STRENGTHENING GERMANY

ECONOMIC PROGRESS

• Iron and coal resources
• Disciplined and educated work force
• Rapid growing population
• Benefited from earlier progress : railroads, companies

SCIENCE, GOV., INDUSTRY

• First to see the value of applied science in products (synthetic chemicals and dyes)
• Supported research in universities
• Hired trained scientists to work in their factories

STRONG GOVERNMENT

• Promoted economic development
• Reorganized the banking system and issued a single currency
• Determined to maintain economic and military strength

OTTO VON BISMARCK

• 1815-1898
• Delegate to the Prussian assembly in 1847
• Won support of the King and was made the prime minister (28 years)

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THE IRON CHANCELLOR

• Wanted to keep France weak and isolated while building strong links with Austria and Russia
• Sought to erase local loyalties (Catholics and Socialists)

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• Distrusted Catholics - loyalty to the Pope
• Socialists - undermine German workers and spark revolutions

CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE CHURCH

• Launched the "Kulturkampf" or battle for civilization
• Loyalty to state not church
• Laws passed : supervise Catholic education, closed religious orders, expelled Jesuits

CAMPAIGN AGAINST SOCIALISTS

• Laws passed : dissolve Socialist groups, shut down their newspapers, banned their meetings

IMPROVEMENTS

• Germans had health, old-age, and accident insurance
• Showed that conditions for workers could be improved without a revolution
• Later other nations would build upon his social policies

KAISER WILLIAM II

• In 1888 he succeeded his grandfather
• 1890 he shocked Europe by dominating Bismarck to resign
• Introduced democratic reforms

REFORMS

• Social welfare
• Cheap transportation and electricity
• Excellent public school system
• Expanded military overseas

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