jan 12, 1912 - SPD win election (No majority)

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The SPD had been outlawed by Bismark's anti-socialist laws since 1878 but this was counterproductive for the chancellor as support for the SPD rose during this period. The SPD were reformed in 1890 as its candidates had been standing independently in the meantime.
In the 1912 election the SPD gained 67 seats in the Reichstag and became the largest party in the Reichstag. 1 in 3 Germans had voted for the SPD hoping for change to the dictatorship that they were under with many hoping for a socialist revolution.
They managed through careful compromise to enact several socio-democratic laws (giving Germany the most comprehensive social security system in Europe) and in 1913 they successfully increased taxes on the rich (necessary due to increased military spending).

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