Germany Explosive Situation

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  • How explosive was the situation in Germany?
    • Social Reform and the Growth of Socialism
      • German society was dominated by the ruling classes
        • Middle class elements in society supported the social structure
          • Because of this most political parties accepted the social structure as it was.
        • The enforcement or advocacy of strict obedience to authority at the expense of personal freedom was the norm
        • The growing number of industry workers posed a threat to this structure
          • Because of this the upper classes began to fear the lower classes
          • Government attempted to appease the socialists by enacting social reforms which catered to their demands
            • Reforms such as old age pension; and accident insurance schemes were put in place
              • Most of the socialists were still unhappy with these changes
                • As a result in 1912, the SPD (Social Democrat Party) gained one third of the votes in the reichstag
    • Urbanisation
      • Industrial strength grew vastly under the rule of the Kaiser.
        • In 1880 Germany only produced half  the amount of steel produced by Britain but by 1914 Germany produced more than twice as much as previously.
        • By 1914, Germany was producing one third of the world's electrical goods
        • Germany had the world's most advanced telephone system at this time
        • Germany led the world in the chemical and steel industry. The engineering firms were known worldwide.
        • Foreign trade flourished as exports rose rapidly.
        • Population of Germany grew by 70 percent  from 1871 to 1914
          • This rapid increase in population produced the man power required to aid the growth of industrial cities
            • As a result food imports rose and reached one fifth of Germany's needs by 1914
        • By 1914 only one third of the population still worked in agriculture

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