The
Constitutions of Germany and Prussia
at the
end of the 19th Century
It's easy to confuse the constitutional arrangements of the German Empire (1871-1918) with those of the Kingdom of Prussia, which was the most important constituent part of the German Empire. As a part of the Empire, Prussia retained the same institutions it had had earlier (including its own monarchy), while new institutions and different nomenclature were invented to reflect the Empire's different structure and workings. When you write about German affairs in the nineteenth century, be sure to know whether you have Prussia or the Empire in mind, and then use the right terms!
| German Empire | Kingdom of Prussia | |
| Executive: | Executive: | |
| Emperor | same person as | King |
| Chancellor, appointed by the Emperor | usually same as | Minister President, appointed by the King |
| State Secretaries named by the Emperor who do not meet collectively as a Cabinet; also, there is no State Secretary for War (the Prussian Minister of War coordinates Germany's armed forces) | Collective Cabinet, made up of Ministers named by the King and presided over by the Minister President | |
| Legislative bodies: | Legislative bodies: | |
| Reichstag (Imperial Parliament) elected by universal manhood suffrage; always more progressive than the Reich government | House of Deputies elected by Prussia's restrictive three-class franchise; usually more conservative than the Reich government, let alone the Reichstag | |
| Federal Council (Bundesrat) made up of ambassadors from the federal states; dominated in practice by the Prussian government | House of Lords made up of hereditary nobles and royal nominees; extremely conservative by its very nature |