Extent of German economic growth-Industry, Urbanisation and Agriculture

• German advantage over Britain-due to size of Germanys companies. Britain only had one firm with the annual capacity to produce over 300,000 tonnes of steel. Germany had 10.
• Steel production fuelled the growth of other companies included armaments and railwys. The prussian railways expanded from 5000 in 1876 to 37,000 in 1914

• chemicals was stimulated by the demand for explosives from the military and tyes from textiles.
• In 1924 Great Britain imported around 80% of its chemical dyes, the majority from Germany.
• Germany led the way in Pharmaceuticals

• Extent of benefits to different scoial classes varied
• Demographic revolution-expansions of towns ands cities
• Rapid population growth
• Attracted by regular work and pay

Positives

• Better hygiene and medicine-decline in infant mortaily-INDICATOR
• Building of tramways
• 1896-1912 the proortion of taxpayers assessed on incomes under 900 marks fell from 75% to 52%. Real wages increased.

Disadvantages

• Overcrowding and poor quality of acconomdation due to rate of expansion
• Unemployment and homelessness (mainly unskilled)
• Growth of middle lcass white collar workers

• Fortunes of agriculture fluctuated due to urbanisation and industrialisation which benefitted big business.

Strengths within agricultural system

• Bismarks1897 Tariff Law protected German farms-both junkers and peasantry
• High prices they recieved
• Rapid population created extra demand+ growth in prices.
• Chemical industry-fertilisers increased yields
• Mechanisation of agriculture, more effcient and less labour intensive increasing output.

Weaknesses within agricultural system

• Urbanisation and loss of workforce to cities
• Recruitment of foreign workers
• Threats of modernatisation i.e imports and refridgerated shipping-cheaper meat.
• Hard to mantain traditional large estate-debt increase- between 1896-1912 astates sold more frequently then before.