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Was The Course Of Germany 1900-1914 Dictated By The Personality Of The Kaiser

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Was The Course Of Germany 1900-1914 Dictated By The Personality Of The Kaiser
To what extent was the course of Germany 1900-1914 dictated by the personality of the Kaiser?
During the years 1900 and 1914 the position of the Kaiser as the head of the German state was clear. However his power and authority was challenged due to heavy influence from the Chancellor. In addition to a range of demands for social reform from the growth of socialist parties and pressure groups. Wilhelm’s believe that ‘There is only one man in charge of the Reich and I will not tolerate another’ is strongly enforced throughout the Reichstag and can be seen as a main contributor to why there is such strong dictatorship in Germany at this time. It also may appear to be the cause of conflict and why such strong alternative views and demand for reform arise.
The Kaiser had control over Germany through a variety of different paths. This is because the Kaiser was responsible for …show more content…
However the introduction of tariff laws in 1902 putting higher duties on imported grain and so raised food prices turned the worker away from the Kaisers regime and into the social democrats proving to do the opposite. Resulting in 1903 election more votes to go to the social democrats giving the centre party the balance of power. However the Kaiser responded to this acting quickly as he brought out further reforms in 1903 amending the sickness insurance law giving more hours to worker in poor health this was followed by reforms in 1908 and 1911 in order to please the workers. These tactful decisions were due to the Kaisers intelligence as he had been fully educated and studied at university, once again proving his personality to be a major factor for why he remained in
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