Politics and Diplomacy in the Age of Nationalism, 1850-1914, Part 5

Question 1: Explain why Parisians rebelled against the French government in 1871.

Answer 1: The Treaty of Frankfurt, which formally ended the Franco-Prussian War, issued harsh punishments against France for causing the war. The treaty required France to surrender control of Alsace and parts of Lorraine and to pay huge reparations to Germany. The treaty widened a political rift in France, as most republicans wanted to reject the treaty, but many monarchists wanted to accept it to ensure peace. Most French citizens wanted peace, so they elected a National Assembly that supported the treaty. The strongly republican Parisians, who had borne the brunt of the fighting, refused to accept the treaty. In March 1871, a group of radical republican Parisians tried to establish a new city government called the Commune. The Parisians advocated the end of centralized French government and Catholic influence over the state. The French government responded by sending troops into the city. More than 20,000 Parisians were killed before troops defeated the Communards.

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Question 2: Describe the establishment of the German Empire and its governmental structure.

Answer 2: The Prussian victory against France cleared the way for unification. On January 18, 1871, representatives of the allied German states met at Versailles to declare the formation of the German Empire. It would include all of the former German states except Austria. Prussian King William I became the first German Emperor, or kaiser, with Otto von Bismark as chancellor (equivalent to prime minister). The constitution organized Germany as a federation made up of 25 states. Each state had its own government in charge of education, local law enforcement, and local taxation. The federal government was in charge of national defense, foreign affairs, and interstate and international commerce. The kaiser appointed the chancellor and led the military in times of war; he also had the right to declare defensive wars on his own and offensive wars with legislative approval. The two-house legislature consisted of the Bundesrat, an upper council made up of 58 appointed members, and the Reichstag, a lower assembly made up of 400 members elected by universal manhood suffrage.

Question 3: Explain how the German constitution ensured Prussian domination of Germany.

Answer 3: Prussia had been the leading force among the German states for some time and led the way in unification efforts. The constitution assured that this influence would continue. Austria, Prussia’s main rival, was not even included in the German Confederation. Berlin, Prussia’s former capital, became the capital city for all of Germany. The king of Prussia became the kaiser of the new Germany. The constitution gave Prussia the most delegates in the Bundesrat, appointed by local Prussian leaders. As the state with the greatest population, Prussia also earned the most seats in the popularly-elected Reichstag. For all practical purposes, the new Germany was an extension of Prussian power.

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