German People's Party (1868)
Encyclopedia
The German People's Party (Deutsche Volkspartei or DtVP) was a German liberal
party created in 1868 by the wing of the German Progress Party
which during the conflict about whether the Unification of Germany
should be led by the Kingdom of Prussia
or Austria-Hungary
supported Austria.
The party was most popular in Southern Germany. Initially the South German democrats supported the Greater German solution of the German question
. After the establishment of the German Empire
in 1871 under Prussia, the solution which excluded Austria, it advocated federalist structures, and defended the South German states' rights against increasing strengthening of the central government in Berlin. Insistently, the party demanded democratic reforms, in particular strengthening of the position of the parliament, which had no say in the formation of the government and no influence on government policies as the government was appointed and dismissed by the emperor alone.
In contrast to the National Liberal Party
, it stood in staunch opposition against the policy of Otto von Bismarck
from the establishment of the German Empire. The party put the classical liberal
notion of liberty above the prospect of a German unification led "from above". The German People's Party was highly critical of the Prusso-German monarchy and advocated the separation of church and state
. Still, it rejected Bismarck's "Kulturkampf
" against the Catholic church as well as the Anti-Socialist Laws
.
The German People's Party was the most leftist among non-Marxist
parties and closest to the Social democracy
. It was the sole liberal party to cooperate with the Socialists in the Reichstag
.
Most of the party's members were craftsmen, small traders, farmers, and clerks. However, the leadership consisted of upper-class intellectuals. Chairmen were the newspaper proprietor of the Frankfurter Zeitung
Leopold Sonnemann and the lawyer Friedrich von Payer
.
In 1910 the party merged with the Freeminded People's Party
and the Freeminded Union to form the Progressive People's Party
.
A notable member of both the German People's Party, the Progressive People's Party, and its successor the German Democratic Party was Ludwig Quidde
, the Nobel Peace Prize
winner in 1927.
The most influencial among the People's Party's state organisations was the Democratic People's Party
in Württemberg
. After the DtVP was disbanded, it continued as the regional branch of the Progressive People's Party, the German Democratic Party, and is still the surname of Baden-Württemberg
's liberal FDP.
In contrast to the South German People's Party of 1868-1910, the German People's Party
in the Weimar Republic
(1919-33) was a monarchist
successor to the imperial National Liberal Party
.
Liberalism in Germany
This article aims to give an historical overview of liberalism in Germany. The liberal parties dealt with in the timeline below are, largely, those which received sufficient support at one time or another to have been represented in parliament. Not all parties so included, however, necessarily...
party created in 1868 by the wing of the German Progress Party
German Progress Party
The German Progress Party was the first modern political party with a program in Germany, founded by the liberal members of the Prussian Lower House in 6 June, 1861....
which during the conflict about whether the Unification of Germany
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
should be led by the Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
or Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
supported Austria.
The party was most popular in Southern Germany. Initially the South German democrats supported the Greater German solution of the German question
German question
The German question was a debate in the 19th century, especially during the Revolutions of 1848, over the best way to achieve the Unification of Germany. From 1815–1871, a number of 37 independent German-speaking states existed within the German Confederation...
. After the establishment of the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
in 1871 under Prussia, the solution which excluded Austria, it advocated federalist structures, and defended the South German states' rights against increasing strengthening of the central government in Berlin. Insistently, the party demanded democratic reforms, in particular strengthening of the position of the parliament, which had no say in the formation of the government and no influence on government policies as the government was appointed and dismissed by the emperor alone.
In contrast to the National Liberal Party
National Liberal Party (Germany)
The National Liberal Party was a German political party which flourished between 1867 and 1918. It was formed by Prussian liberals who put aside their differences with Bismarck over domestic policy due to their support for his highly successful foreign policy, which resulted in the unification of...
, it stood in staunch opposition against the policy of Otto von Bismarck
Otto von Bismarck
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...
from the establishment of the German Empire. The party put the classical liberal
Classical liberalism
Classical liberalism is the philosophy committed to the ideal of limited government, constitutionalism, rule of law, due process, and liberty of individuals including freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and free markets....
notion of liberty above the prospect of a German unification led "from above". The German People's Party was highly critical of the Prusso-German monarchy and advocated the separation of church and state
Separation of church and state
The concept of the separation of church and state refers to the distance in the relationship between organized religion and the nation state....
. Still, it rejected Bismarck's "Kulturkampf
Kulturkampf
The German term refers to German policies in relation to secularity and the influence of the Roman Catholic Church, enacted from 1871 to 1878 by the Prime Minister of Prussia, Otto von Bismarck. The Kulturkampf did not extend to the other German states such as Bavaria...
