In order to assess whether the Kulturkampf was a complete failure it is important to consider Bismarck's aims and how successful he was with each agenda. Bismarck had clear objectives which can be easily cate
Was the Kulturkampf a complete failure?
Nehal Khan
In order to assess whether the Kulturkampf was a complete failure it is important to consider Bismarck’s aims and how successful he was with each agenda. Bismarck had clear objectives which can be easily categorised. Retaining political power held priority for Bismarck with the launch of the Zentrum Party; this was a dangerous organisation that integrated social classes and thus was a certain threat for Bismarck’s hold on power in the Reichstag. Also integral to Bismarck was to reduce the Pope’s influence, with recent outbursts from the Pope, Bismarck found himself fighting for authority against Pope Pius IX. Equally important for Bismarck was to establish unity in Germany as he had always aspired, he expressed this through increasing state control and by negative integration. The latter meant that he would focus on persecuting Catholics in an effort to gain some solidarity against Catholicism which in turn could be favourable for his contest against the Zentrum Party. By dissecting Bismarck’s aims and their individual triumphs or failures can determine the overall success of the Kulturkampf.
The Zentrum Party was swiftly becoming a major political force with its 51 seats in the Reichstag in 1871 only a year after its formation. The impetus of the Zentrum Party was to defend Catholic interests and to stand for individual religious freedom in a protestant dominated Germany. Bismarck was alarmed at the formation of a party that seemed to give its allegiance to Rome, and not to the Reich. This obviously compromised Bismarck’s power and authority, his aim was to reduce their political influence at all costs and thus secure his own political power within the Reich. This was executed by the persecution of Catholics. The Falk laws were passed which introduced many laws including bringing the church under state control, catholic education under state supervision and civil marriage. Bismarck then attacked the Jesuits by expelling them from Germany. Bismarck wanted to change the whole infrastructure of the Catholics by bringing it under close state control, he had taken away all civil and legal rights of Catholics. The intentions were to weaken support for the Zentrum Party and in effect create unity in an integrated hatred for Catholics. However this had adverse effects; opposition to persecution came from all levels of society and rather than dampen support for the Zentrum Party this discrimination seemed to unify all Catholics and also create disunity in the rest of Germany. This was Bismarck’s biggest failure; in an effort to maintain some credibility Bismarck blamed the Falk Laws on the Minister of Culture and repealed most of the laws bar the expulsion of Jesuits and the compulsory civil marriages.
