Lesson video

Hello, welcome to History here at Oak National Academy.

My name's Mr. Newton, and I will be your teacher today, guiding you through the entire lesson.

Right, let's get started.

In the decades leading up to the First World War, Germany was changing at a dramatic pace.

Its cities expanded, its factories multiplied and its economy surged forward, placing it at the heart of European industrial power.

But this rapid progress brought pressure.

Workers demanded better conditions, political groups pushed for reform, and tensions grew between tradition and change.

At the center of it all stood Kaiser Wilhelm II, a ruler determined to secure Germany's greatness, yet unwilling to share real power.

How does a country hold together while undergoing such dramatic transformation? Newly unified, politically unsettled and bursting with industrial growth.

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to explain how rapid industrialization had brought social, economic and political change to Germany before the First World War.

Before we begin, there are a few keywords that we need to understand.

Industrialization is the large-scale growth of manufacturing factories, technology and infrastructure.

The trade union is an organization that represents workers, protects their rights, and discusses their pay and working conditions with employers.

Socialism is a political belief system that states all people are equal and share equally in a country's money.

And the Reichstag is the National Parliament of Germany where elected politicians debated laws, but had limited power to control government decisions.

So today's lesson is called Industrialization, social reform, and the growth of socialism.

And we're going to break this into three key parts.

First, we'll look at Kaiser Wilhelm II's quest for German greatness.

We'll explore who he was, what he believed, and how his leadership style shaped the direction of the empire towards industrialization.

Then we'll move on to industrialization and the growth of socialism.

How Germany's rapid economic success changed society and why more people began demanding political reform.

Finally, we'll explore the growing tensions in Germany's political crisis.

Was the country heading for reform or was it on the brink of revolution? Right.

Let's begin the lesson with Kaiser Wilhelm II's quest for German greatness.

In the summer of 1888, a young man with a physical disability affecting his left arm and a dangerously inflated sense of destiny took the throne of the German empire.

Kaiser Wilhelm II was an insecure ruler with ambitions to make Germany a global power.

At just 29, he inherited not only the throne of an empire, but the challenge of ruling a restless, fast changing nation.

Raised under strict Prussian discipline and militarism, Wilhelm came to believe that absolute authority, loyalty, and obedience were essential to maintaining order.

He surrounded himself with military generals and elite advisors such as wealthy landowners and businessmen who all shared his distrust of people challenging authority.

In their view, anyone who disagreed with the government was often seen as a threat to stability.

Wilhelm was not just any ruler, he was Queen Victoria's grandson, cousin to the future King George V of Britain.

This made him a product of one of Europe's most powerful royal families.

But beneath this royal upbringing, lay a deeply insecure man, eager to prove himself on the world stage.

One empire in particular haunted him, the British Empire.

Its Navy ruled the seas, its colonies spanned the globe and its economy was the envy of the world.

Wilhelm wanted Germany to be one of the most powerful global empires, so he worked to build up its army, factories and overseas colonies.

Which of the following did Kaiser Wilhelm II believe were essential to maintaining order in Germany? Select three correct answers: A: absolute authority, B: free speech, C: loyalty, D: obedience.

Pause the video, select your three correct answers, and then come right back.

Okay, welcome back and well done if you knew the correct answers were A, absolute authority, C, loyalty, D, obedience.

Complete this sentence with the correct missing word.

Kaiser Wilhelm II set about expanding Germany's military strength, industrial capacity, and international prestige because he saw the blank Empire as a rival to surpass.

Pause the video, fill in the blank, and then come right back.

Okay, welcome back.

Let's see how that sentence should have read.

Kaiser Wilhelm II set about expanding Germany's military strength, industrial capacity, and international prestige because he saw the British Empire as a rival to surpass.

Okay, great.

Let's move on to Task A.

And what I want you to do here is complete this mindset map for Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1888, using your knowledge from the lesson so far.

So you can see we've got Kaiser Wilhelm II in the middle there, and I've given you four aspects of the Kaiser's background or outlook or personality.

So all I want you to do here is complete the mind map by adding details to each of those four aspects of the Kaiser.

