To What Extent Is The View Expressed

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To What Extent Is The View Expressed In Source V A Fair Reflection On Bismarck?s Domestic Policies B Essay, Research Paper To what extent is the view expressed in source V a fair reflection on Bismarck?s domestic policies between 1870 and 1890 ??????????? The view in source V clearly states that Max Faber believes that Bismarck?s legacy was a Germany that was utterly backward in its political education, and without a political will.? Germany was a nation that was accustomed to a great statesman taking responsibility for all political policies without question, a nation willing to submit under the label of constitutional monarchy to anything decided for it.? Max Faber also states ?(Germany was) a nation? accustomed to submit?without criticising the political qualifications of

those who now occupied Bismarck?s empty place.? ??????????? It is clear from the evidence that, by the end of his time in power in 1890, had almost complete power in the Reichstag, which would submit almost unquestioningly to the will of Bismarck.? Undoubtedly, this situation may not have been entirely beneficial for Germany, but it also had some benefits.? During the course of this essay, I will attempt to examine the extent of Bismarck?s power, and whether Germany was willing to submit to what was decided for it. I will also look at how beneficial Bismarck?s influence was in Germany. ??????????? Bismarck was a conservative ?Junker? and his conservative beliefs did not alter during the course of his time in power.? However, by manipulation of loyalties in the Reichstag, Bismarck

was able to pass the legislation required.? Initially, Bismarck was presented with a problem, his natural allies, the conservatives, were not strong enough to hold a majority in the Reichstag nor did they entirely sympathise with Bismarck?s unification of Germany.? The previous autocratic monarchical system was typically conservative, and the German confederation had been widely accepted by the conservative elements in society.? Bismarck had destroyed the German confederation and set up a nationalistic unified Germany, and therefore isolated some of his conservative support.? Bismarck allied himself with the National Liberals, who respected Bismarck for his pivotal role in the realisation of one of their chief objectives, the unification to Germany.? Bismarck used the majority

held by the National Liberals to pass his legislation through the Reichstag, and it was this party that gave him the control he needed to maintain progress. ??????????? Bismarck made a key realisation early on during his time in office that allowed him to manipulate the politically conscious elements of society.? Bismarck realised that Liberalism and Nationalism could be separated and used one against the other.? In this way Bismarck manipulated the National Liberals.? He used the Nationalist tendencies within the party to win their favour by unifying Germany, and consequently gaining their support whilst repressing their Liberal ideas.? By splitting these two key ideologies, Bismarck also cleverly split the opposition.? This was key to Bismarck?s eventual almost supreme power.?

Despite the opposition in the Reichstag, Bismarck reduced and divided the revolutionary elements within society and this aided his chances of pushing his policies through the Reichstag. ??????????? Bismarck also introduced social legislation.? His welfare program was a great pioneering effort, and also extremely forward-looking as it pre-dated other developed countries such as Britain by nearly a quarter of a century.? His welfare reforms were not the result of a concern for the poorer elements of society, but more intent on suppressing the revolutionary elements.? He did not really succeed in appeasing the revolutionary elements of society, nor did he change their political ideas, but he did succeed in preventing them from gathering support. Bismarck?s idea of ?State socialism?