Mass Politics

Three basic features characterize mass politics from 1850-1914 Mass communication Democracy and authoritarianism Increase in conflict

Symbols of liberal achievements include: Constitutional government Representative assemblies Free trade Expansion of suffrage Guarantees of rights Middle class influence in government Spread of education and literacy Weakening of established churches Self determination for nations

Classical liberalism was weakening by 1880 Mass politics mobilized citizens in large groups and allowed authoritarian leaders to manipulate public sentiment

The increasingly complex industrial economy became more difficult to sustain a laissez faire approach By 1880, many governments had abandoned free trade Many liberal parties had given up on the notion of pure capitalism

France The Third Republic started off poorly Moderate republicans crushed the Paris Commune By 1878, moderates had succeeded in establishing the basis for a parliamentary democracy

Two scandals highlight divisions within the Third Republic General Boulanger seemed poised to take over the government and establish military rule In 1894, a French court found Captain Alfred Dryfus, a Jewish officer, guilty of treason on very thin evidence (the victim of Anti-Semitism)

Parliamentary Democracy in Britain Victorian Age represented a period of prosperity, imperial greatness and the evolution of true parliamentary democracy Reform in Britain was driven by competing visions of Conservatives and Liberals

William Gladstone Led the Liberal reform effort Under Gladstone, the Parliament enacted universal schooling, the secret ballot, legalized unions, introduced the civil service exam, and lifted religious requirements for universities

Benjamin Disraeli Led the Conservative movement Pursued a policy of protecting workers from the worst effects of industrialization, passing acts regulating public housing and sanitation

Between 1906 and 1916, the Liberal Party initiated a wide ranging welfare system of sickness, accident, old age and unemployment insurance Lifted restrictions put on strikes and unions Parliament passed a progressive income and inheritance tax

Veto power was removed from the House of Lords Despite efforts, workers continued to agitate for improved conditions Suffragettes used militant tactics to gain publicity for their cause In Ireland, the Catholic Irish demanded home rule

Germany’s Growing Pains Otto von Bismarck dominated German politics until 1890 He successfully manipulated democratic politics and the party system to enact his policies Bismarck allied himself with the Liberal Party and attacked the Catholic Church in Germany

Pope Pius IV called the First Vatican Council to enunciate the doctrine of papal infallibility In response, Bismarck pushed through the Reichstag laws restricting powers of the clergy, expelled the Jesuits, and jailed a number of bishops When his campaign was unsuccessful, he abandoned it

Bismarck now allied himself with the Catholic Center Party Moved to restrict the power of the Social Democratic Party Using several assassination attempts against Kaiser William I as a pretext, Bismarck won approval for several Antisocialist Laws

To win over workers, Bismarck initiated a welfare program of old age, accident, unemployment, and health benefits Kaiser William II ascended to the throne up on the death of his father He soon dismissed Bismarck and embarked on a more conciliatory policy toward the SPD at home and a more aggressive foreign policy

Austria-Hungary Continued to experience ethnic tensions after the creation of the Dual Monarchy in 1867 With Hungary, large landowners continued to dominate Magyars imposed their language and culture on many Slavic minorities

In Austria, voting rights were extended to try to win over Czechs, Slovaks and Poles Also included them in the Imperial Parliament German nationalists resented these policies and the resulting tensions often led to the breakdown of parliamentary function

Anti-Semitism emerged as a political force in Austrian policy The mayor of Vienna pursued policies of restrictions and exclusions against Jews

Other Areas of Development Italy faced a roadblock after unification Liberal parties attempted to keep out extremist nationalists on the right and socialists on the left by using bribery and personal alliances

Italy did not develop political parties around consistent ideas or programs Economically, northern Italy industrialized while the south remained mired in poverty and illiteracy Also developed an active anarchist movement

Spain continued to be dominated by conservative interests Its defeat in the Spanish American War led to calls for social reform by a group called Generation of 1898 Encountered anarchist violence Because of its internal divisions, it would not enter either world war of the 20th century