So the first aspect is the personal background on the left.

So here I want you to give details about his upbringing, family, and any personal traits he has.

Then you can see the second aspect there is beliefs and values.

And here you need to detail what he thought was important for ruling Germany.

Then we have the Kaiser's insecurities and fears.

And so here we can detail any personal doubts or rivalries that influenced his thinking.

Finally, we have the Kaiser's aims and ambitions, and you need to detail what the Kaiser wanted to achieve for Germany.

So pause the video, complete the mind map, and then come right back.

Okay, welcome back.

And well done for having a go at that task.

So your mind maps are likely to look slightly different from the one that I'm going to provide you here, but nonetheless, check your answers as we go through the model answer together.

So for the Kaiser's personal background, you could have put that the Kaiser was born into the Prussian royal family and he was the grandson of Queen Victoria, meaning he was part of a powerful royal family in Europe.

Could have also put that he had a withered or disabled left arm from birth, and that he became Kaiser in 1888 at age 29, and that he was raised in strict Prussian discipline and military tradition.

And moving on to his beliefs and values now, you could have put that he distrusted dissent and opposition, that he had a strong belief in absolute authority, loyalty and obedience, and that he surrounded himself with military generals, landowners and wealthy businessmen, elite advisors.

Moving onto the Kaisers insecurities and fears, you could have put something like that.

He felt the need to prove himself despite his royal heritage.

Despite being connected to this powerful royal family, he feels he needs to prove himself on the world stage.

He could have put that he felt a rivalry and envy of the British Empire's naval and colonial power, and that he and his elite advisors were concerned that disagreement threatened stability.

And finally, looking at the Kaiser's aims and ambitions, you could have put that he wanted to establish Germany as a world power and that he wanted to surpass Britain, that he wanted to increase Germany's international prestige to rival or even surpass Britain, and that he wanted to build up Germany's army factories and colonies.

He wanted to expand Germany's military strength and industrial capacity.

Great, now that we've explored Kaiser Wilhelm II's ambitions and how his leadership shaped the empire and put Germany onto a path of economic transformation, let's turn to what was happening on the ground.

The country wasn't just growing politically, it was being transformed by industrialization.

Cities were expanding, factories were multiplying, and new economic power was emerging.

But with that progress came pressure, especially from the working class.

In this next section of the lesson, we'll look at industrialization and the growth of socialism.

And here we'll see how industrial growth changed German society and why it led more people to support social reform and socialism.

So industrialization transformed Germany into a European powerhouse by 1914, but rapid growth brought deep social strain and unrest.

Germany had gone through big changes with unification in 1871, and now Wilhelm aimed to make it stronger through industrialization.

So let's go back to the beginning.

So Germany had already gone through big changes with unification in 1871, and now Wilhelm aimed to make it stronger through industrialization.

His plan was to grow its power through steel, coal and workers.

And with the backing of powerful business leaders and wealthy industrialists, the empire saw explosive growth.

Factories rose like iron forests and the skies above Berlin, Hamburg, and the Ruhr Valley filled with the smoke of progress.

On the left, we can see an example of one of the new factories built during this period.

By 1914, Germany was producing two thirds of Europe's steel and half of its coal and generating more electricity than Britain, France, and Italy combined.

This boosted the economy, making Germany wealthier and more competitive on the world stage.

Industrial growth also strengthened the military as it supplied still for weapons and ships and coal to fuel the Navy.

Railways linked towns that had once seemed remote and companies like Krupp, Siemens and Hoechst became household names.

Germany had transformed itself from a patchwork of independent states into the industrial powerhouse of Europe.

But rapid growth brought rapid strain.

Rural workers flooded into cities in search of jobs.

Life in the industrial centers was often grim; long hours, low pay and dangerous factory conditions.

Workers were crammed into crowded housing and the threat of unemployment or injury loomed large.

Okay, let's have a check for understanding.

What does the term industrialization mean in the context of Germany under Kaiser Wilhelm II? A: the destruction of factories to achieve efficiency during wartime? B: the large scale growth of manufacturing factories, technology and infrastructure? C: the replacement of workers with foreign labor and trade unions? Pause the video, have a think and then come right back.

