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This is indeed weighing on my conscience. However, I will stick to my principles and believe moderation will win the day. The best way to defuse the revolutionary spirit is to tamper radicalism and the only way to so that is by extending liberties to everyone. Look at Great Britain- the most powerful empire in the world has extended liberties to all within reason. Have they collapsed? Certainly not. I believe Germany will have its day in the sun by following this course combined with traditional German values. With the might of the Deutsches Heer, Germany will exceed the Britains and a robust economic policy that protects all workers. Thus, the DZP stands for a platform that combines social progression with traditional values that will make a stronger Germany!
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Allow me then to pose a question, both to yourself and to anyone else who voted DZP because they felt that overall, they offered the best vision of Germany, and not because they liked one and only one particular line in their manifesto: If a party sprung up in Germany over the next four years - a purely hypothetical party - who believed that a particular racial or religious group (it could be Catholics even) were the key to all of Germany's problems and ills and therefore had to be eliminated - and I mean by that taken out of their homes and shot in the street by party fanatics - in order for the nation to prosper. Would each and every one of you, good Christian men that you profess to be, not do everything in your power to suppress such a hateful and evil ideology? Or will you each do as you have done, and throw up your good Christian arms in despair saying "well they may be evil, but that has nothing to do with us." Will you continue to profess the virtues of civility and moderation as your wives and children - or those of your neighbours and friends - are shot in the streets in front of your very eyes? I say to you all, what kind of good Christian man would absolve himself of blame, fold his arms and remain rooted to his chair in such a situation when he could be doing everything in his power to stop it?
The reason I ask this hypothetical question is because there is such a party in Germany today which advocates similar principles. It is not the destruction of a racial group they seek (thank God) but an economic one. They favour violent revolution and believe in creating a Godless world without any religion at all. I ask each and every one of you, do you not have a duty as good Christian men to oppose such a party through every means necessary? Or will you do as others may prophesise - fold your arms, sit down in your chairs and exclaim collectively "this has absolutely nothing to do with us." Sirs, I say it does have something to do with you, you did have an option to oppose it, you could have said no!
((Did you just really... Yeah, you did :rofl)
Now, now, the party above mentioned was purely hypothetical.
Herr Tanzhang, I cannot help but step forward to react to your claims once again.
Your words trouble me deeply, for you paint a vivid picture of a frightful future, one against which all good, moderate Christians should indeed be opposed. It reminds me of the dark days of the Kulturkampf, which shook our society to its very core and still causes - I admit that failing - a measure of distrust towards all Conservative and Liberal policy. I, and I believe we all, strive to forgive the sins of those years - as we should - but find it hard to do so.
You paint the socialists as a menace greater still than the worst excesses of Kulturkampf. The past years have shown us that a small minority of socialists do favour taking up arms. The past years have also shown that the vast majority of socialists yet prefer peaceful protest and democratic means of reform. There is definitely a risk of radicalization in the air, this is true.
However, when I turn to the Bible for guidance I see that the Centre is still on the right track. For does not the Lord say that we should be kind to our neighbours, and are not the workers our neighbours? And is it not written that when hit, one must not strike back, but offer the other cheek? This is not quite what I envisage as folding one's good christian arms in refusal of reality, it is courage with faith that perseverance and a mild view will win the day.
What strikes me most is the story of the good Samaritan, for if one would dispute - and perhaps it would in a sense be correct - that the socialist worker is our brother, then he certainly must be alike with a Samaritan, a distrusted outsider. The Good Book shows us that we must not instantly fear this stranger - fear oft gives dubious council - for there may be good within such a one. And I do recall that during the Windhorst government the coalition was at some point abandoned by Liberals and Conservatives alike - our friends and neighbours, though we have our differences - and yet supported throughout by the few socialist parliamentarians - distrusted and misguided though these strangers may have been.
I think there is still time and opportunity to defuse the radicalization of the masses through dialogue. And I believe that radicalization is near-inevitable when the masses are repressed.
I am therefore convinced that the DZP holds true to good christian values, in opposition to radicals of all colours and creeds. Therefore I stand firm in my support of Windhorst.
