Leo von Caprivi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Leo von Caprivi
Caprivi in 1880
Chancellor of Germany
Imperial Germany
In office 20 March 1890 – 26 October 1894
Monarch	Wilhelm II
Deputy	Karl Heinrich von Boetticher
Preceded by	Otto von Bismarck
Succeeded by	Chlodwig von Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst
Minister President of Prussia
In office 20 March 1890 – 22 March 1892
Monarch	Wilhelm II
Preceded by	Otto von Bismarck
Succeeded by	Botho zu Eulenburg
Chief of the Imperial Admiralty
In office 20 March 1883 – 5 July 1888
Chancellor	Otto von Bismarck
Preceded by	Albrecht von Stosch
Succeeded by	Alexander von Monts
Personal details
Born	Georg Leo von Caprivi 24 February 1831 Berlin, Prussia (Now Germany)
Died	6 February 1899 (1899-02-07) (aged 67) Skyren, Prussia, German Empire (Now Skórzyn, Poland)
Political party	Independent
Awards	Pour le Mérite
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Prussia  German Confederation  North German Confederation  German Empire
Branch/service	Prussian Army
Years of service	1849–1888
Rank	General der Infanterie Vize Admiral
Battles/wars	Second Schleswig War Austro-Prussian War

Georg Leo Graf von Caprivi de Caprara de Montecuccoli (born Georg Leo von Caprivi; 24 February 1831 – 6 February 1899) was an important German general and politician. He served as the Chancellor of Germany from March 1890 to October 1894. As Chancellor, Caprivi worked to improve Germany's industries and trade. He signed many agreements to lower taxes on goods traded between countries.

However, these changes made some powerful farmers, especially the Junkers, very unhappy. Caprivi also tried to make friends with the United Kingdom. But he missed chances to build strong ties. This led Britain to seek agreements with Japan and France instead. Caprivi's time as Chancellor ended because of disagreements over trade. He is remembered for not continuing strict rules against socialists and for improving the German military.

Biography

Family Background

Leo von Caprivi was born in Charlottenburg, which is now part of Berlin, Germany. His father, Julius Leopold von Caprivi, was a judge. His family had roots in Italy and possibly Slovenia. They were given noble titles in the 1600s.

Caprivi's mother was Emilie Köpke. Her father was Gustav Köpke, who was a teacher to Caprivi's famous predecessor, Otto von Bismarck. Caprivi was a friendly person but did not have many close friends. He never got married.

Military Career

Caprivi studied in Berlin and joined the Prussian Army in 1849. He fought in several wars, including the Second Schleswig War (1864) and the Austro-Prussian War (1866). During the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871), he was a chief of staff. He showed great bravery and skill in battles like Battle of Mars-la-Tour and the Siege of Metz. For his actions, he received the military award Pour le Mérite.

After the wars, Caprivi worked at the Prussian War Ministry. In 1883, he became the head of the Imperial Navy. This was a surprise because he didn't know much about naval affairs. But he proved to be a very good leader and organizer. He focused on building torpedo boats. This caused disagreements with Emperor Wilhelm II, who preferred larger battleships. Caprivi resigned from the navy in 1888.

In 1890, Emperor Wilhelm II asked Caprivi to come to Berlin. The Emperor wanted Caprivi to replace Otto von Bismarck as Chancellor. Caprivi was not eager for the job. He felt it was his duty to obey the Emperor. He once said he knew he would "fall ingloriously."

Chancellor of Germany

Foreign Policy Changes

Caprivi's time as Chancellor brought a "New Course" in Germany's foreign and domestic policies. He aimed to be more friendly with the Social Democrats at home. In foreign policy, he wanted closer ties with Britain.

A good example of this was the Heligoland–Zanzibar Treaty in July 1890. Britain gave Germany the small island of Heligoland. In return, Germany gave Britain control over Zanzibar and a large part of East Africa. This treaty also gave Germany the Caprivi Strip. This land, named after him, connected German South West Africa to the Zambezi River. Caprivi hoped to use the river for trade.

Ending the Reinsurance Treaty

Soon after becoming Chancellor, Caprivi had to decide about the Reinsurance Treaty. This was a secret agreement Bismarck had made with Russia. Caprivi and other officials decided not to renew it. They wanted to focus on a simpler alliance with Austria-Hungary.

Emperor Wilhelm II had promised Russia that the treaty would continue. But Caprivi convinced him otherwise. The treaty was not renewed. This decision led Russia to form an alliance with France.

Trade Policy and Opposition

Caprivi signed trade agreements with many countries, including Austria, Italy, and Russia. These agreements lowered taxes on farm products. This made food cheaper in Germany. They also helped Germany sell more industrial goods to other countries.

However, these changes made many German farmers very angry. They felt that Caprivi was helping city workers more than them. A group called the German Agrarian League was formed in 1893. They protested against free trade and wanted Caprivi removed.

Domestic Reforms

During Caprivi's time, several important reforms were made in Germany.

• Children under 13 were not allowed to work.
• Teenagers (13-18) could only work a maximum of 10 hours a day.
• Working on Sundays was forbidden in 1891.
• A guaranteed minimum wage was introduced.
• Working hours for women were limited to 11 hours.
• Special courts were set up to help solve disagreements between workers and employers.
• Taxes on imported goods like timber and grain were lowered.
• A new tax system was introduced where people who earned more paid more tax.
• He also passed important army laws in 1892 and 1893.

Clash with the Kaiser

Caprivi often disagreed with Emperor Wilhelm II. He offered to resign almost a dozen times in four years. The Emperor sometimes called him "a sensitive old fathead." Caprivi also lost support from conservative politicians. Former Chancellor Bismarck also criticized him publicly.

Caprivi tried to get support from the Catholic Centre Party. He proposed a new education bill. But this angered Protestant politicians. Because of these problems, Caprivi had to resign as the Minister President of Prussia. This created a difficult situation where the Chancellor and the Prussian leader were separate.

In 1894, Caprivi and the new Prussian leader disagreed over changes to the law. Emperor Wilhelm II asked both of them to resign. Caprivi was replaced by Prince Chlodwig von Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst.

After he resigned, Caprivi destroyed his personal papers. He chose not to talk or write about his time as Chancellor. He died in 1899 in Skyren, Germany, which is now Skórzyn, Poland.

Honours

He received the following awards and decorations:

See also

In Spanish: Leo von Caprivi para niños