulers that controlled much of the political and religious affairs of continental Europe up until the 19th century. Not until a few decades later, after the last HRE Francis II was defeated by Napoleon, did the economically productive and militarily advanced state of Prussia, under the leadership of OvB, succeed in unifying the disparate German states …show more content…
In order to derail the socialist movement and assure support from the working classes, he focused on the people’s welfare by passing various laws to better their lives without disrupting the traditional social hierarchy. The imperial Reichstag passed the Sickness Insurance Law of 1883 for German industrial laborers under his guidance and one year later, the Accident Insurance Law of 1884 in an attempt to demonstrate the desire of the German government to reduce the pain and suffering of workers. Later on, came the Old Age and Disability Insurance Law of 1889 for all workers seventy and over as well as the the disabled (OvB, Wikipedia). The goal of this bill was to give the workers something to work for or, as Bismarck says it, “a pension to look forward to” (18). These laws had the effect of providing workers with a sense of security unmatched at the time. German factory workers had much less to fear from the vagaries of illness and accidental disability than their British and American counterparts, aiding OvB’s real goal of increased productivity, suppression of dissent, and enabling the growth of his war …show more content…
Additionally, the state also finances research and development at a much higher rate (2.01%) than nearly any other country in Europe (only Iceland is higher) as well as establishment of public-private partnership such as the Fraunhofer Institutes which help to commercialize basic research and ensure that its exports continue to be among the world’s most advanced (Eurostat). This contributes to Germany’s lead in exports (45% of GDP, Eurostat) and its current account surplus, which at €220B (Reinhardt) is the world’s largest, allowing German wages to remain high and providing stability for its federal budget. The German system of vocational training and apprenticeship trains people in a specific occupation from a young age, leading to a more productive workforce and competitive export sector. With these industrial policies, the German economy has remained competitive and stable since its recovery from World War II and is the main economic leader of
When Otto von Bismarck was recalled from Paris to become Minister-President of Prussia in 1862, German nationalism was already more than 40 years old. First apparent in the opposition to Napoleon´s occupation of the German states, national feeling grew into a movement after 1815. This feeling was encouraged by a growth of interest in German literature and music and by increased economic cooperation between the north German states. By 1848 it was strong enough to make the creation of a united Germany one of the main demands of the revolutionaries. Otto von Bismarck was a Prussian patriot who inherited the traditions of love of king, army and country from his family.
The German state was forged out of the fires of the Franco-Prussian war in 1871 by the Prussian Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Prussia was by far the largest and most dominant state of the 25 unified in the creation of Germany, with the King of Prussia automatically becoming the Kaiser (Emperor) of the German Reich. In 1888, Kaiser Wilhelm II ascended to the throne, obtaining absolute and total control of the country. However, there is still debate as to whether Wilhelm II exercised full control of Germany or if true power lay in the hands of others in the years preceding the First World War.
German History Path The ‘German catastrophe’ that happened in the 20th century presented an unprecedented phenomenon that was difficult to explain given the previous historical development of the country. Specifically, the rise of Nazi Germany led to the radical changes in the country’s system of governance, social values, changes in social institutions etc that were unexpected from the point of view of history. The Sonderweg is a theory in historiography that emphasizes the idea that German path to democracy was unique, if compared to other counties in the West.
In the late 1800s, Chancellor Otto Von Bismarck used different strategical plans in order to gain as much power possible, the majority of the plans consisted of him taking advantage of the different political parties. Bismarck used many traditional political strategies in order to gain the power he craved for, such as creating harsh laws and prohibiting certain beliefs or ideas. Unfortunately, these strategies did not satisfy the people, so Bismarck later started to increase the welfare of the working class, apologized to the Socialists, and did much more to obtain more political strength which eventually created a new conservatism. In an effort to increase political power for the Kaiser, Chancellor Otto Von Bismarck uses liberal and traditional
The last battle of the Bismarck changed the tides during World War II. The Bismarck was Germany’s most famous battleship during World War Two, and was sunk on May 27, 1941. The Bismarck had already sunk the battleship HMS Hood before being sunk herself. For many, the end of the Hood and Bismarck symbolized the end of the time when battleships were the dominant force in naval warfare, to be replaced by submarines and aircraft carriers and the advantages these ships gave to naval commanders.
