Power, Class & The Downfall of Bismarck in Imperial Germany 1878-1890

An overview of the class dynamics of Imperial Germany, starting with the emergence of the Prussian Junker nobility and progressing to its struggle with the social democrats. An examination of Bismarck's strategies in dealing with the rise of socialism is also provided, as well as his eventual downfall at the hands of Kaiser Wilhelm II.

Timestamps
0:00: Introduction
2:36: Prussia & The Junkers
7:13: The Imperial Constitution
11:50: Bismarck Against the Social Democrats
18:51: Bismarck Against Kaiser Wilhelm II
25:21: Rise of the Social Democrats
29:24: Final Analysis

English Sources:
1. The Course of German History by A.J.P Taylor
2. Bismarck & the Development of Germany Volume II: Period of Consolidation by Otto Pflanze (Chapter 12: The Anti-Socialist Statute)
3. Bismarck Tried to End Socialism’s Grip - By Offering Government Healthcare by Lorraine Boissoneault (2017) in Smithsonian Magazine
4. Kaiser Wilhelm II: Profiles in Power by Christopher Clark (Chapter 2: Taking Power)
5. Bismarck: A Life by Jonathan Steinberg (Chapter 13: Three Kaisers & the Fall of Bismarck)
6. The Kaiser's Memoirs: Wilhelm II, Emperor of Germany, 1888-1918; English Translation by Thomas R. Ybarra
7. The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels
8. "Welfare State and Labor Mobility: The Impact of Bismarck's Social Legislation on German Emigration Before World War I" by David Khoudour-Castéras (2008) in the Journal of Economic History

German Sources:
1. Verfassung des Deutschen Reichs (1871) (English: Constitution of the German Empire)
2. Verfassungsurkunde für den Preußischen Staat vom 31. Januar 1850 (English: Constitutional Charter for the Prussian State of 31 January 1850) Verfassungen der Welt in German.
3. Wahlen in Deutschland bis 1918 Reichstagswahlen
4. Gesetz gegen die gemeingefährlichen Bestrebungen der Sozialdemokratie des Deutschen Reichs (1878) (English: Law Against the Dangerous Efforts of the Social Democrats of the German Reich)
5. Das Erfurter Programm (1891) (English: The Erfurt Program)

Music Used:
Adrift Among Infinite Stars by Scott Buckley
A Dragon’s Lullaby by Scott Buckley
The Long Dark by Scott Buckley
Extrapolation by Scott Buckley
(All Under Creative Commons License CC BY 3.0)
Intermezzo from Midsummer Night's Dream by Felix Mendelssohn
English Suite No.2 by Johann Sebastian Bach

Footage Used:
Corporals in Training Arrive at Wetziar by Glimpse into the Past
Die Reichsgründung (The Founding of the Empire) by Alpha