German Empire

German Empire after unification

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At its birth Germany occupied an area of 540,854 square km and had a population of more than 41 million, which was to grow to 67 million by 1914.

Key politician was Otto von Bismarck, known as "The Iron Chancellor".

Multiple Choice

How many states did Bismarck unify?

• 39

• 29

• 19

• 49

Multiple Select

German Empire was lead by emperor William I. and chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Name three kingdoms in German Empire who still had kings after unification.

• Bavaria

• Saxony

• Württemberg

• Anhalt

• Baden

Multiple Choice

Who was the first German Emperor in 1871?

• William I.

• Frederick the Great

• Conrad I.

• Otto the Great

Multiple Choice

German Empire has constitution and the state was a federation of 39 states. What type of government has German Empire?

• constitutional monarchy

• absolute monarchy

• constitutional republic

• autocracy

• dictatorship

Under the Constitution, the Chancellor, whom the Emperor appointed and who was not dependent on the confidence of a parliamentary majority, was confronted by a Reichstag without the consent of which it was, in principle, impossible to enact any law and which had to approve the national budget. From 1871 the Reichstag initially met in the former Royal Prussian Porcelain Works in Leipziger Strasse. Not until 6 December 1894 did it move into the Reichstag building.

Multiple Select

Mark three correct statements about Germany as constitutional monarhy.

• The Reichstag was assembled by elected representatives.

• The Reichstag has less decision-making power as parliament in UK.

• The Reichstag has the same decision-making power as parliament in UK.

• The Reichstag was assembled by representatives of federal states.

• The Reichstag was limited by the authority of the emperor.

Multiple Choice

To whom were responsible ministers in German Empire?

• To the people.

• To Reichstag.

• To emperor.

• To the media.

Multiple Select

What challenges did Germany face after unification? Mark three obstacles.

• Economical obstacles

• Sectarian obstacles

• No colonies

• Nation was ethnically homogeneous

Multiple Choice

In German Empire lived protestant, Roman Catholic and Jews. What percentage of Germans was Catholic?

• 63

• 36

• 6,3

• 3,6

Otto von Bismarck tried to subject the Roman Catholic church to state controls. This era is known as Kulturkamf.

Bismarck doubted the loyalty of the Catholic population to the Prussian-centred and, therefore, primarily Protestant nation.

Culture War or Kulturkampf

Multiple Select

Mark four measures against Roman Catholic Church in Germany.

• Establishing civil marriage

• Limiting the movement of the clergy

• Dissolving religious orders (Jezuits)

• Suspend diplomatic relations with the pope

• War with Papal States

Multiple Choice

German Empire has rapid economic expansion, especially in steel production and railway building. By 1914 German Empire was an industrial giant second only to the US. Which part of unificated Germany was undeveloped, so there were differences between federal states?

• South

• North

• East

• West

​Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands; SPD

Fearing the potential of the Social Democrats in a rapidly industrializing Germany, Bismarck found a majority to outlaw the party from 1878 to 1890, although constitutionally it could not be forbidden to participate in elections.

Multiple Select

Mark three measures with whom Bismarck suppressed Social Democrats.

• Newspapers were closed down

• Meetings were prohibited

• Party offices were closed down

• Party leaders were imprisoned

• Party leaders were executed

Multiple Select

Like the Kulturkampf, the campaign against the SPD was a failure, and the 1890 elections showed enormous support for SPD. Mark three measures with whom Bismarck tried to gain support by the workers.

• Pensions

• Accident insurance

• Medical coverage

• 8 hour work day

• Higher pay

Until his resignation in 1890, Bismarck had a relatively free hand in the conduct of foreign policy.

• Bismarck’s two areas of concern were the Balkans — where the disintegration of the Turkish Ottoman Empire could easily lead to conflict between Austria-Hungary and Russia, or Russia and France.

• Bismarck’s most important diplomatic objective was to prevent France from allying itself with either Austria-Hungary or Russia.

Congress of Berlin 1878

In 1877 Russia declared war on Turkey, leading both UK and Austria-Hungary to express serious concern about Russias`s expansionist war aims. Bismarck called for an international conference to reconsider the peace treaty between Russia and Ottoman Empire and to forestall another military conflict.

Multiple Select

1878 was a Congress in Berlin. It was a diplomatic conference to reorganise the teritory changes ater war between Russia and Ottoman Empire. Mark four nations on Balkan who got independence.

• Serbia

• Montenegro

• Bulgaria

• Romania

• Bosnia and Herzegovina

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