" against the Catholic church as well as the Anti-Socialist Laws
Anti-Socialist Laws
The Anti-Socialist Laws or Socialist Laws were a series of acts, the first of which was passed on October 19, 1878 by the German Reichstag lasting till March 31, 1881, and extended 4 times...
.
The German People's Party was the most leftist among non-Marxist
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
parties and closest to the Social democracy
History of the Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany had its beginnings in the 1860s, and became the biggest party of the world around 1900. In the 1920s it delivered for the first time the head of state and heads of government, but was prohibited in Germany from 1933 to 1945. The party did not exist in East...
. It was the sole liberal party to cooperate with the Socialists in the Reichstag
Reichstag (German Empire)
The Reichstag was the parliament of the North German Confederation , and of the German Reich ....
.
Most of the party's members were craftsmen, small traders, farmers, and clerks. However, the leadership consisted of upper-class intellectuals. Chairmen were the newspaper proprietor of the Frankfurter Zeitung
Frankfurter Zeitung
The Frankfurter Zeitung was a German language newspaper that appeared from 1856 to 1943. It emerged from a market letter that was published in Frankfurt...
Leopold Sonnemann and the lawyer Friedrich von Payer
Friedrich von Payer
Friedrich von Payer was a German lawyer, liberal politician and vice-chancellor of Germany during the last year of World War I. He was born in Tübingen and was educated at the seminary at Blaubeuren, returning to his home town to study law in 1865...
.
In 1910 the party merged with the Freeminded People's Party
Freeminded People's Party (Germany)
The Free-minded People's Party was a left liberal party in the German Empire, founded as a result of the split of the German Free-minded Party in 1893. One of its most notable members was Eugen Richter, who was party leader from 1893 to 1906...
and the Freeminded Union to form the Progressive People's Party
Progressive People's Party (Germany)
The Progressive People's Party was a liberal party of late Imperial Germany. It was formed in 6 March, 1910 as a merger of Freeminded People's Party, Freeminded Union, and German People's Party in order to unify the various liberal groups represented in parliament...
.
A notable member of both the German People's Party, the Progressive People's Party, and its successor the German Democratic Party was Ludwig Quidde
Ludwig Quidde
Ludwig Quidde was a German pacifist who is mainly remembered today for his acerbic criticism of German Emperor Wilhelm II. Quidde's long career spanned four different eras of German history: that of Bismarck ; the Hohenzollern Empire under Wilhelm II ; the Weimar Republic ; and, finally, Nazi...
, the Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
winner in 1927.
The most influencial among the People's Party's state organisations was the Democratic People's Party
Democratic People's Party (Germany)
Democratic People's Party was the name of two liberal parties in southern Germany. It is not to be confused with the Deutsche Volkspartei of 1918 which used the same abbreviation DVP....
in Württemberg
Kingdom of Württemberg
The Kingdom of Württemberg was a state that existed from 1806 to 1918, located in present-day Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It was a continuation of the Duchy of Württemberg, which came into existence in 1495...
. After the DtVP was disbanded, it continued as the regional branch of the Progressive People's Party, the German Democratic Party, and is still the surname of Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
's liberal FDP.
In contrast to the South German People's Party of 1868-1910, the German People's Party
German People's Party
The German People's Party was a national liberal party in Weimar Germany and a successor to the National Liberal Party of the German Empire.-Ideology:...
in the Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
(1919-33) was a monarchist
Monarchism
Monarchism is the advocacy of the establishment, preservation, or restoration of a monarchy as a form of government in a nation. A monarchist is an individual who supports this form of government out of principle, independent from the person, the Monarch.In this system, the Monarch may be the...
successor to the imperial National Liberal Party
National Liberal Party (Germany)
The National Liberal Party was a German political party which flourished between 1867 and 1918. It was formed by Prussian liberals who put aside their differences with Bismarck over domestic policy due to their support for his highly successful foreign policy, which resulted in the unification of...
.
See also
- Contributions to liberal theoryContributions to liberal theoryIndividual contributors to classical liberalism and political liberalism are associated with philosophers of the Enlightenment. Liberalism as a specifically named ideology begins in the late 18th century as a movement towards self-government and away from aristocracy...
- Liberalism worldwideLiberalism worldwideThis article gives information on liberalism in diverse countries around the world. It is an overview of parties that adhere more or less to the ideas of political liberalism and is therefore a list of liberal parties around the world....
- List of liberal parties
- Liberal democracyLiberal democracyLiberal democracy, also known as constitutional democracy, is a common form of representative democracy. According to the principles of liberal democracy, elections should be free and fair, and the political process should be competitive...
External links
- German People's Party 1868-1910, website of the Deutsches Historisches MuseumDeutsches Historisches MuseumThe German Historical Museum , DHM for short, is a museum in Berlin devoted to German history and defines itself as a place of enlightenment and understanding of the shared history of Germans and Europeans....
(German Historical Museum), in German