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37-400: The National Rural League (Reichs-Landbund) was established in 1921 by the merger of the two major Protestant right-wing farmers' organizations German Agrarian League (BDL) and German Landbund to more effectively advance agrarian interests to be able to prevail against the resurgent forces of labor and big business. The leadership pursued an anti-democratic, nationalist course with rejection of

74-484: A ban on adding yellow food colouring to margarine, thus increasing the market for domestic butter. When the tariffs were raised in the Bülow tariff bill , the demand changed to defending the protectionist tariffs. BDL members, rural, conservative and generally Protestant, in general despised the immorality of city life, and often associated it with Jews. They believed that Jews were genetically incapable of farming. Within

111-726: A foothold with rural society in the rural areas of the Catholic regions of the empire of the Empire. Here, the Association of the German Farmers Associations dominated. The National Rural League created a strong central organization with connections to numerous newspapers. In 1928 there were 190 press organs associated with the National Rural League, belonging to it, or belonging to members of

148-636: A new umbrella organization of farmers' associations, the Green Front. In 1929 The National Rural League supported the 1929 German referendum against the Young Plan which was initiated by the DNVP, Nazi Party (NSDAP ) and other legal associations. Through their leading member, Martin Schiele, the National Rural League was involved in the government of Heinrich Brüning , which led to the expulsion of

185-611: A troublesome conservative candidate, or throw its weight on a parliamentary vote over to the minority parties. However, the BDL's attempt to act independently of the Conservative Party did not always work. Thus in the Reichstag elections of 1903 the BDL attempted to run their own candidates, however only four were elected to the Reichstag. After this failure, Conservatives and the BDL recognized their need for each other, and there

222-615: The Harzburg Front . In the presidential election in 1932, the leadership of the National Rural League recommended a vote for the national German Stahlhelm leader Theodor Duesterberg or Adolf Hitler , because Hindenburg had not distanced himself from his support of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). The transfer of power to Hitler on 30 January 1933 was welcomed by the League leadership, so that there

259-477: The Junkers from the east Elbe region, Saxony and Pommerania . Exemplifying this control was Conrad Freiherr (Baron) von Wangenheim, a Pommeranian with extensive estates, who was chairman from 1898 to 1920. Thus the organisation favored the landlord interests as well as playing up to the interests of the actual farmers. Both the landlords and the farmers felt the shifting of political and economic power away from

296-430: The BDL programme. Contemporary critics claimed that this was an unconstitutional practice, but it wasn't legal challenged, and the loss of BDL support could be critical for a candidate. As the BDL was not a political party, they had representation in most of the parliamentary caucuses. After nearly every election there would be up to 100 Reichstag members who belonged to the BDL or were otherwise politically tied to them. In

333-461: The BDL this anti-semitism served a unifying function to help bring together the divergent interests of the Junker landowners and Hessian peasants. This commonality allowed the BDL to form large voting blocks which helped sway many a rural election, using machine politics . As the BDL grew in strength, the Conservative Party depended upon them more and more for the defense of conservative positions in

370-592: The Berlin Tivoli Brewery and was attended by some ten thousand people. It drew its support from the most Protestant areas of the empire, northern and central Germany, and particularly from Prussia. In May 1893, just three months after its establishment, it campaigned for farmers' rights and won over 140 of the deputies who were elected in July, or about one-third of the members of the Reichstag , including

407-642: The National Rural League, and the new board moved to the right. The Schiele group was repressed and the Nazis gained ground. Other groups in the National Rural League believed they could win back lost ground in agriculture through an alliance with the Nazi influence. The agitation against the Brüning Government, democracy and the Weimar Republic increased and in 1931 the National Rural League joined

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444-595: The Prussian parliament, the BDL could always rely on at least a third of the deputies. During World War I, the BDL, consistent with its conservative position, had expansive war aims. At the beginning of the Weimar Republic, it merged with the Deutscher Landbund (German Agricultural League) and others to form the Reichslandbund (RLB) (Reich Agricultural League)in 1921, which then further merged with

481-400: The Reichstag and in regional assemblies. However, this dependence ultimately changed the character of the party. The goals of the old-time conservatives, empire and enforced morality, defense of "throne and altar", became less important, while higher income for agroproducers gained in importance. Sometimes conflicts arose between the BDL and the party, and the BDL would withdraw its support from

