The Free-minded Union (german: Freisinnige Vereinigung; FVg) or Radical Union
was a
liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
party
A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often featur ...
in the
German Empire that existed from 1893 to 1910.
Emergence
Inside its predecessor, the
German Free-minded Party
The German Free-minded Party (german: Deutsche Freisinnige Partei, DFP) or German Radical Party was a short-lived liberal party in the German Empire, founded on 5 March 1884 as a result of the merger of the German Progress Party and the Liberal ...
, there had always been tensions between the
leftist and the
moderate
Moderate is an ideological category which designates a rejection of radical or extreme views, especially in regard to politics and religion. A moderate is considered someone occupying any mainstream position avoiding extreme views. In American ...
wing. Another contentious point was the
personalist style of leader
Eugen Richter
Eugen Richter (30 July 183810 March 1906) was a German politician and journalist in Imperial Germany. He was one of the leading advocates of liberalism in the Prussian Landtag and the German Reichstag.
Career
Son of a combat medic, Richter atten ...
. When
Chancellor Leo von Caprivi
Georg Leo Graf von Caprivi de Caprara de Montecuccoli (English: ''Count George Leo of Caprivi, Caprara, and Montecuccoli''; born Georg Leo von Caprivi; 24 February 1831 – 6 February 1899) was a German general and statesman who served as the cha ...
presented an army bill in parliament on 6 May 1893, seven Free-minded representatives, among them
Georg von Siemens
Georg von Siemens (21 October 1839 – 23 October 1901) was a German banker and liberal politician.
Georg von Siemens was on the board of directors of the Deutsche Bank from 1870 to 1900. One of his top priorities was the financing of internati ...
, decided to accept the motion. Consequently, Richter urged successfully the expulsion of the deviants. Other moderate party members, including
Ludwig Bamberger
Ludwig Bamberger (22 July 1823 – 14 March 1899) was a German Jewish economist, politician, revolutionary and writer.
Early life
Bamberger was born into the wealthy Ashkenazi Jewish Bamberger family in Mainz. After studying at Giessen, H ...
and
Theodor Barth, left voluntarily and formed the Free-minded Union. The
left liberal wing of the Free-mindeds, loyal to Richter, assembled in the
Free-minded People's Party
The new party focused on
political
Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that stud ...
and
economically liberal
Economic liberalism is a political and economic ideology that supports a market economy based on individualism and private property in the means of production. Adam Smith is considered one of the primary initial writers on economic liberalis ...
positions. In the
federal election of 1893, it won 13 seats. The union was initially more a loose electoral alliance than a real party. Its organisational structure was very weak. Its stronghold were in northern and eastern Germany. Together with the governing
National Liberal Party and unlike the
German Free-minded Party
The German Free-minded Party (german: Deutsche Freisinnige Partei, DFP) or German Radical Party was a short-lived liberal party in the German Empire, founded on 5 March 1884 as a result of the merger of the German Progress Party and the Liberal ...
, the Free-minded Union supported the
Imperial Navy arms race and the
German colonial policy.
Merger with the National-Social Association
In 1903, the electoral unsuccessful
social liberal
Social liberalism (german: Sozialliberalismus, es, socioliberalismo, nl, Sociaalliberalisme), also known as new liberalism in the United Kingdom, modern liberalism, or simply liberalism in the contemporary United States, left-liberalism ...
and
progressive Christian
National-Social Association
The National-Social Association (german: Nationalsozialer Verein, NSV) was a political party in the German Empire, founded in 1896 by Friedrich Naumann. It sought to synthesise liberalism, nationalism and non- Marxist socialism with Protestan ...
, led by the parson
Friedrich Naumann
Friedrich Naumann (25 March 1860 – 24 August 1919) was a German liberal politician and Protestant parish pastor. In 1896, he founded the National-Social Association that sought to combine liberalism, nationalism and (non-Marxist) sociali ...
, merged into the Free-minded Union. This brought new members, including
Hellmut von Gerlach, to the party. Both the organisational structure and the programmatical outlook changed from this incident on. Influenced by the ideas of
Joseph Chamberlain
Joseph Chamberlain (8 July 1836 – 2 July 1914) was a British statesman who was first a radical Liberal, then a Liberal Unionist after opposing home rule for Ireland, and eventually served as a leading imperialist in coalition with the C ...
, the party tended now to compassion towards the masses of the working class, but also tried to strengthen the German national position outwards by closing the ranks of the
middle and
working class
The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colo ...
es. This was compatible with the union's
liberal nationalist
Civic nationalism, also known as liberal nationalism, is a form of nationalism identified by political philosophers who believe in an inclusive form of nationalism that adheres to traditional liberal values of freedom, tolerance, equality, ind ...
line. The gain of the National Socials' local structures led to a development of a loose notables' association towards a members' party. However, the party could not really win the support of the working class and did not become a major party.
Merger into the Progressive People's Party
From 1905 onward, the Free-minded Union cooperated increasingly with the other left liberals, namely the
Free-minded People's Party and the
German People's Party
The German People's Party (German: , or DVP) was a liberal party during the Weimar Republic that was the successor to the National Liberal Party of the German Empire. A right-liberal, or conservative-liberal political party, it represented politi ...
. In 1907, the three parties drafted a common electoral program for the
elections to the Reichstag. Afterwards, they formed a common parliamentary group, which was part of the pro-government imperialist
Bernhard von Bülow bloc together with the
Conservatives
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
and
National Liberals. The party's own left-wing and pacifist faction, including
Theodor Barth,
Hellmut von Gerlach,
Rudolf Breitscheid and feminist
Helene Lange
Helene Lange (9 April 1848 in Oldenburg – 13 May 1930 in Berlin) was a pedagogue and feminist. She is a symbolic figure of the international and German civil rights feminist movement. In the years from 1919 to 1921 she was a member of the ...
, were discontent with this step and left to form the
Democratic Union.
In 1910, the Free-minded Union, Free-minded People's Party and German People's Party merged into the
Progressive People's Party.
References
External links
Freisinnige Vereinigung 1893-1910 Website of the
Deutsches Historisches Museum
The German Historical Museum (german: Deutsches Historisches Museum), known by the acronym DHM, is a museum in Berlin, Germany devoted to German history. It describes itself as a place of "enlightenment and understanding of the shared history ...
(German Historical Museum) (in German).
{{Authority control
Political parties established in 1893
1893 establishments in Germany
Political parties of the German Empire
Liberal parties in Germany
National liberal parties
Political parties disestablished in 1910
1910 disestablishments in Germany
Germany 1893
Radical parties