Political Movements &

Pressure Groups
 Starter
Using the cards; match the correct
party to their correct views & groups.
 Conservatives

Groups representing: Junkers, landed

interests, especially in Prussia.
Views: Supported the Kaiser, discipline
and authority; in favour of a
nationalist foreign policy.
 Free Conservatives
Groups representing:
Commercial, industrial and wealthier
professionalclasses from across
Germany.
Views:
Similar to Conservatives.
Strong supporters of Bismarck and
protectionism.
 National Liberals
Groups Representing:
Industrial Middle Class, Protestant Middle
Class.
Views:
Nationalist; believed in a strong nation state
& encouragement of a state with a liberal
constitution; supported Bismarck’s attack
on the Catholic Church (Kulturkampf);
political allies of the conservative parties.
 Liberal Progressives
Groups Representing:
Middle Classes
 
Views:
Very much in favour of the development
of Parliamentary government; not so
keen on Bismarck’s idea of the power of
the nation state, views closely shared by
the German Peoples Party.
 Centre Party
Groups representing:
The Catholic Church & its members,
essentially based in the south; also support
from non-socialist working class and middle
and middle & lower middle class interests.
Views:
Opposed Bismarck’s attack on the Catholic
Church; feared rise of socialism; anti-
Prussia.
 Social Democratic Party
Groups Representing:
Working Class after Bismarck’s Anti-
Socialist Laws lapsed in 1890.
Views: Split.
Marxists argued for revolution and non-
cooperation with the political with the
political system; Reformists argued that
the party should work within the
political system to achieve social
reform.
Learning Objectives: To undsterstand
the political make up of Germany pre
WWI. Including parties, pressure
groups & views.

Success Criteria: To create a chart

showing each political party &
pressure group and the relationships
between them
 Consequences of Economic
Development
The changes that took place in the German economy
provided pressures which the political system had to
deal with. Some historians have suggested that the
pressures were too much for the system to deal with.
• There was a contradiction between economic
modernisation (seeing industry flourish & cities grow)
and the lack of political reform & the restricted spread
of democracy.
• There was uneven economic growth leading to rising
unemployment & prices between 1912 & 1914. This
period saw clashes between workers & strikers (the
Ruhr).
• There was an increase in participation in politics in the
run up to WWI. The chalenge for the governing classes
was to channel and control the impact of such
pressure.
 Socialist Movement
What is a socialist movement?

Where do the origins of socialism lie?

One of the major impacts of indistrialisation was the
growth of the socialist movement. The german
government hoped to dampen the working classes
enthusiasm by passing the Anti-Socialist Laws of
1878 – 90 (Banned groups, meetings & publications.
Upheld by Police surveilance and powers given to
local authorities).
However, this had the opposite effect.
There were elements in the SPD that were
revolutionary but that did not mean this was
indicative of the whole movement. But it was the
establishments perception of the movement that was
important & led to the rise of Socialism being such a
big issue.

How would the establishment view the Socialist

movement?
Party 1898 1903 1907 1912

Conservatives 56 54 60 43

Free 23 21 24 14
Conservatives

National 46 51 54 45
Liberals
Liberal 41 31 42 42
Progressives
Centre Party 102 100 105 91

Social 56 81 43 110
Democrats
Others 82 63 69 52

Seats won in the Reichstag 1898 – 1912

Use the table to explain the developments in voting and the fortunes
of political parties from 1898 to 1912. You might choose to plot this
on a graph.
Just before WWI, around 2.5m German
workers were members of trade unions
& 400,000 went out on strikes at some
point in 1913.

In 1910, the SPD had 720,000 members

making it the largest Socialist party in
Europe. Memebership was
predominantly Protestant & working
class.

By the eve of the war, the SPD were

winning 75% of the vote in Berlin.
How much of a threat were the
SPD to the establishment?
Read the information on the ideas
relating to the aims of the SPD and
decide if the SPD posed a real threat.
 Pressure Groups
This was another consequence of
economic & social changes. These
groups often focused on single issues
but highlighted tensions & division in
Germany.
These are divided into 2 groups:
Nationalist and Economic
Nationalist Pressure Groups
There were three main groups that
pressurised for German colonial
expansion and the assertion of
German interests. They were to have
an important impact on the
deveopment of policy.
 The German Colonial
League
Was founded in 1892 and was concerned with
the acquistion of German colonies. It also
played a part in ruling various parts of the far-
flung empire, e.g. 1884 the Colonial League
took control of German South West Africa.
 The Pan German League
Founded in 1890. It was also committed to the
acquistion of colonies but also to German
dominance in Europe. The League had strong
support from the political establishment, some
60 members of the Reichstag (mostly National
Liberals) being members of the organisation in
1914.
 The Navy League
Founded in 1898. Was highly popular and had a
membership of around 1 million. The League
played an important role in the successful
campaign in and outside the Reichstag to
promote naval expansion.
 Economic Pressure Groups
The Central Association of German
Industrialists
Created in 1886 to protect industrial
interests, and from 1878 onwards that
meant the implementation of tarrifs. In
the 1912 election the organsiation funded
120 candidates from the conservative &
liberal parties, at a cost of 1 million
marks. Not surprisingly, it was considered
to be the most powerful pressure group
in Germany.
 The Agrarian League
Founded in 1893 to protect agrarian
interests. Although Junker led, it
gained widespread support from the
peasantry and had a third of a million
members by 1914. It pushed for
protectionsim and subsidies for
agriculture.
 Task
With there being a number of Political
Parties and pressure groups in
Germany, it is important to undertand
their position in relation to each other
and their left or right wing positions.
Plot the political & pressure groups on a
chart from left wing to right wing and
try draw links between each group
and then explain your reasons.
Plenary