Bavaria 1870-1918

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Bavaria became a part of the German Reich in 1870, but IIRC the Wittelsbach family remained on the Bavarian throne, and the country remained a kingdom within the german empire.

But how "independant" was Bavaria in the period 1870-1918? Did they have their own Government, laws, army etc?

And what happened with the Wittelsbach family after 1918? Did they try to regain the throne after the revolutions of 1918-19, and/or did they play a role in German society/politics after 1918?

 

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Hmmm, a bit of googling reveals that the grandson of the last king of Bavaria runs a brewery. Most fitting for the bavarian royal familiy. But it would still be nice if someone could answer the other questions...

 

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Im making a site about the german states from 1800-1918 so ask me in a month or so.

 

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The basic constitution was that the Empire decided Foreign affairs, military and taxation, if im not totally incorrect.
the rest was up for the duchies etc.

 

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Originally posted by Phillip V
Bavaria was probably hardly independent at all. Germany could not have been powerful if it didn't have a strong central government.

Well, the German Länder of today have a rather significant degree of autonomi - and so does US states......IMO both could be called powerful regardless....

 

[Dark Knight]

On the unity of the Second Reich.

 

[Hamilcar]

*scratches head*

Yeah, even today, Bavaria calls itself the Freistaat (Free state) and most Bavarians like to distance themselves from their fellow Germans. It's also arguably the most successful of the German states. It's the richest for sure.

All hail King Stoiber (what an uncomfortable image)

 

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Posted by Frodon
But how "independant" was Bavaria in the period 1870-1918? Did they have their own Government, laws, army etc?

The Wilhelmine Empire was a confederation (under Prussian hegemony, of course), so yes, the member-states did have their own governments and laws regulating their areas of jurisdiction. The army was a federal responsibility, though, as was the fleet. Customs, migration, citizenship, banks, coinage, protection of trade, etc., were federal responsibilities as well. Foreign affairs were the prerogative of the Emperor, but declarations of war were subject to the consent of the Bundesrat (state house), and treaties which touched on areas of federal jurisdiction were subject to approval by the Bundesrat and the Reichstag (federal parliament).

Some areas of jurisdiction were generally the preserve of the federal government, with the exception of one or more member-states which retained direct (if partial) control over them (railroads and postal matters are the most prominent examples; Bavaria retained partial control over both, and Wuerttemberg retained partial control over postal matters). So the federal structure of the Second Empire was somewhat asymmetrical, granting certain prerogatives to specific member-states but not to others.

Did they try to regain the throne after the revolutions of 1918-19, and/or did they play a role in German society/politics after 1918?

Not to my knowledge.

 

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Originally posted by Hamilcar10
Yeah, even today, Bavaria calls itself the Freistaat (Free state) and most Bavarians like to distance themselves from their fellow Germans. It's also arguably the most successful of the German states. It's the richest for sure.

Sachsen and Thüringen call themselves Freistaat as well. That basically doesn't mean anything but that those states have the same borders as they had as parts of the Weimar republic. In that republic, each province was a free state or Freistaat, or was at least called so. It doesn't give them any more autonomy nowadays.