The Advance of Democracy: Third French Republic, United Kingdom, German Empire

Section: 14.74

How did the role of government change from the Congress of Vienna to the establishment of a Unified

Germany?

• From 1815-1870 liberals agitated for constitutionalism, parliamentarians, civil liberties, responsible ministers

• 1871-1914 male suffrage (the Vote) was extended to the working class (Republicans)

– Governments extended this own their own within monarchical/aristocratic paradigms

•Mass political parties emerged•Governments in part became more responsive to counteract the spread of socialism, became more humanitarian •Saw the need to assume responsibility to social/economic problems of industrialization•The welfare state began

France: The Establishment of the Third Republic

• Sept. 1870 Napoleon lost the Franco-Prussian War the revolutionaries of Paris proclaimed the Republic

• Their provisional go wanted to continue the war but it was hopeless

• Jan 1871 the siege of Paris ended

• In order to make peace with a legitimate government Bismarck insisted on free elections for members of a National Assembly

Elections led to large monarchist presence in the National Assembly (400 out of 600)

Republicans were distrusted by French people, especially in rural areas as violent, stupid in foreign policy, unfriendly to Church, and too socialistic in property views

Monarchists are again split between two royal houses and checkmated each other (b/t Bourbons and Orleanist)Paris republicans refused to accept the National Assembly (they had defended France when Nap surrendered)Civil war between National Assembly (Versailles) and the Paris republicans ensued

Paris Commune• Paris Commune lasted from

(March to May 1871) • Was a revival of Jacobinism

(’93) more than a social revolution

• Republicans characterized by patriotic, anti-bourgeois, anti-aristocrats/clergy, pro price, wage control, and working condition supervision

• But not sweepingly socialist• Communards burned public

buildings, murdered archbishop of Paris

National Assemblies armies finally triumphed330 thousand were denounced38 thousand were arrested20,000 were executed7, 500 were deported to New CaledoniaThird Republic born amidst class hatred and terrorSome saw socialism rising within the republicansThis led to fierce reaction,which is what Marx was hoping for

Parliamentary Primacy• Monarchist of the assembly

were evenly divided b/t Bourbons and Orleanists

• Bourbon candidate’s insistence of the white flag (of his family) led to monarchist blocking each others power

• Assembly adopted Constitutive laws in 1875 (not a constitution)

Henri, comte de ChambordAKA: A Bourbon

Basically a new republic was establishedCalled for:President, Parliament (2 chambers)

Senate (indirect suffrage)Chamber of Deputies (direct suffrage)

Council of ministers (headed by a premier)

Parliamentary Primacy Continued• Roles of these new posts

were clarified in 1877 when President Marshal MacMahon tried to dismiss a premier (who was supported by the chamber)

• President dissolved the Chamber but they were restored in election– Napoleon’s

authoritarianism still fresh in their minds

Premier and the council became the true executive (under eye of the legislature)

Dozen or more political parties prevented any president or premier from dissolving the Chamber

What emerged was an unstable coalition government processWhat seems like a radical change in the Third Republic is really a continuationThe machinery of the state (ministers, prefectures, courts, police, army were still centralized and run the same way Napoleon I had done

Troubles of the Third French Republic• Gov had changed so often

since 1789 that they all seemed temporary

• Minor philosophical questions now seemed like deep fundamental issues

• Monarchy v republicanism

• Upper class, Catholics, army conservatives hated the republic

Some middle class supported the Third Republic b/c they felt bad about the brutal way Commune was repressed, saw no other alternativeRepublicanism expanded as it became less revolutionary Won both houses in 1879Radicalism was reduced to founding compulsory schools that denied clerical influence

Dreyfus Affair (1886-89)• Republicanism came under assault

for next 25 years• Captain Dreyfus, a Jewish army

officer, was found guilty of treason and deported to Devil’s Island

• Evidence emerged that he was innocent & that guilty man was Major Esterhazy, an adventurer with gambling debts

• Army refused to reopen the case & admit error

• Staff officer Major Henry even forged documents to confirm Dreyfus’s guilt

anti-Semites, anti-republicans, royalists, militarist and the “best” people said that reopening the case would be unpatrioticConservatives and republicans took sidesConservatives supported the militaryRepublicans supported DreyfusDreyfus was pardoned in 1899Fallout prompted the increase in republicanismSeries of laic laws in 1905 led to a Separation of church and state in France

The Strength and Weakness of the Republic• Born unwanted and accidentallyStrengths• it now had loyalty of mass of French• It became domesticated

republicanism– showed that republicanism (so

militant before 1870) to be compatible with law, order, parliament, prosperity, tolerance

• France was a population of painters, writers, scholars, scientists, bankers, bourgeois, and farmers living comfortably on the savings of generations

WeaknessesNot the stuff of leadership for the modern age (technological, industrial power)lagged behind Germany industriallyentrepreneurs not willing to take risksPlagued by short lived ministries (political instability)50 between 1871-1914 (disruptive to continuity)

The Radical Socialists• French labor still

discontented• Still longed for a “social

republic”• The Radical Socialist Party

were radical republicans • Patriotic, anti clerical, for

the small shopkeepers, small propertied people

• Not necessarily pro labor• Took steps to prevent social

legislation, blocked strikes and prevented unionization

•Further alienated the French workers from politics

•Third Republic had to contend with disgruntled workforce, monarchists, church, army interests and finally GERMANY in WWI

•It survived WWI but was knocked out in 1940

The British Constitutional Monarchy• GB was the greatest

example of a peaceable parliamentary government

• Queen Victoria (1837-1901) and her reign mark era of material, literary progress, political stability

• Liberal and conservative (heirs of Whigs and Tories) took form in the 1850s

• Gladstone and Disraeli

Extension of Suffrage• March of egalitarian democracy

was cautious and slow in GB• Reform Bill of 1832 gave vote

to just 1/8 adult male pop• 1867 Reform Bill (the Second

Reform Bill)– Vote was extended to most

workers– extended from 1 to 2 mil– adopted by Disraeli

Conservatives– Lord Derby called it a “leap in

the dark”

Reform Bill 1884:

Under liberal control vote was extended to rural areasenfranchising ¾ of male pop

1918 Universal male suffragewomen over 30 also included

gov is still controlled by the wealthynot until 1911 were salaries of HOC paidBut parties actually tried to outdo one another rather than reverse each other (healthy politics)

Liberals• Gladstone (liberal)• Leaned somewhat more on the

industrial and commercial side• More willing to pioneer• Forster Education Act of 1870

developed idea of Public education

• introduced secret ballot, legalized labor unions, examinations for civil service posts, eliminated the sale of commissions in the army, abolished religions tests in universities

– Being member of Anglican Church no longer required

Gladstone did institute some provisions for workers in his second ministry (1880-1885)Workers’ compensation, Fourth ministry (1892-94) he campaigned for shorter working hours

The Conservatives• Disraeli (conservative)

– Followed in Tory tradition– Leaned somewhat on the

landed aristocracy side– Not supporters of business (or

laissez faire)

• Under Disraeli (2nd ministry 1874-80)

– public sanitation improved– workplace conditions

improved– regulation of housing

conditions of the poor

British Political Changes after 1900• Labor became an

independent political force• Rise of labor caused the

liberal party to pass a social welfare program

• Caused liberals to abandon laissez-faire, took up policy of gov intervention and social legislation for working class

• Sickness, accident, old-age, unemployment insurance, right to strike, minimum wage were their crusades

Liberals (1906-1916) led by Herbert Asquith (prime minister) & Lloyd George (chancellor of exchequer) were in control of the gov Pushed through major program of social welfareSickness, accident, old age, unemployment insurance were adoptedMinimum wage law enactedStrikes permitted

A War Against Poverty• Lloyd George called for a progressive

income and inheritance tax forcing the landed aristocracy to pay

• Called it a “war budget” intended to defeat poverty

• House of Lords objected• Parliament Act of 1911• Deprived H of Lords of all veto power in

money matters and only a delaying power in all other matters

• Gov also called for salaries for parliament members

• Conservative – became party of industry, laissez faire,

Manchester School and landed wealth• Labor party replaced the liberal party after

the liberal party split (split over Ireland)– Party of workers, social programs,

government intervention

Government also called for salaries for parliament membersConservative

became party of industry, laissez faire, Manchester School and landed wealth

Labor party replaced the liberal party after the liberal party split (split over Ireland)

Party of workers, social programs, government intervention

The Irish Question• Ireland was incorporated into the

UK as a defensive measure against pro-French Irish during French Rev.