Your words trouble me deeply, for you paint a vivid picture of a frightful future, one against which all good, moderate Christians should indeed be opposed. It reminds me of the dark days of the Kulturkampf, which shook our society to its very core and still causes - I admit that failing - a measure of distrust towards all Conservative and Liberal policy. I, and I believe we all, strive to forgive the sins of those years - as we should - but find it hard to do so.
You paint the socialists as a menace greater still than the worst excesses of Kulturkampf. The past years have shown us that a small minority of socialists do favour taking up arms. The past years have also shown that the vast majority of socialists yet prefer peaceful protest and democratic means of reform. There is definitely a risk of radicalization in the air, this is true.
However, when I turn to the Bible for guidance I see that the Centre is still on the right track. For does not the Lord say that we should be kind to our neighbours, and are not the workers our neighbours? And is it not written that when hit, one must not strike back, but offer the other cheek? This is not quite what I envisage as folding one's good christian arms in refusal of reality, it is courage with faith that perseverance and a mild view will win the day.
What strikes me most is the story of the good Samaritan, for if one would dispute - and perhaps it would in a sense be correct - that the socialist worker is our brother, then he certainly must be alike with a Samaritan, a distrusted outsider. The Good Book shows us that we must not instantly fear this stranger - fear oft gives dubious council - for there may be good within such a one. And I do recall that during the Windhorst government the coalition was at some point abandoned by Liberals and Conservatives alike - our friends and neighbours, though we have our differences - and yet supported throughout by the few socialist parliamentarians - distrusted and misguided though these strangers may have been.
I think there is still time and opportunity to defuse the radicalization of the masses through dialogue. And I believe that radicalization is near-inevitable when the masses are repressed.
I am therefore convinced that the DZP holds true to good christian values, in opposition to radicals of all colours and creeds. Therefore I stand firm in my support of Windhorst.
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The rushing tide of the people cannot be contained by suppressing socialism. Socialism did not drive the people of Germany out onto the streets. Instead, poor living conditions, low wages, child labour, abuses in the workplace, and long working hours are what pushed Germany to the brink. Is it so hard to believe that the German people have legitimate grievances against the current economic system here in Germany? If the politicians of Berlin would stop squabbling for a few mere seconds they would be able to hear the voices of the people screaming out for a better life! It is humbling to know that the Social Democrats did not push Germany to this point, but that it was the tide of history, of class struggle perpetrated by our current economic and political system that near pushed us over the brink. While blame for what has happened has been placed on Socialism, I instead accuse the current political establishment for the crisis. If they had listened to the Social Democrats earlier, and bowed down to the demands of the people, then the situation would not have spiralled out of control.
Germany must change. The masses have spoken and the Social Democrats, unwavering and unbowed, will always exist to be their voice. It may be in a few weeks, a few months, or a few years, but sooner rather than later the people of Germany will get the reforms they so desire. Whether they achieve it through a violent revolution or a peaceful legislative process is up to you.
Germany must change. The masses have spoken and the Social Democrats, unwavering and unbowed, will always exist to be their voice. It may be in a few weeks, a few months, or a few years, but sooner rather than later the people of Germany will get the reforms they so desire. Whether they achieve it through a violent revolution or a peaceful legislative process is up to you.
So, vote for us or the establishment gets it?
The fact is, that the other parties have indeed responded to the needs of the common man. Bismarck proposes social reforms without Marxist revolution, while the LVD favour free trade in order to keep prices down. I hasten to add that the SPD also support free trade, and likely on the same grounds as the liberals do; prices.
Everything which the SPD promises can be achieved without their destructive tendencies, without the need for violent revolution. This is why I favour a LVD-Bismarck coalition and why I implore every good German to vote for either party according to his needs or priorities: free trade or social reform, colonies or social reform.
The fact is, that the other parties have indeed responded to the needs of the common man. Bismarck proposes social reforms without Marxist revolution, while the LVD favour free trade in order to keep prices down. I hasten to add that the SPD also support free trade, and likely on the same grounds as the liberals do; prices.
