German federal election, 1912

German federal election, 1912
German Empire
12 January 1912 (1912-01-12)
All 397 seats in the Reichstag
199 seats needed for a majority
Turnout 84.9%

  First party Second party Third party
 
Party SPD Centre NLP
Last election 43 seats 105 seats 54 seats
Seats won 110 91 45
Seat change Increase67 Decrease14 Decrease9
Popular vote 4,250,400 1,996,800 1,662,700
Percentage 34.8% 16.4% 13.6%
Swing Increase5.8% Decrease3.0% Decrease0.9%
  Fourth party Fifth party
 
Party FVP KP
Last election 49 seats[1] 60 seats
Seats won 42 43
Seat change Decrease7 Decrease17
Popular vote 1,497,000 1,126,300
Percentage 12.3% 9.2%
Swing Increase1.4% Decrease0.2%

Results of the 1912 Reichstag election.
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Federal elections were held in Germany on 12 January 1912.[2] Although the Social Democratic Party (SPD) had received the most votes in every election since 1890, they had never won the most seats, and in the 1907 elections they had won fewer than half the seats of the Centre Party despite receiving over a million more votes.[3] However, this election saw the party win more than double the number of votes of the second-placed Centre Party and become the largest party, winning 110 of the 397 seats.[4]

The party breakdown in the newly elected Reichstag made possible a majority coalition of groups hostile or ambivalent to the ruling elites of the German Empire – the Social Democrats, the Centre Party, and the left-liberal Progressives between them commanded a majority. The effects of this possibility would be seen with the vote of no confidence in the government of Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg over the Saverne Affair in 1913 and the Reichstag Peace Resolution of 1917. Nonetheless, the Centre and the Progressives were unwilling to act consistently in opposition, leaving the government largely free to do as it wished.

Some historians, such as Fritz Fischer have theorized that the First World War was partially a result of the strategy of the conservative Prussian Junkers to deal with this result.[5] In an attempt to increase support for conservative parties and policies, to distract the population from the SPD they hoped to drum up patriotism in an external conflict with Russia or another east European state such as Serbia. Other authors, such as Niall Ferguson, feel that German conservatives were ambivalent about a war, worrying that losing a war would have disastrous consequences, and even a successful war might alienate the population if it were lengthy or difficult.[6]

Elected in this election to represent Metz for the SPD Georges Weill defected to France at the start of World War I.

Results

Party Votes[a] % Seats +/–
Social Democratic Party4,250,40034.8110+67
Centre Party1,996,80016.491−14
National Liberal Party1,662,70013.645−9
Progressive People's Party1,497,00012.342−7
German Conservative Party1,126,3009.243−17
Polish Party441,6003.618−2
German Reich Party367,2003.014−10
Economic Union304,6002.510+5
Alsace-Lorraine Party162,0001.39+2
German-Hanoverian Party84,6000.85+4
German Reform Party51,9000.43New
Danish Party17,0000.110
German Agrarian League245,1002.02−6
Bavarian Peasants' League2+1
Others2−1
Invalid/blank votes53,100–––
Total12,260,6001003970
Registered voters/turnout13,352,90084.9––
Source: Nohlen & Stöver, DGDB

a Figures for votes are rounded.[2]

Popular Vote
SPD
  
 34.82%
Zentrum
  
 16.81%
NLP
  
 13.62%
FVP
  
 12.26%
DKP
  
 8.57%
Poles
  
 3.62%
DRP
  
 3.01%
Other
  
 7.29%
Reichstag seats
SPD
  
 27.71%
Zentrum
  
 22.92%
NLP
  
 11.34%
DKP
  
 10.83%
FVP
  
 10.58%
Poles
  
 4.53%
DRP
  
 3.53%
Other
  
 8.56%

References

  1. ↑ Merger of the Free-minded People's Party (28 seats), Free-minded Union (14), and German People's Party (7).
  2. 1 2 Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p762 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  3. ↑ Nohlen & Stöver, pp774-789
  4. ↑ Nohlen & Stöver, p789
  5. ↑ Fischer, Fritz (1961). Germany's Aims in the First World War. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 0-393-09798-6.
  6. ↑ Ferguson, Niall (1999). The Pity of War: Explaining World War I. New York: Basic Books. ISBN 0-465-05712-8.
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