Bismarck introduces anti-Catholic church-state laws

Background. At German unification in 1871, Catholics comprised 36.5% of the population, with Southern German states joining reluctantly. Bismarck viewed Catholic dogmas promulgated in 1854, 1864, and 1870 as attacks on the modern nation state. He was concerned about the Catholic Centre Party, organized in 1870, and believed the pope and bishops held excessive power over German Catholics.

Legislative Measures. In August 1871 at Bad Ems, Bismarck revealed intentions to fight the Centre Party, separate state and church, transfer school inspection to laymen, abolish religious instruction from schools, and transfer religious affairs to the minister of justice. From 1871 to 1876, liberal-majority legislatures enacted 22 laws in the Kulturkampf context. These largely Prussian measures sought to curb clerical danger by restricting the Catholic Church's political power.

Reactions and Context. Bismarck told the Prussian cabinet in 1871 that open defense against Slavic, ultramontane, and reactionary propaganda was necessary. In October 1872, British ambassador Odo Russell reported that Bismarck's plans backfired, strengthening the ultramontane position inside German Catholicism and turning previously powerless bishops into powerful political defenders of Rome.