Caprivi's Chancellorship

Who was Caprivi:

• Leo Caprivi was a middle aged soldier who had a good administrative record.
• However, he had little political experience.
• In 1890, Caprivi became Chancellor & hoped to stand above parties & particular interests.
• Wilhelm appointed Caprivi because he believed that Caprivi would do as his told.
• However, this would not be the case because Caprivi had a will of his own, through his first major speech:
  • This declared that he was ready to steer a 'new course' that involved a more consultative approach to govt & a conciliatory attitude to previously hostile forces.

Key dates includes:

• 1890:
  • Caprivi became Chancellor, embarking a 'new course.'
• 1893:
  • Reichstag elections a success for the Conservatives & National Liberals.
• 1894:
  • Caprivi fell from power

Caprivi's key policies involved:

• SOCIAL REFORM
• TARIFF REFORM
• The AGRARIAN LEAGUE
• The ARMY

SOCIAL REFORM was a concession of Caprivi's chancellorship:

• This was where he went out of his way to make grants to Socialists, Poles & Centrists, in his first few weeks in office.
  • E.g. He allowed the anti-Socialist laws (passed by Bismarck) to LAPSE
  • Polish schools in Prussian areas were ALLOWED to use the POLISH LANGUAGE for teaching purposes.
• This PROVED SUCCESSFUL, as Caprivi was able to PUSH through social measures in 1891. Ths includes:
  • Sunday work was PROHIBITED
  • Employment of children under the age of 13 was FORBIDDEN
  • Women were FORBIDDEN to work more than 11 hours a week.
  • Courts with representatives from both sides of industry were set up to arbitrate in industrial disputes.

Caprivi's most important single measure he put before the Reichstag was the 1879 TARIFF ACT:

• This was where Caprivi negotiated a series of commercial treaties with AUSTRIA, ITALY, RUSSIA & a no. of smaller states, between 1891 and 1894.
• This was prompted by WHEAT SHORTAGES that had led to a RISE in FOOD PRICES.
• As a result, Germany agreed to reduce tariffs on agricultural imports in return for favourable rates for German manufactural goods.

The AGRARIAN LEAGUE, alongside the Conservatives OPPOSED the Tariff reform act:

• This League was formed in 1893 with 300,000 members.
• It became a well-organised & effective PG.
• It was anti-Semitic.
• Won widespread support in eastern PRUSSIA.
• This league mounted a virulent anti-Caprivi propaganda campaign, denouncing him as a socialist, bent on RUINING WHEAT PRODUCE.
• The League was also seekd subsidies, import controls and minimum prices, to protect German farmers.

THE ARMY:

• Caprivi angered the right by REDUCING the period of military services from 3 to 2 years.
• He also introduced the ARMY BILL.
• The army bill INCREASED the peacetime ARMY STRENGTH by 84,000 men.
• This ALIENATED the LEFT.
• Caprivi also DISSOLVED the REICHSTAG when the Army Bill was DEFEATED.
• However, this bill was PASSED in 1893, after the CONSERVATIVES & NATIONAL LIBERALS IMPROVED their positions in the election of that year.

Caprivi was dismissed in 1894 because he did not have much support. This was due to:

• Wilhelm had GROWING DOUBTS about Caprivi's POLITICAL SUITABILITY.
• This was reinforced by the CONSERVATIVE OPPOSITION to the 'NEW COURSE.'
• Although Wilhelm was ENTHUSIASTIC about social reform, he PRESSED Caprivi to draw up NEW ANTI-SOCIALIST MEASURES.
  • This was because the Kaiser was WORRIED by the SPD's success in 1893
  • He was FRIGHTENED by a series of ANARCHISTS outrages across Europe.
• However, Caprivi REFUSED because he was aware that the Reichstag would NOT tolerate such a step.
• Wilhelm & President Count Eulenburg (Prussian Minister) devised a bizarre plan to CHANGE the CONSITITUTION, to increase the Kaiser's power at the expense of the Reichstag & crush socialism.
• Caprivi managed to talk Wilhelm out of it, but this led to him losing the Kaiser's confidence .
• As a result, Caprivi RESIGNED in October 1894.