Imperial Germany 1890 - 1918 (Seminar Studies) [1 ed.] 1138155438, 9781138155435

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Ill1perial Gerll1any

1890-1918

Ian Porter and Ian D. Armour

~ ~~o~~~~n~~:up LONDON AND NEW YORK

First published 1991 by Pearson Education Limited Published 2013 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA Rouile(l;ge is un imjm:nl '!llhe 7iLy/or & Franeis Gmup, un injilrmll busl:ness Copyright © 1991, Taylor & Francis. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic. mechanical, or other means, now known or hereaf1:cr invented, including photocopy~ng and recording, or in any infi)rn1ation storage or retrieval system, without permission in \vriting fiom the publishers. Notices Knowledge and best practice in this field arc constantly changing. As new research and experience broaden our understanding, changes in research methods, professional practices, or medical treatment 111ay become necessary

Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in evaluating and using any information, methods, compounds, or experiments described herein. In using such inIt)rmation or methods they should be mindl,,1 or their own safety and the safety or others, including parties It)!" whom they have a professional responsibility. To the I,dlest extent or the law, neither the Publisher nor the authors, contributors, or editors, assume any liability fC,r any injury and/or damage to persons or properly as a matter or products liability, negligence or othenvise, or from any use or operation or any methods, producls, inslructions, or ideas contained in the material herein.

ISBN 13: 978-0-.582-03496-9 (pbk)

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

Porter, Ian Imperial Germany 1890-1918. - (Seminar studies in history). 1. Germany, 1871-1918 I. Title II. Armour, Ian D. m. Series 943.083

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Porter, Ian. Imperial Germany, 1890-1918 / Ian Porter and Ian D. Armour. p. cm. - (Seminar studies in history) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-582-03496-5 1. Germany - History - William II, 1888-1918. I. Armour, Ian D. II. Title. III. Series. DD228.P67 1991 90-45617 943.08'4 - dc20 CIP Set in 10/ 11 point Baskerville (linotron)

Contents

LIST OF MAPS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS INTRODUCTION TO THE SERIES

IV IV V

Part One: Background 1 THE HISTORIOGRAPHY OF WILHELMINE GERMANY 1

5 5

2

5

THE HOUSE THAT BISMARCK BUILT

The road to 'personal rule', 1890-97 The ascendancy of Biilow, 1897-1909 Governing 'from issue to issue', 1909-14

9 9 9 12 17

4 SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS Germany as an industrial power A divided society? The treatment of minorities

21 21 23 28

5 THE ARMED FORCES The army Tirpitz and the navy

33 33 36

6

40 40 45 48

3

7

Part Two: Narration and Analysis DOMESTIC POLITICS, 1890-1914

FOREIGN AND COLONIAL POLICY, 1890-1914

The quest for world power status The failure of German diplomacy, 1890-1914 The miscalculated risk of 1914 THE TEST OF WAR, 1914-18

Domestic politics and the supremacy of the General Staff War aims Defeat and revolution

53 53 59 63

Contents

Part Three: Assessment Part Four: Documents

CHRONOLOGY GLOSSARY REICHSTAG ELECTION RESULTS, 1890-1918 BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

68

72

108 109 III 112 126

List of Maps The German Empire, 1871-1918 German colonies by 1914 Eastern Europe after the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

VI

41 62

Acknowledgemen ts The map on page 41 is adapted from page 45 of Tony Howarth: Twentieth Century History: The World Since 1900, second edition by Josh Brooman, pub!. Longman, 1979; the map on page 62 is adapted from page 77 of J. C. G. Rohl: Problems and Perspectives in History Bismarck to Hitler, pub!. Longman, 1970; the map on page vi is from D. G. Williamson: Seminar Studies in History: Bismarck and Germany, pub!. Longman, 1986. The authors wish to thank Zentrales Staatsarchiv, Potsdam for supplying the original for Document 31.

IV

Seminar Studies in History Founding Editor: Patrick Richardson

Introduction The Seminar Studies series was conceived by Patrick Richardson, whose experience of teaching history persuaded him of the need for something more substantial than a textbook chapter but less formidable than the specialised full-length academic work. He was also convinced that such studies, although limited in length, should provide an up-to-date and authoritative introduction to the topic under discussion as well as a selection of relevant documents and a comprehensive bibliography. Patrick Richardson died in 1979, but by that time the Seminar Studies series was firmly established, and it continues to fulfil the role he intended for it. This book, like others in the series, is therefore a living tribute to a gifted and original teacher. Note on the System oj Refirences:

A bold number in round brackets (5) in the text refers the reader to the corresponding entry in the Bibliography section at the end of the book. If a name follows the bold number, this is an author of a particular essay in a collection. A bold number in square brackets, preceded by 'doc.' [doc. 6] refers the reader to the corresponding item in the section of Documents, which follows the main text. Items followed by an asterisk * are explained in the Glossary. ROGER LOCKYER General Edi tor

v

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