Okay, welcome back and well done if you knew the correct answer was that industrialization was B, the large scale growth of manufacturing factories, technology and infrastructure.

Okay, let's continue.

So with the industrialization happening in Germany, this caused great amounts of urbanization, lots of workers flooding into the cities, and this caused poor working and living conditions there.

In response to these hardships, workers formed trade unions to demand better conditions.

Trade unions enabled workers to organize, and this gave them a voice.

They demanded shorter hours, higher pay, and safer workplaces, and strikes became a tool of resistance.

When factory owners refused to listen, the workers turned to politics.

Take a look at the image on the left, we see a large crowd of workers gathered together.

In the center, one man stands above the rest, clearly addressing the crowd.

His raised fist and commanding posture show he is not just speaking, he's demanding change.

This is a moment of protest.

Workers weren't just asking for better wages, they wanted a greater say in how society was run.

And this image helps us to understand how workers began to organize.

Trade unions became a powerful way for them to unite, to strike, and to pressure both employers and the government to take their concerns seriously.

A question worth thinking about here is why do you think moments like this felt threatening to those in power? And what kind of measures could be introduced to keep workers loyal to the system without giving in to radical demands? To address the concerns of the working class, the chancellor tried to win workers over with pioneering social reforms. The Kaiser's government introduced these social reforms in the 1880s.

The reforms included health, accident and pension schemes to improve workers' lives and limit support for socialism.

For example, they provided medical treatment for sick workers and financial support if they were injured or too old to work.

However, many workers felt they did not go far enough, and as a result, more people began looking to politics for change.

Okay, let's have a check for understanding.

Which of the following were consequences of poor working conditions in Germany under Kaiser Wilhelm II? Select two correct answers, A: declining political activism like socialism and communism.

B: growth of trade unions to protect workers' rights.

C: rising worker strikes and protests.

D: abolition of the monarchy.

Pause the video, select your two correct answers, and then come right back.

Welcome back, and well done if you knew the correct answers were B, growth of trade unions to protect workers' rights, C, rising worker strikes and protests.

Okay, let's continue.

So the growth of industry and the working class fueled the rise of socialism and the Social Democratic Party, the SPD.

With the working class continuing to grow, socialism gained popularity as a political idea that promised ordinary Germans a greater say in how the country was run.

From this movement emerged the Social Democratic Party, SPD.

The SPD campaigned for social reforms, better healthcare, affordable housing, improved education, and stronger protections for workers.

The SPD demanded that the Kaiser share power and that the Reichstag be given real authority.

In other words, they wanted Germany to become more democratic so that the SPD could represent workers in parliament and that parliament would have real power to shape laws and improve people's lives.

This seemed a real possibility with the SPD gaining popularity.

Take a moment to look closely at this political cartoon from 1903.

It was published during an election year and like many cartoons of the time, it's packed with symbolism.

In the foreground, we can see Kaiser Wilhelm II and his son on horseback, and the sight of the Kaiser and his son on horseback is a traditional image of imperial leadership and military power.

But we can see they look alarmed, even unsteady, as their horses are rearing up.

And now when we look at what's causing the disruption coming up fast behind them is a motor car, a modern invention at the time, representing the Social Democratic Party, the SPD.

The cartoon shows SPD candidates confidently speeding forward, forcing the Kaiser off the road.

SPD here are shown as a new modern force symbolized by the car, pushing aside the old traditional power of the Kaiser represented by the horse.

The car doesn't slow down, it rams the old order off the road.

So the message is clear.

Socialism and the SPD are gaining speed, and the old imperial order is struggling to keep up.

This image reflects a major political shift.

What do you think the cartoonist is trying to say about power in Germany at this time? And how might this growing popularity of socialism have felt to someone like the Kaiser? Nonetheless, the problem was, however, that not all socialists agreed on the path forward.

While most SPD members pursued democratic reform, a small but vocal minority demanded a complete overhaul of German society, calling for revolution, the abolition of the monarchy, the military elite, and the capitalist system altogether.

