jan 1, 1879 - Protectionist laws passed

Description:

Economic reasons for:
-Combat lack of German self-sufficiency
-Combination of several bad wheat harvests and it was very cheap to import US wheat
-As a land owner, Bismarck felt sympathetic for German German farmers who suffered as the price of wheat fell
-Bismarck worried that if Germany went to war, they would be seriously weakened

Political reasons for:
-By the late 1870s, many landowners and industrialists wanted protective tariffs and if Bismarck listened to them, he could win influential support
-Bismarck saw his chance to leave the NLs and broaden his political support as they had lost 30 seats in 1878 and the combined power of 2 conservative parties was enough to outvote them in the Reichstag

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