Hsy2601
Assignment 4
Semester 1
2023
The statement that "As imperial Germany enjoyed universal manhood suffrage from 1871, it
was a more democratic society than Britain with its qualified franchise" requires a critical
examination of the context in which it is being made. While Germany did have universal
manhood suffrage earlier than Britain, there were other aspects of the political system in
both countries that affected the degree to which they were truly democratic societies.
The dominance of the Kaiser and the military in Germany, as well as the system of
proportional representation, limited the extent to which Germany could be considered a
truly democratic society. Conversely, while Britain had a qualified franchise, its system of
parliamentary democracy and strong political parties contributed to a more stable and
accountable political system.
Therefore, the essay does not fully agree with the statement as it considers various factors
that affect the degree to which a political system can be considered democratic.
On the one hand, Germany had universal manhood suffrage from 1871, which was earlier
than Britain's adoption of universal suffrage in 1918^1. This meant that all men over the age
of 25 had the right to vote in Germany, while in Britain, the right to vote was limited by
various qualifications, such as property ownership and income^2. However, other factors
must be considered when evaluating the democratic nature of a political system.
One of the factors that limited the democratic nature of the German political system was the
dominance of the Kaiser and the military. The Kaiser, as the head of state, had significant
power to influence political decisions. He appointed and dismissed the Chancellor and had
the power to dissolve the Reichstag (parliament) at will^3. The military was also a powerful
political force in Germany. The General Staff held significant influence in the government and
was involved in foreign policy decisions^4. This meant that decisions were often made
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