This alarmed those in power and gave the Kaiser reason to dismiss the SPD as dangerous radicals.

Okay, let's have a check for understanding.

Complete this sentence with the correct missing word.

As the working class grew, so did the appeal of blank, leading to the rise of the Social Democratic Party.

Pause the video, fill in the blank, and then come right back.

Okay.

Welcome back.

Let's see how that sentence should have read.

As the working class grew, so did the appeal of socialism, leading to the rise of the Social Democratic Party.

Okay, great.

Let's move on to Task B.

And you can see here we've got two arguments from Izzy and Alex, and they have different views about the effects of industrialization in Germany.

So let's read Izzy's view first.

"Industrialization was the making of modern Germany.

Steel, coal, and electricity production soared, railways connected the empire and German industries surpassed Britain's in strength and output." Okay, now let's read Alex's view about the effects of industrialization in Germany.

"Industrialization made life harder for workers.

Crowded cities, unsafe factories, and low pay led to strikes and growing support for socialist parties.

Political tensions threatened the stability of Germany." What I want you to do is decide who you agree with the most and then discuss and explain your choice.

Pause the video, have a discussion, and then come right back.

Okay, welcome back, and well done for having a go at that task.

So there's many things that you may have discussed, but you may have discussed these reasons which agree with Izzy.

So you could have said that Germany became Europe's industrial powerhouse, producing two thirds of its steel and half its coal by 1914.

You could have said that Germany surpassed Britain in electricity generation.

And this showed technological progress in Germany.

And that the expansion of the railway network improved national unity, another positive effect of industrialization.

And you could have said that industrialization boosted Germany's wealth and boosted military capability by supplying steel and coal for weapons and ships, and a strong economy and military increased Germany status as a global power, supporting the Kaiser's goal.

And that middle and upper classes and skilled workers benefited from economic growth and job creation, and that the government introduced social reforms to benefit workers.

These are all reasons which agree with Izzy that industrialization in Germany largely had a positive effect.

However, if you agreed with Alex, your answer may include the following reasons.

You could have said that industrialization led to urbanization, overcrowded housing, and poor sanitation.

So poor living conditions.

You could have said that work conditions were bad too.

So factory conditions were dangerous with long hours and low pay, and that the economic benefits were unevenly distributed.

In other words, industrialists and elites gained most of the wealth.

You could have said the harsh conditions fueled the rise of trade unions and strikes, and this caused instability in Germany, and that the growth of socialism and the SPD increased political tension.

SPD demanded the Kaiser share power with the Reichstag.

And finally, socialist radicals calling for revolution alarmed those in power.

And this fueled arguments that SPD were dangerous and national unity was threatened.

Okay, great, so we've seen how the Kaiser wanted to transform Germany into a global power.

And to do that he industrialized Germany, which brought great changes to the way people lived and worked.

And this, in turn, led to the rise of socialism, growing work unrest and pressure for reform, all of which challenged the traditional structures of power.

At the same time, the Kaiser and the ruling elite resisted any real change, fearing it would weaken their control.

And this left Germany stuck between two powerful forces, those demanding democracy, and those determined to preserve the old order.

So let's go on to the final part of today's lesson.

Germany's political crisis: reform or revolution? So the SPD's rise exposed the limits of Germany's democratic institutions and the fears of a threatened elite.

Despite the SPD being a new and untested political force, their popularity only grew.

By 1912, the SPD had become the largest party in the Reichstag, representing many working class voters.

Voter turnout was around 85%, and many Germans began to believe they could influence national politics.

Middle and upper class Germans, however, watched in horror as this disciplined, organized and increasingly influential party gained momentum.

The very factory owners, landowners and military leaders who had helped build Germany's industrial and military mights now feared their grip on power might slip.

However, in reality, they may have had less to fear than they imagined.

The Reichstag could debate laws and vote on budgets including military spending, but it had no control over major decisions and little power to change how money was used.

It could not choose the chancellor or decide on key policies such as foreign affairs.

