A-Level History - Germany 1 - Imperial Germany

The imperial German government can be best described as an _________ meaning power was centred on one person.

Answer explanation

Autocracy is a key term that you definitely should be able to remember.

It can be applied to dictatorships and monarchies - as long as power is centred on one individual it can be called an autocracy.

Match the following German political regimes to their given time period.

• 1949-1990

• Nazi Germany

• 1919-1933

• Split Germany - East/West

• 1871-1918

• German Empire / Kaiserreich

• 1933-1945

• Weimar Republic

• To 1871

• German Confederation

Which was the largest and most powerful of the German states?

• Bavaria

• Saxony

• Prussia

• Hanover

• Baden

Answer explanation

Prussia was the largest and most militaristic of the states that made up the German Confederation, with Austria being a close second in size.

Which war, that ended in 1871, saw the founding of the German Empire and the acquisition of Alsace-Lorraine?

Answer explanation

The unification of Germany was masterminded by Otto Von Bismarck.

They fought a series of wars in 1860s against:

•Denmark (1864)

•Austria (1866)

•France (1870)

The newly united Germany, referred to as German Empire or Second Reich was established in January 1871 after the Franco-Prussian War.

The taking of Alsace-Lorraine from France would prove to be very contentious and becomes important at the end of the First World War.

Germany in 1871 had a mostly ​ (a)   economy and it was only just beginning to ​ (b)   . By 1914 it was an industrial ​ (c)   and was beginning to rival ​ (d)   .​

• agricultural
• industrialise
• superpower
• Britain
• France
• digital
• failure

The German landowning class that had the most political power and profited greatly from an increase in agricultural production was called what?

Answer explanation

These formed the German aristocracy and would go on to become embedded in all aspects of German politics.

The impact of industrialisation in Germany on the workers was an increase in ​ (a)   and a rise in ​ (b)   . However, this caused a decrease in both ​ (c)   standards and ​ (d)   conditions.

• jobs
• unemployment
• wages
• living
• working
• social

Which ideology began to spread in Germany as its urban population grew in size?

Answer explanation

Both industrial and urban growth led to:

•Growth of an industrial working class

•Poorer working and living conditions

•Concentration of the working class into more confined urban areas

•Rising anger and discontent

•Spreading of socialist ideas, leading to greater support for the SPD

The Kaiser (King) in the years preceding the First World War was _______ II.

Answer explanation

He was:

• - Unstable and unpredictable character

• - Dictatorial - believed in Divine Right of Kings

• - Domestic policy became more erratic and confrontational

• - Foreign policy more aggressive

• - Hence, period up to 1914 increasingly tense and crisis ridden