Everything which the SPD promises can be achieved without their destructive tendencies, without the need for violent revolution. This is why I favour a LVD-Bismarck coalition and why I implore every good German to vote for either party according to his needs or priorities: free trade or social reform, colonies or social reform.
Final Results:
Total Vote: 49 (increase of 1)
DKRP: 17
DZP: 15
LVD: 12
SPD: 5 (2.5)
Total Vote: 49 (increase of 1)
DKRP: 17
DZP: 15
LVD: 12
SPD: 5 (2.5)
One thing I'd like to point out about those figures is that by my rough (and possibly incorrect) calculations, the SPD has only just managed to pass the 5% threshold needed to win seats in the Bundestag IRL. Assuming Tommy is using a similar threshold for the seat calculations for the Reichstag in this AAR (and Tommy, do feel free to correct me if I'm mistaken) then that means that one voter's decision to switch his vote back to the SPD proved decisive - without that one vote, the socialists would have no representation in the Reichstag at all. Food for thought if my calculations are accurate.
The Election of 1878
With the collapse of the alliance between the liberals of the DFP and the Centre Party, and the subsequent failure of the Centre to run a minority government based on Conservative support Germany had gone to the polls once again in 1878 with the Liberals, Conservatives and the Centre all hopeful of catapulting their parties to power.
The electoral results left both the Conservatives and Centre happy whilst Liberals and Socialists alike looked on in despair. Having achieved a remarkable result in 1873 the Centre had feared losing a significant number of votes, but instead its tally held firm – the Party making serious inroads into working class communities in both North and South Germany. The biggest winners, however, were undisputedly the Conservatives. After so many years of hurt and electoral decline the Conservatives increased their vote by almost one and a half times, establishing themselves as the Reichstag’s largest party. Such was their electoral success that they achieved a larger share of the vote than any single party since the unification of North Germany in 1863. A truly impressive feat. For the Liberals the unification of their parties proved to be a disaster. With the need to create a common consensus and Liberal policy alienating elements of both the NLP and DFP the newly formed LVD managed just over ¼ of the vote – considering the dominance of Liberal parties in previous elections this was truly a new low. Finally, the SPD also suffered a very poor result as its share of the vote shrank by half. The continued destructive effects of the Anti-Socialist Laws, not to mention the alienation of large bodies of opinion from the Socialists in the aftermath of the radicalism shown during the latter stages of the General Strike of 1877, had turned many away from Socialism. Yet, a core group of not insignificant numbers continued to rally behind the Socialist movement, preserving it from utter destruction.
In the Reichstag the balance of power had shifted wholesale to the German Conservative Riech Party of former Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Now the chamber’s largest party the DKRP was also in the supremely advantageous position of having both the Liberals and Centre clamouring for an alliance, at the same time the two parties were fiercely in opposition to one another – effectively eliminating any danger of their cooperation. This made any government without the DKRP impossible, and the Conservatives knew it. With the threat of Conservative coalition with either the LVD or Centre hanging over both parties the DKRP was able to convince both to support a solely Conservative administration.
The aging figure of Otto von Bismarck had returned the Conservatives to government, yet the stability of this government depended entirely on the ability of his party to dominate the other parties of the Reichstag. If either the Liberals or Centre moved into open opposition then the Conservatives would be forced to abandon their one party government and either call fresh elections or attempt to forge a coalition.
the DKRP once again moves into the light! Hopefully the LVD or the DZP don't get any ideas, but one can only hope.
A good result all around.
Congratulations are in order to the Conservatives. God grants the government its power to rule and therefore it is right for the Centre to support it in its efforts to guide our country to enduring prosperity.
Congratulations are in order to the Conservatives. God grants the government its power to rule and therefore it is right for the Centre to support it in its efforts to guide our country to enduring prosperity.
You know whats the most funny about the Christian Democrats? They cant prove god exists and they want moralism in the government. Silly people.
I dunno about you, but I'd much prefer moralism in the government than debauchery in the government.