518-539: The Schiele group from the DNVP and helped the German Country People's Party (CNBLP) to make large gains in the 1930 German federal election . However, as the Nazi Party achieved great progress in the countryside with construction of their agrarian political apparatus, the Nazis now gained more and more influence in the National Rural League. In October 1930 Martin Schiele had to resign as President of

555-772: The Union of German Farmers to form the Grüne Front (Green Front). However, the strong Junker influence in the Grüne Front drove many farmers out. Nonetheless in 1933 under the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazi Party) it became the Reichsnährstand (State Food Society). Theodor Duesterberg Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include

592-599: The Weimar Republic, at the same time under the existing system it attempted to maintain as much influence as possible for the big Junker landowners from east of the Elbe . The large landowners from East of the Elbe were strongly represented in the governing bodies. The Reich Landbund was the most influential German farmers' association during the Weimar Republic. Particular focus of the association were Pomerania, Brandenburg, Silesia, Thuringia, East Hanover and Hesse. It could not gain

629-545: The association. In 1924 the league had about 500 district offices. As a result, in the areas were the organization was strong large parts of the agricultural population that were not members of the National Rural League could be greatly influenced by League positions. Politically the National Rural League was near the German National People's Party (DNVP) because both were opposed to the Republic. In 1924

666-408: The farmers; this kept food prices high for urban consumers. The new tariffs were designed to lower the cost of food to consumers, and open up new business opportunities for German exporters. The League was organized nationally like a political party, with local chapters, centralized discipline, and a clear-cut platform. It fought against free trade, industrialization, and liberalism. Its most hated enemy

703-498: The influential group that would found the Economic Association ( Wirtschaftliche Vereinigung ) some years later with Wilhelm von Kardorff , Berthold von Ploetz and Diederich Hahn. By the end of 1893 the BDL had over 200,000 members. Only about 1% were rural landlords , with 24% coming from large family-owned farms, and the rest being small plot and tenant farmers. However, the leadership were from that 1%, primarily

740-487: The land, and desired to maintain their vested interests. As a result, they worked closely with the political parties most aligned with that interest, but most especially with the Conservative Party (DKP). By 1897 the BDL was headed by a three-member Executive Committee, one of whom was the chairman. It had a number of divisions, a speakers bureau which sent out inspirational speakers to the farming villages in

777-446: The less labour-intensive winter months, an electoral division to identify candidates to support and to lobby candidates into supporting BDL initiatives, during election run-ups they had a propaganda division that provided BDL viewpoints on the candidates. There was a separate lobbying division for elected members of the Reichstag. In addition the organisation provided things like purchasing cooperatives which offered economic benefits to

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814-407: The members and acted as incentives to retain membership. By 1913 the BDL had over 330,000 members, employed more than 350 staff at headquarters, and approximately 400 regional workers. The goal of the BDL was to preserve the leading position of agriculture in the economy and politics of Germany. In one of the founding documents it says: "German agriculture is the primary and most important industry,

851-509: The party supported this association particularly strongly, but also promoted candidacies of senior members of other right-wing parties, especially the German People's Party (DVP). In the 1925 German presidential election , the National Rural League supported the election of Paul von Hindenburg . In the mid-1920s, leading National Rural League members of the DNVP were represented in the government. This phase of government cooperation

888-699: The peak period. Based on a published list with details of the members of the affiliated associations in 1923, there were around 1 million members. Other estimates range from 0.8 to 1.7 million members. Some regional groups of the Agricultural League participated in state and Reichstag elections, such as the Hessische Bauernbund, Thuringian Agricultural League , and Württembergischer Bauern- und Weingärtnerbund. Source: Cerny / Fahlbusch, pp. 688–689. German Agrarian League The Bund der Landwirte ( Agrarian League ) (BDL)

925-459: The political side they along with their political ally, the Conservative Party, were unable to prevent the fall of the Bülow government over budget issues and the reform of the inheritance tax in 1909. Overall, the BDL operated a highly successful lobbying effort both within and outside the Reichstag and regional assemblies. The BDL solicited the various candidates before the elections and only supported those who affirmed in writing their support of

