Bismarck's Constitution: How Germany Was Engineered

In 1871, Otto von Bismarck didn't just unite Germany — he designed a constitution that balanced monarchy, federalism, and a revolutionary universal male suffrage. This episode unpacks the Verfassung des Deutschen Reiches: the Bundesrat's power over the Reichstag, the Chancellor's dependence on the Kaiser, and the loophole of Article 68 that allowed a state of siege. We explore how the North German Confederation's constitution became the blueprint, why Bismarck rejected British-style parliamentary sovereignty, and how the military's 'blank cheque' operated outside civilian control. Through the lens of the 1871 constitution, we see the fault lines that would later strain the Weimar Republic and beyond. #Bismarck #GermanConstitution #Reichsverfassung #Bundesrat #Reichstag #KaiserWilhelmI #NorthGermanConfederation #Article68 #GermanEmpire #Federalism #UniversalMaleSuffrage #Chancellor #GermanUnification #ParliamentaryHistory #ConstitutionalLaw #History #FexingoHistory #19thCentury Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo