WHY DID THE KULTURKAMF FAIL

The attempt to suppress catholic support wasn’t how Bismarck had intended it to be, as the kulturkampft was met with more opposition than he realised mainly the German centre party. The aim of the kulturkampft itself was to reduce the power catholic churches had, Bismarck, a staunch Protestant, doubted the loyalty of Catholics in his new German Empire and became concerned by the Vatican Council's 1870 proclamation on papal infallibility. Bismarck then wanted to dissolve the “Jesuit” order (the Roman Catholic Church) around 1872 which would further weaken the Catholics. The May, or Falk, Laws of 1873 (applying only to Prussia) limited church powers, and in 1875 the state mandated civil marriage services. This didn’t look good in the eyes of not only the Catholics but also some protestants as they believed it violated civil rights, and if anything freedom of conscience.

Overall his kulturkampft movement was weak and evidence of this is shows when the centre part won even more seats by 1874, plus the reaction of the pope  which unified and strengthen the Catholics even more as he threatened  to excommunicate with those that obeyed the laws Bismarck had put in place. Bismarck started to retreate in the face of strong Catholic resistance, especially by the .  Which shown he under estimated the enemy, some movement under the kulturkampft wasn’t even liked by the protestants themselves. Also there was an even worse enemy, socialist and he wanted the centre party with him rather than against him. So by 1887, with many anti-Catholic laws repealed, Pope  declared the conflict over.