Jacqueline Dyna jacqueline dynaicloud com History of the

Jacqueline Dyna jacqueline. dyna@icloud. com History of the welfare state Bismarck and his reforms Jacqueline Dyna

Jacqueline Dyna jacqueline. dyna@icloud. com Table of contents • Definition of the term ‘welfare state‘ • Early welfare legislation • The Iron Chancellor: Otto von Bismarck • Situation in Western Europe before WWI • Imperial decree of Bismarck • Concrete measures • Summary of key points

Jacqueline Dyna jacqueline. dyna@icloud. com Definition of the term ‚welfare state‘ „The welfare state is recognized in any developed society as an essential institution which aims to ensure a relatively decent life for all its citizens. “ 3

Jacqueline Dyna jacqueline. dyna@icloud. com https: //pics. onsizzle. com/germany-great-again-found-on-prestigious-prussian-memes-~iaspis-1155385. png 4

Jacqueline Dyna jacqueline. dyna@icloud. com Early welfare legislation Year Event 1754 Prussian Civil Code 1802 Factory Act (first law of factories) 1834 New Poor Law 1871 German ‚Kulturkampf‘ 1873 Establishment of the ‚Verein für Sozialpolitik‘ 1881 Imperial Decree of Bismarck 1884 Establishment of the Fabian Society 5

Jacqueline Dyna jacqueline. dyna@icloud. com The Iron Chancellor: Otto von Bismarck • Lived from 1815 -1898 • First German Chancellor in history • Conservative and strategic statesman, who dominated European affairs from 1862 to his dismissal in 1890 • Quickly became a quasi-mythic figure invoked by political leaders calling for strong German leadership - or war https: //cdn 1. vectorstock. com/i/1000 x 1000/99/70/otto-von-bismarck-the-ironchancellor-vector-10549970. jpg 6

Jacqueline Dyna jacqueline. dyna@icloud. com Situation in Western Europe before WWI https: //www. worldmapsonline. com/images/Cram/History/unificationofgermany. jpg 7

Jacqueline Dyna jacqueline. dyna@icloud. com Situation in Western Europe before WWI • The situation in Western Europe was dominated by the Balance of Power between the Kingdom of Prussia and the Empire of Austria. It preserved peace in Europe from 1871 to 1914 • Changes brought by the Industrial Revolution and the emerging of Individual Civil Rights influenced the debate on state‘s responsibility for the welfare of its citizens 8

Jacqueline Dyna jacqueline. dyna@icloud. com Situation in Western Europe before WWI • William I became Prussian‘s king in 1861 and a year later appointed Bismarck as his chief minister • In order to unite all 39 independent German states, Bismarck initiated decisive wars with Denmark, Austria and France • An unification in a politically and administratively integrated nation state officially occurred 1871, where Germany became a powerful and united Empire under Prussian leadership 9

Jacqueline Dyna jacqueline. dyna@icloud. com Imperial decree of Bismarck • Bismarck‘s overall plan was to strengthen Germany and form an undestructive entity • But political pressures coming from workers and socialist movements ment division rather than unity, so Bismarck introduced the first rudimentary state social insurance scheme • This is considered a starting point in the history of the welfare state All measures were launched to serve political goals of state- and nation-building, as well as social order 10

Jacqueline Dyna jacqueline. dyna@icloud. com Concrete measures • Sickness Insurance Law in 1883 (national healthcare) • Accident Insurance Law in 1884 (industrial accident scheme) • Old Age and Disability Law in 1889 (pensions) • Strengthening the German industry Very progressive/‘left‘ reforms for an archconservative leader 11

Concrete measures Sickness Insurance Law (1883) • Provide sickness insurance for German industrial laborers • Health service on a local basis, with the cost divided between employers and the employed • The employers contributed one third, and the workers contributed two-thirds 12

Concrete measures Accident Insurance Law (1884) • The only way the program could be passed at all was for the entire expense to be underwritten by the employers • Establishing central and bureaucratic insurance offices to facilitate the process • It paid for medical treatment and a pension of up to two-thirds of earned wages if the worker were fully disabled 13

Concrete measures Old Age and Disability Law (1889) • Designed to provide a pension annuity for workers who reached the age of 70 • Insurance equally financed by employers and workers • Unlike the other two programs, this one covered all categories of workers (industrial, agrarian, artisans and servants) from the start 14

Jacqueline Dyna jacqueline. dyna@icloud. com Summary of key points • The first pillars of social protection were developed in Western Europe before the WWI • However modern welfare state originated in the 1940 s and developed especially in the postwar period (1950 -1970) • Still Bismarck played an important role in the development of the welfare state by building on a tradition of welfare programs in Prussia and Saxony and by winning the support of business 15

Jacqueline Dyna jacqueline. dyna@icloud. com Summary of key points • His paternalistic programs won the support of German industry because the importance of the working class for the German Empire was emphasized • Eventhough those previous schemes of poverty relief differ from modern welfare programs, Bismarck‘s idea of social insurance was particularly influential 16

Jacqueline Dyna jacqueline. dyna@icloud. com „There is no such thing as the European welfare state. Nevertheless, it is European in origin, character and identity. “ 17

Jacqueline Dyna jacqueline. dyna@icloud. com Thank you for your attention!

Jacqueline Dyna jacqueline. dyna@icloud. com References • George Stefan. European Welfare State in a Historical Perspective. A Critical Review. From: https: //www. researchgate. net/publication/329416200 • History. com. Otto von Bismarck – Biography, World Wars and Facts. From: https: //www. history. com/topics/germany/otto-von-bismarck • Kees Van Kersbergen. The Welfare State in Europe. From: https: //www. bbvaopenmind. com/en/articles/the-welfare-state-in-europe/ • Wikipedia. Otto von Bismarck. From: https: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Otto_von_Bismarck#Social_legislation • Wikipedia. Welfare. From: https: //en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? title=Welfare&oldid=918447483 19