Constitution of the German Confederation (1871)

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Constitution of the German Confederation (1871): a simple overview

- What it was: The November Constitution was the constitution of the German federal state at the start of 1871. It came into force on January 1, 1871. It was a revised version of the North German Confederation’s constitution, not the same as the 1815 German Confederation’s constitution.

- What it did: It incorporated agreements with some South German states. Baden and Hesse-Darmstadt joined, but Bavaria and Württemberg did not join under this arrangement. The constitution’s changes mainly related to these arrangements and the size of the Federal Council.

- When it appeared and started: The new constitution appeared on December 31, 1870 in the North German Federal Law Gazette and took effect on January 1, 1871.

- Elections and participation: Elections to the Reichstag (the parliament) were held on March 3, 1871, and for the first time included the South German states, including Württemberg and Bavaria.

- End and successor: On April 16, 1871, this constitution was replaced by a new constitution for the German Empire, which lasted until 1918.

- Four constitutions to note:
1) The North German Confederation’s Constitution (1867 NBV), in force from July 1, 1867.
2) The German Confederation text added to the November treaties (Verfassung des Deutschen Bundes).
3) The Deutsche Bundesverfassung (DBV), published December 31, 1870 and taking effect January 1, 1871, which already referred to the German Empire.
4) The German Empire Constitution of April 16, 1871, often called the Bismarckian Reichsverfassung, in effect from May 4, 1871.

- Continued influence: Despite the new empire constitution in April 1871, the January 1871 text had lasting effects, for example Article 80, which made many North German laws apply in the South.

- Overall significance: The January 1871 constitution moved the North German Confederation toward a full German Empire. It did not create a new state by itself but prepared for the empire by bringing in southern states and changing some institutions (and names) along the way.