Real power remained with the Kaiser, his ministers, and the military elite.

Although Germany held elections for the Reichstag, it was not a full democracy like Britain or France.

The idea of giving the Reichstag real political power was untested in Germany and felt risky to those who supported the established order as they feared it might weaken the Kaiser's authority and the unity of the empire.

Political parties could win votes, but they could not force major change.

At the same time, politics in Germany grew more fragmented.

Six major parties competed for power: socialists, conservatives, liberals, monarchists, and the Catholic Center Party among them, making it difficult to agree on laws that could bring about meaningful change.

While the SPD pushed for social reforms, those loyal to the traditional order resisted every step.

Okay, let's have a check for understanding.

Why did the SPD lack real political influence, even after becoming the largest party in the Reichstag in 1912? Select three correct answers.

A: real power was held by the Kaiser, his ministers, and the military elite.

B: political divisions made it hard to pass laws, with traditionalists resisting SPD reforms. C: The Reichstag had no control over foreign affairs.

D: the Kaiser banned the SPD from participating in debates.

Pause the video, select your three correct answers and then come right back.

Okay, welcome back and well done if you knew the correct answers were A, real power was held by the Kaiser, his ministers, and the military elite, B, political divisions made it hard to pass laws with traditionalists resisting SPD reforms, and C, the Reichstag had no control over foreign affairs.

So as socialism spread and calls for democracy grew, Germans were deeply divided on how to respond.

The rise of socialism unsettled many Germans who believed their nation's unity had come from strong leadership and military success rather than democracy.

Growing tensions between rich and poor made Germany feel increasingly unstable.

Now, many feared that socialism was beginning to divide the country.

And the reason for this was people feared that it set workers and employers against each other and raised difficult questions about wealth, power, and fairness in society.

In a nation that had relied on loyalty to the Kaiser, the army, and imperial authority to stay united, this growing divide between rich and poor felt dangerously unstable.

The middle class too was divided.

Many were loyal to the Kaiser and admired Germany's rapid industrial and military rise, but also saw the promise of a fairer, more democratic society.

The nation's future seemed uncertain.

And this powerful image on the left captures the growing divide in German society at the start of the 20th century.

On the left, we can see Kaiser Wilhelm and the traditional ruling elite, those who believed in hierarchy, order and preserving authority.

On the right, we can see angry workers and socialist revolutionaries demanding change.

These are people who feel unheard, are pushing for a radical shift in power.

Neither side looks willing to compromise.

The question is, how do you think this standoff affected Germany's ability to govern effectively? And what risks do you think grow when two sides of a society refuse to listen to each other? As the First World War loomed, Germany's strength concealed deep fractures, with the Kaiser resisting calls for change.

By 1914, Germany was a nation at a crossroads.

Its economy was booming, its army was powerful, and its cities were alive with progress.

The Kaiser balanced uneasily between two opposing forces, a ruling class that feared revolution and workers who feared repression.

In the Reichstag, debates grew sharper.

Yet the Kaiser refused to share power or deliver meaningful compromise.

As Europe inched towards war, many Germans wondered whether the empire could hold together or whether its proud rise would end in chaos.

Okay, let's have a check for understanding.

What I want you to do here is, working with your partner, discuss why Germany was deeply divided by 1914, and use the following questions to help you in your discussions.

For example, how did different social classes, workers, middle class and ruling elites see the future of Germany? And what role did politics, the Kaiser's leadership and the rise of socialism play in creating these divisions? Pause the video, have a quick discussion and then come right back.

Okay, great.

Welcome back.

So you may have discussed some of the following points.

So you could have said that many believe national unity came from strong leadership and military success, not democracy.

You could have said that the rise of socialism highlighted and intensified divisions, setting workers and employers against each other over wealth, power, and fairness.

And that the ruling class feared socialism would weaken their power and disrupt the traditional order.

And that workers' employers increasingly clashed over pay, conditions and rights.

And that the middle class was split.

Some admired the Kaiser and Germany's rapid progress while others supported democratic reforms. You could have also said that politics grew fragmented with multiple parties resisting each other and blocking reforms. And this stopped laws getting made in the Reichstag.