• Irish Reps of Parliament were obstructionists as a means of protest

• Why?• Irish peasants were defenseless

against landlords and were obliged to pay tithes to Church of Ireland (Anglican) even thou they were Catholic

• Gladstone disestablished the Church of Ireland and initiated protective laws for Irish peasants and helped them buy out absentee landlords

Home Rule

Bismarck and the German Empire, 1871 – 1890

• German Empire was a federation of 25 German monarchies under the Prussian Kaiser

• Did not develop constitutionalism or democracy in a strong way

• Bismarck has consolidated power and leaned on the National Liberals

He usually tried to have a majority in Reichstag but still followed Realpolitik (no philosophical loyalty except to the emperor)Legislative power of the lower house were very restricted and upper chamber (princes) was favored by the govBut even they did not favor his actions (democratic concessions)

The Catholic Church• Syllabus of Errors (1864)

– Called all Catholics to support the interests of the Pope

– Denounced government encroachment in educational and church affairs

• 1870 dogma of papal infallibility in matter of faith and morals

• This pronouncements came as Bis was trying to consolidate unity of empire (to be subordinate to empire)

– Remember Absolutism!! And centralization of power?

Catholics in the south had organized a strong Center party and upheld church pronouncementsIn 1871 Bismarck launched Kulturkampf (Battle for modern civilization)He was eagerly supported by liberals

They were anticlerical and disapproved of the Church influence in public and private life

Jesuits were expelledSome bishops were arrested or exiledRestrictions upon Catholic worship and education (later he backed off)Knew that he would need the support of Center partyRealized he had overestimated the danger

Repression of Socialism• 1879 protective tariffs were

established (to the liberals dismay) to finance the government and placate the agricultural and industrial interests

• Industrialism in empire also brought socialism

• German Social Democratic party was founded in 1875

• Was a fusion of Marxian socialists and reformist of Ferdinand Lassale (Basically a moderate socialism)

• Bismarck still equated it with Paris Commune, violence

2 assassination attempts on the emperor (neither by SDP) gave him an excuseBismarck set out to end socialism (failed)1878 to 1890 socialism was driven undergroundmeetings forbidden, newspapers closed down1880s he also used carrot approachReforms were made through social legislationsWorkers insurance (for sickness, old age, accidents)This is years ahead of GB, France, AND US1890 at 75 Bismarck was forced to retire

The German Empire after 1890: William II• William I died in 1888• Frederick III (his son) died (of

cancer) three months after coming to the throne

• William II (Fred’s son) 1888-1918 came to the throne

• 29 and full of ideas about his personal power

• uncomfortable in presence of elder statesmen (Bismarck) whom he saw respectfully as an old fogy

argued with Bismarck about anti- socialist legislation, foreign affairsBismarck ordered ministers not to meet with him unless he was present1890 he retired Bismarck was known as “dropping the pilot”Kaiser Replaced Bismarck as the dominant political figure (and led Germany to WWI)

Young Wilhelm

A New Course• Wilhelm I led Germany on new course

• colonial expansion

• Naval expansion

– GB won’t like this

• aggressive diplomatic policy

• dropped the antisocialist laws

• expanded the social welfare system

• Social Democrats elected 110 members to the Reichstag

• Retained none of the highest government offices

• Imperial Germany was moving toward a conflict with constitutional interests and democracy

German Naval Power

Developments Elsewhere, general Observations

• Political scene in Italy• Had become a constitutional

monarchy in 1860 and completed unification in 1870

• Unsteady trasformismo (crossing over)

• Deputies moved from one party to another for favors

• Popes refused to recognize the Italian kingdom and forbade Catholics to participate (but they did anyway)

• Vote was extended to the working class

• Poverty and illiteracy remained problems (south)

• Direction of the future was unclear

Austria-Hungary• Emperor-King Francis Joseph

ruled through ministries responsive to both legislatures

• Francis Joseph dominated foreign affairs and military questions and help broaden powers of decree

• Socialism was repressed and offset by social provisions

• Most serious problem was agitation by various nationalities

• Austria introduced universal male suffrage

• In Hungary the Magyars resisted universal male suffrage as it would undermine the Magyar political position

Democratic Advances• Other countries introduced universal

male suffrage

• Vote for women was less advanced

• Europe as a whole remained monarchical

• Parliaments were largely restricted

• United States, Britain, and France were the most advanced democracies

Expansion of the vote was leading to mass political partiesSocialistReligiousConstitutionalism and democracy was replacing older political organizationsCriticism of corporations, financial institutions, and European ideas and attitudes provoked oppositionSocialism was a growing forcecriticisms of imperialism begancritics eventually influenced many outside Europe