Free-minded People's Party (Germany)

The Liberal People's Party ( FVP ) was a Liberal party during the German Empire, which was in 1893 emerged from a split of the German Liberal Party, and in 1910 merged into the Progressive People's Party. They continued the tradition of the German Progressive Party.

Formation

The existing from the beginning tensions within the German Liberal Party between the left wing of the former Progressives and the right wing of the former secessionists occurred on May 6, 1893 the surface, as in the Reichstag Georg von Siemens and five other members of the German - liberal faction in contrast to the majority, for a fraction army bill of Chancellor Leo von Caprivi voted. Immediately after the Abstimmungseklat urged the majority leader Eugen Richter, excluding the six dissenters from the fraction. Although the proposal encountered strong opposition, but he was ultimately adopted by 27:22 votes. However, the battle lines were now so strong hardened that a few days later, another former secessionists as Ludwig Bamberger, Theodor Barth, Heinrich Rickert or Karl Schrader, as well as a group of old progressives to Albert Hanel declared their party outlet and formed up with the renegades to Liberals Association. The remaining left wing of the party to judge constituted itself, however, as a Liberal People's Party. It formed henceforth the larger of the two liberal parties, their joined most local associations to.

Structure

Your authoritative personality was Eugen Richter, who was from 1893 to 1906 her party chairman. Although officially existed inner-party democracy, but in practice was judge opinion both content also relevant in personnel matters. The party conventions and the party committee ( Party Committee) had hardly own influence.

In 1895 /96 party consisted of 379 local organizations. Focused Saxony, Prussia in particular in Berlin, Silesia and East Prussia and the northern and central German small - and city-states. Although the party was largely maintained their followers adopted from the predecessor organization. However, she managed to barely beyond reach new levels of society. Voters and members came mostly from middle-class and medium-sized circles of merchants and commerce. There were some liberal big farmers and landowners and members of the educated middle class.

A co- existed with the German People's Party, with this, the Liberal People's Party in 1893 published the first time a common election manifesto. The parties came here on 24 seats. (1898 there were 29, 1903 21 and 1907 28).

Programmatic

In 1894, the Liberal People's Party has been a party program. In it they demanded, among other things, the introduction of the right democratic Reichstag suffrage in the states. It went on for parliamentarization of the empire. They also demanded diets for MPs and a more equitable distribution of electoral districts. Last but not least an annual adoption of the Army budget was aimed at. Higher military spending were consistently rejected. Similar criticism the party was initially against the colonial policy and the naval. In terms of economic policy interventions by the state should be limited. In contrast, the party refused to recognize unions law and called for the promotion of self-help facilities, and abolition of the privileges of landlordism.

An implementation of this program was not possible without collaboration with other forces such as the SPD or the left wing of the center. Such a course, however, refused judge from. The answer was also the doctrinal Manchester liberalism judge. Other positions have a potential cooperation more difficult.

After the era judges

Successor judge in 1906 Hermann Müller- Sagan. But this remained quite weak. Instead, Otto Fischbeck was the strong man who eventually became chairman. The party committees had more influence after Richter's death. It seemed content to a turnaround. The party agreed to the naval bill the government and the colonial policy. She was also part of the Bülow- block.

The Central Committee held in the judge course in the matter of political cooperation with other parties unswervingly. In contrast, initially demanded a minority union with the Free Radical Association. The finally joined the majority of the parliamentary party and more and more local clubs.

A first collaboration came in the Reichstag elections of 1907. On March 6, 1910, the left-liberal parties Liberal People's Party, Liberal Association and German People's Party Incorporated ( DTVP ) in Berlin for the Progressive People's Party.

Significant members

• Otto Fischbeck
• Carl Ludwig Funck
• Hermes Hugo
• Julius Kopsch
• Paul Langerhans
• Ernst Müller -Meiningen
• Hermann Müller- Sagan
• Ludolf Parisius
• Eugen Richter
• Reinhart Schmidt- Elberfeld
• Fritz Schneider
• Otto Wiemer