page_title: Anti-Socialist Laws
hierarchical_section_title: Anti-Socialist Laws
context_page_description: The Anti-Socialist Laws or Socialist Laws were a series of acts, the first of which was passed on October 19, 1878, by the German Reichstag lasting until March 31, 1881, and extended four times. The legislation gained widespread support after two failed attempts to assassinate Kaiser Wilhelm I by the radicals Max Hödel and Dr. Karl Nobiling. The laws were designed by Chancellor Otto von Bismarck with the goal of reversing the growing strength of the Social Democratic Party, which was blamed for inspiring the assassins. The laws, ironically caused the socialist movement to strengthen at times, and as such Bismarck dropped the laws and changed his coalition, becoming an ally of his former enemies the Catholic Centre party, which appealed to Catholic workers who opposed socialism.
context_section_description: The Anti-Socialist Laws or Socialist Laws (German: Sozialistengesetze; officially Gesetz gegen die gemeingefährlichen Bestrebungen der Sozialdemokratie, approximately "Law against the public danger of Social Democratic endeavours") were a series of acts, the first of which was passed on October 19, 1878, by the German Reichstag (parliament) lasting until March 31, 1881, and extended four times (May 1880, May 1884, April 1886 and February 1888). The legislation gained widespread support after two failed attempts to assassinate Kaiser Wilhelm I by the radicals Max Hödel and Dr. Karl Nobiling. The laws were designed by Chancellor Otto von Bismarck with the goal of reversing the growing strength of the Social Democratic Party (SPD, named SAP at the time), which was blamed for inspiring the assassins. The laws, ironically caused the socialist movement to strengthen at times, and as such Bismarck dropped the laws and changed his coalition, becoming an ally of his former enemies the Catholic Centre party, which appealed to Catholic workers who opposed socialism.
caption: Official publication of the first Anti-Socialist Law, 1878
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