The late 19th century’s German Empire, governed mainly by its Prussian prime minister, Otto von Bismarck, sought a diplomatic way of establishing the Empire’s prosperity due to the origins of its foundation. The conservative government viewed several political parties as enemies. The prime minister launched campaigns of removing the opposition from politics, as well as tried to win their voters. However, his attempts proved to be futile, spreading mistrust and disloyalty of the fundamental conservative government.
The German Empire of the late 19th century consisted of Prussia, Bavaria, Hesse-Darmstadt, Baden, and Württemberg. It was forged as a result of traditional cabinet diplomacy and agreement (Barkin & Sheehan). Despite the general homogeneity of the nation, the population differed by religion. The government itself was plagued by the issue of disparity between Prussian, imperial political systems, and a variety of political parties that had the potential to undermine the current government (Barkin & Sheehan). As such, due to the circumstances of the Empire’s foundation, the issues regarding citizens’ loyalty to the government could not be solved by force.
The two main religions of the German Empire of the late 19th century were the Protestant church and Roman Catholicism. Being of a primarily Protestant nation, Prussian prime minister Otto von Bismarck doubted the Catholic population’s loyalty (Barkin & Sheehan). In his attempt to deprive Catholicism of any political power, he launched a campaign consisting of a series of bills. Despite all the effort of limiting the movement of the clergy, dissolving religious orders, and purging clerical civil servants from Prussian administration, the campaign failed to achieve its goals (Barkin & Sheehan). As a result, the Roman Catholic minority were now convinced of persecution and were more invested in politics as means to protect their rights. The campaign’s failure contributed to the distrust and disloyalty of a portion of the population, forcing the prime minister to address other political issues.
Abandoning the fight with Roman Catholicism, Otto von Bismarck started working towards disbanding the Social Democratic Party (SPD). By 1890, the party grew from 2 seats in the first imperial election to 35, gaining a plurality of votes (Barkin & Sheehan). The prime minister viewed SPD as an enemy of the Empire, similar to Roman Catholicism, believing that it sought to change the fundamental conservatism of Germany. Bismarck managed to outlaw the party for two years, closing their offices, newspapers, and meetings (Barkin & Sheehan). He then made an attempt to win the working population away from socialism by granting pensions, accident insurance, and a national system of medical coverage (Barkin & Sheehan). However, despite all the work, the elections of 1890 showed enormous gains in SPD’s favor.
After failing both campaigns against the so-called enemies of the Empire, Bismarck’s reputation and the population’s loyalty to the government were at their lowest. As a way to recover from the defeats, the prime minister sough to draw a new constitution; however, his attempt was futile. The new Emperor was not interested in starting his reign with potential bloodshed and, instead, forced Bismarck to resign (Barkin & Sheehan). Thus, former prime minister left politics in a humiliating fashion, leaving the Empire in a state of constant crisis and mistrust of government.
Otto von Bismarck’s obsession with ensuring the stability of the conservative government led the Empire of Germany to a state of political setback. It undermined citizens’ trust and loyalty to the ruling government. By seeking to retract any political power from Roman Catholicism and Socialism, he increased the population’s interest in the corresponding parties. As their votes grew, so did the suspicion and wariness of the government.
Reference
Barkin, K. & Sheehan J. J. (n. d.). The German Empire, 1871–1914. Britannica. Web.