Industrialization, Socialism, and the Second Reich

1. Industrialization, Socialism, and the Second Reich Political and Economic Causes and Effects in 19th Century Europe

2. Great Britain in Two Slides because we Need to Fit it in Somewhere • The Reform Act of 1832 opened the door to political representation for the industrial middle class • In the 1860s, Britain’s liberal parliamentary system made great social and political reforms, allowing the country to remain stable and prosperous (and not in revolution!) • Reason: Economic Growth • Middle-class Prosperity + Working Class Improvements • Real wages for laborers increased more than 25% between 1850 and 1870 • Reason: Queen Victoria • National pride increased because her 64 year reign increased her sense of duty for England and moral responsibility • Reason: Political Stability (barely) • Aristocratic and upper-middle-class representatives dominated Parliament which blurred party lines by their internal strife and shifting positions • “We should by such an arrangement increase the number of Bribeable Electors and overpower Intelligence and Prosperity by Ignorance and Poverty” • That was Lord Palmerston—and yes, he just openly called for more bribes

3. Great Britain in Two Slides because we Need to Fit it in Somewhere • Reason: Benjamin Disraeli • (The Whigs become the Liberals) The Whigs were responsible for the Reform Act of 1832 and were talking about passing additional reform legislation in the 1860s, but the Tories were the ones to actually do it • Disraeli was the Tory leader in Parliament and was motivated by the desire to win over the newly enfranchised groups to the Conservative Party • Therefore, he pushed through The Reform Act of 1867 • Reason: Reform Act of 1867 • Lowered the monetary requirements for voting • Enfranchised many urban male workers (increased from 1 mill  2 mill) • Disraeli misread the electorate though, as the Liberals won in ’68 • Increased the rivalry between Liberals and Conservatives • Reason: William Gladstone • Under his leadership, legislation and government orders opened civil service positions to competitive exams rather than patronage • Introduced the secret ballot for voting • Abolished the practice of purchasing military commissions • Introduced the Education Act of 1870, attempting to make elementary schools available of all children

4. Industrialization Leads to Marxism… • Between 1850 and 1871 Continental industrialization began • Britain led the Industrial Revolution with mechanized factory production, the use of coal, the steam engine, and the transportation revolution • These all became regular features of economic expansion across the continent • There was a depression from 1857-1858 and a recession from 1866-1867, but otherwise this 21 year period was an age of economic prosperity • The biggest gain was the growth of domestic and foreign markets • Textiles • Hand looms to power looms in Britain, but not nearly as much in the rest of Europe yet • Railroads • Track mileage increased from 14,500 to 70,000 • Stimulated growth in the iron and coal industries • Problems for France and Germany • England produced half the world’s pig iron in 1870 • 4X as much as Germany • 5X as much as France

5. Expand ’demMarkets • The elimination of barriers of trade was the biggest factor in expanding markets • Tolls restricting the free-flow of ships on international waterways were eliminated • Danube River in 1857 • Rhine River in 1861 • Trade treaties in the ‘60s eliminated protective tariffs in much of Western Europe • Formation of the joint-stock investment banks were crucial to Continental industrial development because they mobilized enormous capital resources for investment • Promoted railway construction (even if the investment was risky) • Capitalist factory owners could hire labor on their own terms based on market forces before 1870 • There were small trade unions trying to fight for improved working conditions and reasonable wages, but they represented only a small portion of the industrial working class • They were largely ineffective • But things were about to change…

6. The Emergence of Socialism

7. We’re Skipping the Next Slide • Part of it is because of time (we don’t have time to do mini-presentations right now) but mostly it’s because I just want to have a really brief discussion on Marxism, the Communist Manifesto, etc. • Here’s how this will work. I’m going to give you 30 seconds to write down an interesting fact about socialism or Marxism or Marx or Engels or National Workshops or Unionization in Germany or something else related you can think of • This will also show me if you can talk relatively off the top of your head on an important topic—if your comment is taken, you need to come up with another one • Let’s see how this works