The focus of this study is the effect that Otto Von Bismarck's leadership and politics had on Pre-World War One tensions in Europe. This study investigates to what extent the actions of Otto Von Bismarck led to World War One. The focus of this study is the period between Bismarck's appointment to Minister President of Prussia on September 23, 1862 and the Austro-Hungarian declaration of war on Serbia on July 28, 1914. Bismarck's earlier career is discussed briefly but only as a method to understand his political attitudes. And similarly, as Bismarck was removed from office in 1890, the only events discussed between 1890 and 1914 will be based off of policies instilled by Bismarck, not those of Wilhelm II.
Fulbrook, Mary. A Concise History of Germany. 2nd ed. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2004. Print.
Berghahn Books. 2000 Germany and the Germans. After the Unification of the. New Revised Edition. John Ardagh.
This paper analyzes the reasons behind Otto von Bismarck’s conclusion of both the Dual Alliance of October, 1879 with Austria and the Reinsurance Treaty of June, 1887 with Russia. After the successful unification of Germany and its establishment as the strongest power in Europe, Germany was faced with a geopolitical dilemma; being the center of Europe with its periphery as a threat. Henceforth, Bismarck, now the Chancellor of Germany, abandoned his expansionist policy and replaced it with a more conservative, stability seeking one. This change generated into two goals that would be the fore of Germany’s foreign policy for the rest of Bismarck’s leadership. The first and most prioritized goal was the containment of France, particularly in preventing
W.M. Simon – Germany in the age of Bismarck (George Allen and Unwin ltd, 1968) page 48 [5] Ibid page 49 [6] B. Waller – Bismarck (Blackwell publishers, 1997) page 103
They took advantage of all the new and growing opportunities to extend their economy. On an educational level Germany was the top in its nations. Having to change to produce more educated individuals gave Germany more power over the other nations that made up The Great Powers. Although they were more educated than other, Germany came in at third place but after the war they were second place. Under the leadership of Otto von Bismarck, Germans were able to establish insurance for their working class.
Otto von Bismarck, or the Prince of Bismarck, was a conservative statesman in Prussia during the 19th century. His father was a wealthy, land-owning noble, while his mother was from a family of successful academics and government ministers. During his time as a leader he became known as the “Iron Chancellor” due his decisive victories and annexation of Germany, Austria, and France; he united thirty-nine countries under Prussian leadership. A major revolution to occur was the revolutions of 1848, where Blood and Iron is focused. The revolutions sparked in what is now modern day France, and quickly spread throughout Prussia, because the people were dissatisfied with their government leaders and had very little trust in their policies.
The Congress of Vienna in 1814-15 created the so-called German Confederation under Austrian and Prussian hegemony, but this unit disappointed the dreams of nationalists. The rivalry of Austria and Prussia paralyzed it in a way comparable to the effects of Soviet-American dualism on the United Nations during the Cold War. Almost everywhere, the old rulers repressed the nationalist movement after 1815. The German princes realized that nationalism required ...
One of the largest impacts that Napoleon had upon Germany was that he laid the stonework for the unification of Germany. This influence was mainly in society rather than the political or even economic structures of the German states. Napoleon reshaped Europe with his empire, notably in the case of Germany he created a loose unification with the Confederation of the Rhine all 16 Germanic states that were a part of it are still a part of modern day Germany. It could be argued that Napoleon’s role in the unification of Germany was not a lasting impact given that the Confederation of the Rhine was dissolved by the allies after the defeat of Napoleon. However it was not the ‘protecting’ influence of Napoleon that had such a large role in the formation of German nationalism but rather the oppressing hold he had over the Germanic states. Hagen Schulze
Prior to unification in 1871 the territory that would become Germany was comprised of thirty-nine independent states and city states joined together in a loose German Confederation. The most powerful among these states was Prussia, both geographically the largest state and that with the largest population. The influential politicians and policies that came out of Prussia were instrumental in the gradual formation of a united Germany. Beginning with the rise of Napoleon, the nineteenth century was a time of incredible change which dramatically altered the political balance of Europe. In order to understand the factors that culminated in official German unification on January 18 1871, it is necessary to examine the preceding decades. No single factor can be credited for the unification of the German states. Rather, the combined forces of social change, economic strength within a unified customs union, the moral justifications provided by nationalism, Bismarck’s careful manipulation of internal politics and the advantages gained through military action resulted in the unification of Germany.