government and industrialisation in late nineteenth century europe creating social europe week 2

Government and Industrialisation in late Nineteenth century Europe

Creating Social Europe week 2

Structure of lecture

• Industrialisation in Europe

• Introducing ‘states’ in nineteenth century Europe: Germany, France and Britain– What type of government?– What perspectives on social policy?

• Industrialisation and the working class

Industrial & Urban Europe c. 1850

What industry?

• In chronological order– Textiles– Coal mining / metal working – Railways and steam engines– Chemicals and electrical engineering

• Cities: – Administrative centres– Commercial centres– Manufacturing centres

Industrialisation: UK, Germany France

• Early but slow in UK: fast in Germany, partial in France (north-east)

• More reliance on wage labour• Co-existence artisanal and factory production• Urbanisation: growth of voluntary / compulsory

collective protection (next week) – Mutual aid (France)– Insurance principle (Germany and UK)

• Some agencies more acceptable than others (benevolent societies: trade unions)

Consolidation through negotiation and conquest

• Prussian domination consolidated– Zollverein negotiated 1830s.– Wars with Denmark, Austria and France– Formation of North German Confederation (1866)– Creation of Kaiserreich (German Empire) following

French defeat 1871.• King of Prussia becomes German Emperor

(Kaiser)– Rules through appointed Chancellor– With an elected Reichstag– Property-based voting qualification = Reichstag

domination by Junkers (landowners)

Germany in the late 19th century

Empire, governance and industrialisation: the Prussian tradition

• Kaiser absolutism and Junker dominance– Weakness of Reichstag (low tax capacity)– Weakness of liberal laissez-faire capitalism– Local autonomy in governance of local affairs

• Rapid, successful industrialisation– State (Junker)-sponsored: protectionist– Railways & armaments (German unification)– Stress on heavy industry on Ruhr, in Saxony

• Local poor laws cannot cope

Ruling Imperial Germany

France: the revolutionary tradition

• In 100 years after 1789 French Revolution– 2 monarchies– 3 republics– 2 empires

• 1848 revolutions in Europe:– France: ejection of monarchy– Establishment of 2nd Republic– Lasted 18 months: Napoleon III seizes power

From revolutionary republic to imperial dynasty (1848-1850)

And back again … (1871 and after)

Franco-Prussian War (1871-2)

• German attack to annex Alsace Lorraine• French defeat: Napoleon III surrenders• Paris Commune erupts

– German army waits outside Paris– Provisional government sends army from

Toulouse to put down Commune– French army butchers c.20,000 Parisian

revolutionaries

• Third Republic declared.

The unstable French constitution

• 3rd Republic born facing opposition from– Two monarchist factions (Orleans + Bourbon)– (And therefore the Catholic church)– Bonapartists (Napoleon III + family in UK)– Revolutionary socialist remnants

• Recall the very short history of French Republics I and II

• Here, social policy required to legitimate new regime

The Third Republic: the successful compromise

• Centralisation associated with Napoleon III

• Republican principle dictates– Restoration of powers to departements /

communes– The extension of the franchise to all adult

males– Recognition of freely elected mutuelles and

trade union rights (1791 Le Chapelier law had outlawed both)

UK: the stable regime

• Parliamentary democracy secure (Crown in Parliament)

• Extension of franchise to householders (1867 and 1884) – adult males only

• Slow industrialisation creates liberal (not socialist) working class movement.

• Little sign of real revolutionary intent. • Welfare crisis is in part crisis of poor law finance

(and part threat of imperial decline)

The heritage of industrialism: the organised working class in Europe

• Imperial Germany: the rise of the SPD and ‘free’ trade unionism (1860s &1870s)

• France: the Paris Commune and after – the revolutionary syndicalist tradition

• The creation of the Second International (uniting workers of the world in opposition to capitalism)

• The renewed threat of revolution in Europe

Revolutionary Communists (two failures and one success)

Conclusions: the environment for new social policy initiatives

• Urbanisation: – the collapse of established systems of social

protection (German and UK poor laws)

• Legitimating new regimes– Germany: gaining local acceptance of Reich– France: establishing a secular Republic

• Rise of organised labour– Including revolutionary elements