And that the Reichstag's powers were limited, creating frustration for those seeking political change.

That the Kaiser refused to share power or compromise, increasing tensions between the two sides, and that Germany was at a crossroads.

On the one hand, Germany had a booming economy and a powerful army.

But on the other side, there were fears of revolution among elites and repression among workers.

Okay, great.

Let's move on to Task C.

And the task question is this: Which of these was more important in changing Germany before the First World War? Germany's transformation into an industrial and military power, or the political crisis over reform or revolution? And what I want you to do here is write about both of these reasons.

And you need to say why each reason was important and why it might not have been the most important.

And finally, decide which reason you think was more important and explain why.

So in other words, this question is getting you to be really critical about those reasons, giving the for and against, the pros and the cons of each reason for why it was important in changing Germany before the First World War.

Pause the video, have a go at the task and then come right back.

Okay, welcome back, and well done for having a go at that task.

So there's many ways that you could have written your answers, but compare your paragraphs with the ones I have here.

So for the first paragraph looking at Germany's industrial and military transformation, you could have written something like: Germany's transformation into an industrial and military power was a key reason for the social, economic and political changes before 1914.

Industrial growth turned Germany into the leading industrial nation in Europe by 1914, producing two thirds of Europe's steel and half of its coal.

This boosted the economy, funded a stronger army and navy, and gave the Kaiser confidence to compete with powers like Britain.

The expansion of factories, railways, and major companies such as Krupps and Siemens created new job opportunities, but also drew huge numbers of workers into cities where they faced long hours, low pay, and overcrowded housing.

These economic changes reshaped society and created the conditions for political demands for reform.

And we can see in this answer here, in the first part of the paragraph describes why the industrial military transformation is an important change in Germany at this time, but it then goes on to be a bit critical here and say why this might not have been such an important reason.

Okay, now let's go through this model answer looking at the political crisis of reform or revolution.

The political crisis over a reform or revolution was equally important because it was the direct expression of the tensions caused by industrialization.

The Social Democratic Party, or the SPD, grew rapidly, becoming the largest party in the Reichstag by 1912.

They campaigned for better working conditions, social reforms, and more democratic power for the Reichstag.

While most SPD members wanted reform, a small minority demanded revolution, which alarmed those in power and strengthened the Kaiser's resistance to sharing power.

This political deadlock combined with tensions between those who supported the established order, such as wealthy elites, and the growing, working and middle classes pushed for change, made Germany increasingly unstable.

And finally, you may have concluded your answer.

While both factors were closely connected, Germany's industrial and military growth was where the changes began.

This created the social and economic problems that led to political unrest.

However, the political crisis had become the bigger problem by 1914.

Many Germans believed that strong leadership from the Kaiser had made Germany successful since 1871.

But the rise of socialism was now dividing the country between workers and their employers.

This could lead to either untested democratic changes or even revolution.

Both seemed risky to many Germans.

These divisions were threatening to split Germany apart, which made the political crisis the more important cause of change.

It would also decide whether Germany would remain under the single leadership of the Kaiser or move towards a democracy which socialists believed would create a fairer society.

Okay, let's summarize today's lesson.

Industrialization, social reform and the growth of socialism.

Rising militarism and rivalry with Britain drove the Kaiser's push for industrial and naval expansion.

Industrialization transformed Germany into Europe's leading economic power by 1914, boosting wealth, jobs and military strength.

Harsh working conditions, and unevenly shared wealth fueled trade union activity, strikes and demands for reform.

Socialism and the SPD grew rapidly, pressing the Kaiser to share power with the Reichstag and improve workers' rights.

Political deadlock between elites and reformers left the Reichstag weak, deepening tensions over whether to pursue reform or revolution.

Well done on today's lesson, and although it was unlikely that the Kaiser's authority would be removed by revolution at this stage, it was clear that the seeds of political change had been firmly planted.

These tensions were not going away.

And in the years to come, they would shape Germany's path in dramatic ways.

See you in the next lesson.