Main issues in the Second Reich 1900-14

Kaiser

• was the Emporer of germany and King of Prussia.
• Full control over foreign and diplomatic policy.
• He could appoint and dismiss Chancellor at any time.
• He had to oversee the implemenatation of federal law.
• He could dissolve the Reichstag and was the guardian of the constitution.

Chancellor

• and Government Ministers were below him, and he was directly responsible to the Kaiser. He can ignore resolutions past by the Reichstag.
• Chancellor had powers to manipulate both Kaiser and Reichstag.
• He had to stirke deals fast and manage politicans.

Federal State

• German Reich contained 25 states and four kingdoms and Alsace-Lorraine which had been seized from France.
• Each state had own governements and different constitutions which had wide ranging powers.
• Domestic Affairs were in the hands of the state gov not federal gov.

The Bundesrat

• Upper house of federal parliament.
• Part of law making process and could change the constitution.
• It was to act as a barrier for radical legislation.
• Voters put into three bands; upper, middle and lower.

The Army

• Army had huge impact on the new state, as the army had lead to the new states formation die to victories on battlefields in previsious years.
• Bismark did not make army accountable to the Reichstag. It was only resposible to the Kaiser who...
• Appointed the Military Cabnet which chose General Staff which organised military affairs. Army swore an oath the to Kaiser and not to the state.
• Officers were class slpit; little had respect for democracy as a result.

The Bureacracy

• Civil servants that helped to develop policies.
• Implemented new laws and arranged events and made policy decisions.

Kaiser Wilhelm 2

• Belived it was his power to rule and not share power witht he Reichstag.
• He was a poor decision maker and did not work hard. His only interest was the military which he turned to for advice.
• He had a poor opinion of democracy in the Reichstag.

Conclusions

• Concstitution creastes a political structure which was not clear and was fragmented and dominated by conservative elites.
• There was much domanance and veto of Prussia.
• Main aim of the author of the new constitution and Germanys first Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, was to preserve power of the elite.

1871 - Prince Otto von Bismarck, 1890 - Georg Leo von Caprivi, 1904 - Prince Chlodwig zu Schillingsfurst, 1900 - Bernhard won Bulow, 1909 - Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg.