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Germany, 1890–1945: Democracy and Dictatorship

Kaiser Wilhelm and the difficulties of ruling Germany

  • 3 things to know
  • Paper 1 section A

Overview

Wilhelm II and the Reichstag, Prussia's dominance, militarism and the army's influence, the industrial boom and the growth of cities, state welfare, the rise of the Social Democrats, and the cost of the battle fleet.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started
Who and when

Who was the German Emperor from 1888 until the end of the First World War?

Key term

Which assembly did German men elect, and how much say did it have over the government?

Key term

Which industries made Germany an economic giant in the years before the First World War?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    Who was the German Emperor from 1888 until the end of the First World War?

    Model answer

    Wilhelm II, who believed he ruled by the will of God and answered to nobody.

  2. 2

    Which assembly did German men elect, and how much say did it have over the government?

    Model answer

    The Reichstag, chosen by all men over 25, could vote on laws and taxes, but the Kaiser picked and sacked the Chancellor and could dissolve it whenever he wished.

  3. 3

    Which German state dominated the empire, and how did its dominance show?

    Model answer

    Prussia: its king was the Kaiser, it supplied most of the army's officers and it held the largest voice in the upper chamber.

  4. 4

    What is meant by militarism?

    Model answer

    The belief that a nation should keep powerful armed forces and be ready to use them, with soldiers and military values admired above civilian ones.

  5. 5

    Why did senior army officers carry so much weight in decision-making before 1914?

    Model answer

    Because they reported straight to the Kaiser as commander of the armed forces, so neither the Chancellor nor the elected deputies could overrule them.

  6. 6

    Which industries made Germany an economic giant in the years before the First World War?

    Model answer

    Coal, iron and steel expanded enormously, and German firms led the world in chemicals and electrical engineering.

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