German society and economy in 1890
Industrialisation
In the late 1800s, Germany began to industrialise. Supported by powerful German businessmen, production of iron and coal doubled. By 1913, Germany was producing as much coal as Britain and more iron and steel. By 1914, Germany produced two-thirds of Europe’s steel. In industries such as electrical goods and chemicals, German companies dominated Europe. Some leading factory and business owners had become very rich and influential.
Industrialisation is the process of going from a farming-based country to a factory-based one.
| Germany | Britain | |
|---|---|---|
| Steel production per year (1913) | 3 million tonnes | 300,000 tonnes |
| Students studying chemical engineering (1914) | 58,000 | 9,000 |
- 50% of all electrical business in Europe went through Germany
- Germany’s population grew from 40 million in 1871 to 68 million in 1914, and cities grew quickly as people moved to work in factories
- By 1914 only a third of Germans worked in farming, and a fifth of Germany’s food had to be imported
- Between 1890 and 1914, Germany’s income from trade tripled
Germany’s neighbours, like Britain and France, felt threatened by this, as these industries could also be used to build weapons and warships.
Growth of Socialism
Many workers were unhappy with low wages and poor work conditions.
Workers joined trade unions and organised strikes hoping to force the government to improve pay and working conditions. By 1914, over three million workers had joined trade unions.
A new political party - the Social Democratic Party (SPD) - became popular among the workers.
- It believed in socialism - power and wealth should be shared equally among the people
- It hoped that the Kaiser might allow the Reichstag to make more social reforms (improvements to the life of workers) or laws to improve workers’ rights and conditions
- It disagreed with the power and privileged positions held by land and factory owners
- Around one in three Germans voted for this political party at this time
Some socialists took a more extreme view: they wanted to rebel against the Kaiser's rule, start a revolution and allow cities and towns to be governed by a council of workers.
By 1912, the SPD was the largest party in the Reichstag. The Kaiser was authoritarian (he expected people to do as they were told), so the SPD and trade unions upset his government, which worried it would lose its power and influence.
Socialism - the political belief that power and wealth should be shared more equally.