8. It all starts with a man with a crazy beard… • And you’re going to talk about him… • We have lots of books in here • I would like (and by would like, I mean you will do) somewhere between 3 and 4 mini-presentations on Karl Marx by the end of class • These should be NO MORE than 2 minutes long • Yes, you’re penalized if they’re longer than 2 minutes • Still, you need to provide quality information • I need you to tell me why Marx was important and what his legacy was • You can categorize how you do that anyway you want to… • …just make sure you fully explain who Marx is and what he’s about (obviously the Manifesto should be included) • Each group must use at least 2 sources (your textbook does not count as a source, but if you use “The Classless Society” on p. 693 of your textbook that would count as one)

9. Blaaahhhd. And Ire-erhn. • “Germany does not look to Prussia’s liberalism, but to her power… • …The great questions of the day are not to be decided by speeches and majority resolutions… • …—that was the mistake of 1848 and 1849—… • …but by blood and iron!” –Otto Von Bismarck • This speech was stated in 1862 and set the tone for his policies in the years ahead • His goal was to unify the German people in one state, with Prussia as its leader

10. Napoleon’s Dynamite to Germany • As Napoleon romped through Europe he annexed lands along the Rhine River and organized several German states along the Rhine River • As German nationalism spread, Napoleon became the enemy • Napoleon tried to say that uniting Germany would require dismantling each German state’s government • Instead, the German Confederation (headed by Austria) was born after Napoleon’s defeat

11. We All Live in a Yellow Zollverein…a Yellow Zollverein…a Yellow Zollverein… • Beginning in the 1830s Prussia created an economic union called the Zollverein dismantling tariff barriers between many German states • Free trade was the first step toward German unity; this was economic unity • After the attempted revolutions in 1848, the conservative landowning nobility class of Germany (the Junkers) had to serve two masters: reaffirm their control over the rebellious people while listening to the calls for change in the German Confederation • Large numbers of Germans wanted more than economic unity—they wanted political unity as well • Otto von Bismarck’s rise to power began during this time when he was named chancellor (prime minister) of Prussia by King William I

12. (Stuff’s) Gettin’ Real • As chancellor, Bismarck was a disciple of political philosophy known as Realpolitik • Realpolitik states that all decisions are based on the needs of the state • Based on Realpolitik, which situation is better? • A. The U.S. supporting a murderous dictator if it stops the spread of Communism during the Cold War • B. The U.S. supporting a Communist country with a strong history in favor of pro-human rights policies? • The answer is A because the needs of the state are to stop communism; all other issues are secondary • Bismarck was not necessarily a nationalist, but rather wanted to increase the power of the Hohenzollerns (which he thought he could do through German unification) • What Bismarck did: • 1. Strengthen the Prussian army • The liberal legislature wouldn’t vote to fund the military so Bismarck used money that had been collected for other purposes to go to war • 2. Go to war to expand their strength

13. Denmark and Austria…Goodbye • Bismarck aligned with Austria in 1864 and seized the provinces of Schleswig and Holstein from Denmark in the Danish War (they go from blue to red in the great graphics on the best/worst movie ever that we’ll see tomorrow) • Most people living in these two provinces were German, and that was the justification for seizing and dividing the two areas between Prussia and Austria • Two years later in 1866 Prussia attacked Austria • The Austro-Prussian War lasted 7 weeks (also known as The Seven Weeks War) and ended in a decisive Prussian victory; Prussia annexed several German states

14. France, you’re next • Bismarck created a new confederation dominated by Prussia (instead of the old Austrian-led German Confederation) • Bismarck allowed Austria and 4 other southern German states to remain independent because he didn’t want anyone seeking revenge • The Franco-Prussian War began in 1870 • Remembering Napoleon, Bismarck spurred on German Nationalism by talking about the French menace • Napoleon III also wanted war to achieve military glory • Bismarck furthered the problem by rewriting a telegram reporting a meeting between King William I and the French ambassador • This “EMS dispatch” made it seem that William I had insulted the Frenchman; Napoleon III declared war on Prussia, like Bismarck hoped • Prussia smashed France and France accepted a humiliating peace • Germany would be unified, with Prussia as it’s leader, and clearly positioned ahead of France in Continental Europe—Bismarck’s vision of his kind of united Germany had been reached