The Political Participation Of The Bourgeoisie In The German Empire

German bourgeoisie in modern times has always been impressed by its political quietism.Especially compared with its fellow of the British and French,German bourgeoisie lacks strength and is satisfied with the status quo.As a junior partner,it follows the pre-industrial era elite.Therefore,the German bourgeoisie has become one of the main responsible roles for Germany’s failure to follow the path of western liberal democracy.This paper through to the research of bourgeois political participation during the German Empire,in the direct political dimension to explore the role of the bourgeoisie in the imperial political life,finds that the bourgeoisie,far different from traditional view of bourgeois political quietism,German bourgeois effective political participation during the empire,not only constructing but also consolidating the German Empire,as well as promoting the modernization of the Empire.Moreover,through the discussion on the bourgeois political participation,this paper emphasizes the political appeal and unique characteristics of the German bourgeois political participation,Which are different from the British and French bourgeoisie.These not only give them the advantages of political participation to a certain extent,but also limit their motivation for further democratic reform.This paper selects the National Liberal Party,the main political representative of the bourgeoisie in the imperial period,as a case to analyze its political participation.The National Liberal Party of Bismarckian and Wilhelmine Germany was one of the two genuinely national parties of its day,drawing support from all parts of the Empire.In the 1870s,its influence was unmatched in the Reichstag.As the cornerstone of the Bismarckian government’s parliamentary majority in the 1870s,the National Liberal Party helped building and consolidating the German Empire.Through the bourgeois notable politics developed before the Unification,the notables of the National Liberal Party gained broad popular support.A small.socially exclusive elite gains political and moral leadership by claiming to represent the interests of society as a whole,based on personal prestige and popular approval.But during the Great Depression after Unification,the uneven development of industrialization resulted in the disappearance of unified popular support.The narrowness and transcendent political declaration of notable politics cannot adapt to the protection of economic and social interests urgently needed by the constituency.The tariff battle of the late 1870s showed that parties must now connect themselves to the interests of the constituency on whom they depend to gain support.Since the 1880s,the National Liberal Party,which had lost its vitality at the national level,has been rejuvenated by its local branches.The dynamic National Liberal Party’s local parties have been dominant at the local level,reviving the Party at both the local and national levels by developing a local focus,advocating local priorities,and reconciling industrial and agricultural conflicts.But this revival came at the cost of the National Liberal Party’s gradual retreat from Reich politics and the party’s fragmentation.By the end of the Empire,the national party of the National Liberal Party had little influence on its local parties and could no longer launch a unified movement.Concerning for local affairs made the National Liberal Party lose its enthusiasm for democratic reform and prevented further constitutional reform of the Empire.Through the political participation of the bourgeoisie in the Imperial period,we may have new thoughts on the particular path of Germany.The peculiarity of German history may lie in the regional divisions caused by its long division and in the rapid and uneven pace of industrialization.Regional differences impede unified political action;The rapid and uneven development of industrialization intensified the divisions among regions,social groups,and economic sectors.It is hard to maintain a unified party under such circumstances to carry out reform.It was in this particular historical environment that the German bourgeoisie and its political participation were shaped.