Anti-Socialist Laws
The leftist faction of the National Liberal Party expressed discontent with the party leadership's support for Otto von Bismarck's conservative government. Most importantly, they supported free trade whereas National Liberal leaders Rudolf von Bennigsen and Johann von Miquel sustained Bismarck's prohibitive tariffs strategy ("Schutzzollpolitik"). Other contentious points included the Anti-Socialist Laws ("Sozialistengesetze"), the "Kulturkampf" against the Catholic Church and the septennial military budget ("Septennat").