Why did Bismarck bring the Kulturkampf to an end after 1878?

The Kulturkampf was predominant in German affairs throughout the 1870s, with Kulturkampf meaning cultural struggle. It was the clash between Bismarck and the Catholic Church, which occurred for several reasons. Firstly, two thirds of the Germans were Protestant, mainly those in Prussia, which was the dominant area at the time. The Church and the State had also come into conflict in several countries, with the Church condemning the principles liberals stood for. The Vatican Council also laid down the doctrine of papal infallibility, ruling that papal pronouncements on matters of faith could not be brought into question. These papal measures caused alarm in liberal circles, and it seemed that militant Catholicism would interfere in domestic affairs. The Centre Party was formed in 1870 and became the second largest party in the Reichstag in 1871, representing the Catholics of Germany. It opposed interference in the education system that was influenced by the Church. Bismarck was a sincere Protestant and was highly paranoid about the actions of the Catholic minority. He wanted to unify and consolidate the Reich, and was suspicious of many of the minorities (mainly Catholics) who did not want to be part of the Reich. As a result he felt the Centre Party was a danger to the Empires unity, and that it would encourage civil disobedience when policies of the state conflicted those of the Church. It became a rallying point for opponents of the Empire, so in general the Kulturkampf was a war against the internal opponents of unification. Kulturkampf began with the attack of the Churchs actions due to their dismissal of Old Catholic teachers and professors whod refused to accept the decree of papal infallibility. He maintained that the Prussian government was committed to religious toleration. In 1872 all Catholic schools were brought under the supervision of the state. The Reichstag also forbade the Jesuit order from setting up establishments in Germany and gave state governments the power to expel individual Jesuits. In May 1873 Dr Falk, the Prussian Minister of Religion and Education introduced the May Laws with the aim of bringing the Catholic Church under state control. These laws meant that: all candidates for priesthood had to attend a secular university before commencing training; all religious appointments became subject to state approval and civil marriage became obligatory in Prussia. Failure to comply with these laws could lead to a fine, imprisonment and expulsion. In 1875, the Kulturkampf reached its peak, with laws being passed that allowed Prussia to suspend subsidies to the Church in parishes where the clergy resisted the new legislation and all religious orders, bar nursing orders, being dissolved. The legislations were fiercely enforced by Falk in Prussia. By 1876 all but two of the 12 Prussian Catholic bishops were in exile or under house arrest and more than 1000 priests were suspended from their posts.

The results of the Kulturkampf were not what was wished for however, as the attempts to repress Catholicism were met with great opposition. Only 30 of the 10,000 Prussian Catholic priests submitted to the May Laws, and Catholic communities sheltered defiant priests, maintaining their religious culture and identity. Bismarcks hope of destroying the Centre Party drastically backfired, with the Centre Party winning more seats than ever before, and the hope of a Protestant crusade also failed to materialise. Many on the left also disliked the violation of fundamental civil rights that the Kulturkampf had brought about. By 1878 Bismarck accepted the failure of the Kulturkampf. He had underestimated the Catholic Churchs support, and opened up a rift between the Reich and its subjects, not giving the unity he had hoped for. He was also anxious to have the now powerful Centre Party on his side against a far worse enemy: socialism. He now just needed an opportunity to cut his losses and end the Kulturkampf. This opportunity arose when Pope Pius IX died in 1878. Negotiations were successful between the new Pope and Bismarck, leading to improved relations. Falk was made the scapegoat of the Kulturkampf and was dismissed in 1879, with some of the anti-Catholic measures being repealed. However, many of the May Laws, such as the compulsory nature of civil marriage remained. The state also continued to oversee all permanent church appointments. Bismarck somehow managed to turn a failure into a success, by harnessing the power of the Centre Party in the Reichstag to support conservative, protectionist and anti-socialist measures.