Noblemen,Democratisation and Mass Politics in Württemberg (1860s–1918)

Abstract

Noblemen, Democratisation and Mass Politics in Württemberg (1860s–1918)

Württemberg is usually described as a liberal state in nineteenth century Germany. The lower nobility was not an important political factor, did not get involved in mass politics and did not shape the political landscape to any degree. This article challenges these assumptions. By looking at reforms in the 1860s and around 1905, it shows how the nobility aided in the democratisation of suffrage as long as its own privileged representation remained secure. These privileges also meant that the nobility never had to campaign for elections in Württemberg. Only after 1871 did it have to in order to achieve representation in the Reichstag. Yet, when mass politics changed the political landscape in the 1890s the nobility was unwilling to pursue the new political methods and lost its seats in the Reichstag. In the long run, this unwillingness to join «noble ways» to «democratic means» meant that it lost its parliamentarian influence in Württemberg once privileged representation was abandoned.