Bismarck had to face the severe opposition of church during his chancellorship. This struggle is known as the Kulturkampf or ‘Battle for Civilization’ in the history of Europe. Some scholars name it ‘A Struggle against Black International’. The following factors could be held as contributing to the outbreak of this struggle:
1. The royal dynasty of Prussia was the follower of Protestantism and Roman Catholic Church was its staunch opponent.
2. Whenever a struggle emerged between Prussia and Austria, the Pope and his Roman Catholic followers always supported Austria because they were followers of Roman Catholic religion. It annoyed Bismarck.
3. The Pope considered himself to be the most powerful in Germany and in 1870 he propounded the Principle of Papal Infallibility which was never accepted by Bismarck. He considered the existence of the Pope to be ‘a grave danger to Germany’ and once declared, challenging the Pope:
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“It is the infallibility of the Pope which threatens the state. He arrogates to himself whatever secular rights he pleases, declares our laws null and void, levies taxes…In a word, no one in Prussia is as powerful as this foreigner.”
He wanted to confine the rights of the church to religious field only and not to political sphere. Once he said:
“There is only one standpoint for Prussia constitutionally as well as politically, that of the church’s absolute liberty it matters ecclesiastical, and of determined resistance to her every encroachment upon state rights.”
4. The Catholic party of Germany was quite powerful. It always received inspiration from the Pope and opposed Bismarck.
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Therefore, Bismarck decided to crush this party and he undertook the following measures in opposition to church just to harass the Rom Catholics who were his staunch opponents :
(i) Bismarck opposed the decree of Papal infallibility.
(ii) He broke off diplomatic relations with Papal States.
(iii) He passed the May Laws to abolish the influence of Catholics from the educational institutions. These rules are also known as Falk Laws as Falk was the Minister of Education during this period.
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(iv) The schools run by the Roman Catholic Church were handover to the state control.
(v) Now religious education could be imparted only in Ger language.
(vi) Those institutions which used to prepare young men for priestly life were closed.
(vii) Only a German citizen and a graduate from German school or University could be the officer of the Catholic Church.
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(viii) The unrecognised priests were not allowed to perform any religious functions.
(ix) Church was forbidden from exercising the ecclesiastic sentence of excommunication.
(x) An appeal could be made against the religious punishment awarded to anybody.
(xi) The financial aid could be stopped in case of any anti-state – activity of the church.
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(xii) Jesuits were expelled from Germany.
The Pope opposed these laws and ordered the Roman Catholics to oppose all the anti-church laws. Bismarck declared:
“I will not go to Canossa, either in body or in spirit.”
It hinted at a historical event of France where King Henry IV ha to surrender before the Pope. He travelled to Canossa and beseeched the Pope for his forgiveness for having opposed him. But Bismarck was not prepared to do all this.
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He implemented the anti-church laws very strict”,Services of several clergymen were terminated and a large number of them were imprisoned.
This religious discord was in full swing in December 1871 and continued for about nine years. Anti-Bismarckian parties took advantage of the situation and began to support the Catholic party.
The queen of Germany was also opposed to the policies of Bismarck and the king was terrified at this ecclesiastical discord. The numbers of the representatives in the Bundesrat and Reichstag began to swell in the ensuing elections.
The Socialists also intensified their movement. They were staunch opponents of Bismarck. They were the critics of autocracy and militarism. They were neither patriotic nor had they any love for the conventions of their country. Bismarck considered them to be fierier than the Catholics.
Therefore, he began to oppress the Socialists in place of Roman Catholics and started a policy of liberality towards the Catholics. Luckily, Pope Pious IX expired in 1878 and his successor Leo XIII was a liberal man.
He made pact with Bismarck in 1880, according to which diplomatic relations were restored between Germany and the Papal States. Anti-Church laws were abolished and peace and harmony was restored in Germany. Marriot has remarked at the end of this discord:
“So Bismarck went to Canossa, though by a slow and circuitous route, but he went there, and then described his journey as a compromise.”