Germany before World War One, 1890-1914 - AQAUse and growth of Parliamentary government

Learn more about the impact of the First World War on Germany in this podcast.

Listen to the full series on BBC Sounds.

The constitution of the Empire’s central government was a complicated one, made up of several different bodies:

• The Emperor (Kaiser) – Head of the armed forces, controlled foreign policy, and appointed the Chancellor.
• The Chancellor – In charge of the government and had authority over the Bundesrat.
• The Bundesrat – Federal Council made up of 58 representatives from the 25 states. Introduced laws to the Bundestag and power to approve them.
• The Bundestag – Federal parliament made up of 397 deputies. Voted on laws introduced by the Bundesrat.

Weaknesses of the system

• The Chancellor had to stay in the Kaiser's good books, or he could be dismissed.
• The 25 individual states controlled income tax, which meant the central government, struggled to raise enough tax to cover its spending.
• Prussian influence was dominant although Wilhelm II’s first Chancellor, Caprivi (1890-1894) did give up the position of Prime Minister of Prussia that his predecessor had held.
• Industrialisation led to a large rise in Germany’s urban population. Poor working and living conditions were largely ignored by the unelected Chancellor and the Kaiser who held the greatest power in Germany.