962-401: The same attention as industry; if both do not go hand in hand, the strength of one will not suffice for a lack in the other. Bismarck helped foster support from these conservatives by enacting several tariffs protecting German agriculture, and incidentally industry, from foreign competition. In the early 1880s agriculture employed more people than industry and trade combined. However, Germany

999-427: The shop assistants, rural workers, sailors and fishermen and small wine growers. Basically they took all non-industrial workers, and small businesses under their wing. The most major demand of the BDL was the restoration of protective tariffs on food stuffs. Other major demands were: With these were a host of minor demands such as strengthening the disease control on meat imports, thus making them more expensive, and

1036-490: The southwestern states of Germany, the BDL operated in conjunction with or as the local farmers' union or league. The BDL met with some successes and some failures. After several years they brought down the Caprivi government over the question of tariffs. But they never got the strict import restrictions on grain that they desired. The new tariff act of 1902 was indeed a victory for agrarians. However, as Nick Koning shows, it

1073-419: The strongest support of the empire and of the several states. To protect and strengthen agriculture is our first and most serious task because by the blossoming and flourishing of agriculture, the welfare of all professions is secured." But the BDL also came to the defense of the mom and pop shops as against big-city department store chains, they safeguarded the interests of the rural and small urban middle class,

1110-530: Was a German advocacy group founded 18 February 1893 by farmers and agricultural interests in response to the farm crisis of the 1890s, and more specifically the result of the protests against the low-tariff policies of Chancellor Leo von Caprivi , including his free trade policies. According to James C Hunt, the Agrarian League was launched to protest the reduction in tariffs against imported grains; The old tariffs were designed to keep prices high for

1147-458: Was fast becoming an industrialized state with increased rural exodus to the cities. After Bismarck resigned in 1890 and Leo von Caprivi became chancellor, the demands of industry were much more compelling, and the free trade treaties with Russia and Austria as well as legislation favorable to industry was seen as a threat to agriculture. The inaugural meeting of the Bund der Landwirte was held in

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1184-760: Was greater unanimity. In the areas where the Conservatives were poorly represented, for example, in the Province of Hanover , in Hesse and in the Palatinate , the BDL worked together with the right wing of the National Liberals . After all, the BDL had enlisted the support of about 60% of the National Liberal candidates for their programme before the general election of 1907. In parts of

1221-550: Was no resistance by the largest German agriculture organization to the Nazi Coordination ( Gleichschaltung ) of agriculture and their state administrative body regulating food production ( Reichsnährstand ). 1923: approximately 1 million The exact number can not be determined because the number of affiliated organizations varied and no distinction has been made between full-time and auxiliary members. As self-reported there were 5.6 million members allegedly present during

1258-479: Was not simply forced through by the aristocracy or agrarians. Instead it resulted from a new shift in the position of the urban interests that created an industrial-agrarian agreement. That agreement was initiated by the industrialists, not the junkers. The BDL was particularly effective on small issues, where the Reichstag members were less committed to their constituencies, such as forbidding yellowing of margarine and stiff restrictions on brandy and sugar imports. On

1295-408: Was renamed German Country People's in 1930). The new party took 10 seats from the DNVP in the 1928 Reichstag elections. There was significant turbulence within National Rural League. The battle against other farmers' organizations was largely discontinued. In order to obtain greater influence in the agricultural and economic crisis, in 1929 the National Rural League was the driving force establishing

1332-598: Was short-lived. Import tariff issues and the agrarian crisis exacerbated the distance between the League and the government and the Republic. The support of the government had led, especially in Hesse and Silesia, to massive membership losses. Rural League officials were involved with the 1927/28 country people's movement. They split several Landbund leaders from the DNVP and founded the Christian-National Peasants' and Farmers' Party (CNBLP, The CNBLP

1369-458: Was socialism, which it blamed on Jewish financial capitalism. The League helped establish grassroots anti-Semitism of the sort that flourished into the 1930s. The Reichstag was dissolved in June 1878 because it refused Bismarck's Anti-Socialist Law . Chancellor Bismarck in the newly elected parliament relied on a broad agro-conservative majority with the slogan: Agriculture is owed by the state

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