When did the Constitution of the German Empire come into effect?
The Constitution of the German Empire came into effect on the 4th of May 1871. It remained formally in force until the 14th of August 1919, when the Weimar Constitution replaced it.
Questions about Constitution of the German Empire
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What role did Prussia play under the Constitution of the German Empire?
Prussia held the permanent presidency of the German Empire, a hereditary office tied to the King of Prussia, who also bore the title of German Emperor. Prussia held 17 of the Bundesrat's 61 votes, which was sufficient under Article 68 to block any constitutional amendment on its own.
What were the powers of the German Emperor under the 1871 constitution?
Article 11 gave the emperor the power to declare war and make peace, represent the Empire abroad, conclude treaties and alliances, and accredit and receive ambassadors. Non-defensive wars required Bundesrat consent, and both the Bundesrat and the Reichstag had to approve treaties for ratification.
What was the October Constitution of 1918?
The October Constitution, or Oktoberverfassung, was passed by the Reichstag in late October 1918 and took effect on the 28th of October 1918. It transformed the German Empire into a parliamentary monarchy by making the chancellor and ministers accountable to the Reichstag rather than the emperor, and requiring the Reichstag's assent for declarations of war and peace treaties.
When did Germany establish a single national citizenship law under the 1871 constitution?
A uniform national citizenship law, the Reichs- und Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz, was adopted on the 22nd of July 1913. Before that date, citizenship of the German Empire derived from citizenship of one of the individual member states, each of which maintained its own rules.
How was the Constitution of the German Empire related to Bismarck's earlier constitutions?
The 1871 constitution was essentially an amended version of the North German Constitution that Otto von Bismarck had drafted in 1866-1867. Bismarck first outlined his federal constitutional principles on the 10th of June 1866; that draft became the Constitution of the North German Confederation adopted on the 17th of April 1867, and successive versions carried its framework into the Empire.