How would you have voted? Germany

[tpfkaw]

1871: Deutsche Fortschrittspartei
1874: Deutsche Fortschrittspartei
1877: Deutsche Fortschrittspartei or Liberale Vereinigung
1878: Deutsche Fortschrittspartei or Liberale Vereinigung
1881: Deutsche Fortschrittspartei or Liberale Vereinigung
1884: Deutsche Freisinnige Partei
1887: Deutsche Freisinnige Partei
1890: Deutsche Freisinnige Partei
1893: Freisinnige Volkspartei
1898: Freisinnige Volkspartei
1903: Freisinnige Volkspartei
1907: Freisinnige Volkspartei
1912: Fortschrittliche Volkspartei
1919: Deutsche Demokratische Partei
1920: Deutsche Demokratische Partei
May 1924: Deutsche Demokratische Partei
Dec 1924: Deutsche Demokratische Partei
1925 President: Willy Hellpach round 1, Wilhelm Marx round 2
Referendum 1926: Abstain.
1928: Deutsche Demokratische Partei
Referendum 1928: Yes.
Referendum 1929: Yes.
1930: Reichspartei des deutschen Mittelstandes
1932 President: Theodor Duesterberg round 1 (better the evil you don't know in this case...), Paul von Hindenberg round 2
July 1932: Reichspartei des deutschen Mittelstandes
November 1932: Reichspartei des deutschen Mittelstandes
March 1933: Deutsche Staatspartei or Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands with hindsight
November 1933: spoil ballot
Referendum 1933: No. (protest vote)
East German election 1946: Liberal-Demokratische Partei Deutschlands
1949: Freie Demokratische Partei
1953: Freie Demokratische Partei
1957: Freie Demokratische Partei
1961: Freie Demokratische Partei
1965: Freie Demokratische Partei
1969: Christlich-Soziale Union in Bayern (you are able to vote for them in other parts of Germany, right?)
1972: Christlich-Soziale Union in Bayern
1976: Christlich-Soziale Union in Bayern
1979 European: Christlich-Soziale Union in Bayern
1980: Freie Demokratische Partei
1983: Freie Demokratische Partei
1984 European: Christlich-Soziale Union in Bayern
1987: Freie Demokratische Partei
1989 European: Die Republikaner
1990 East Germany: Deutsche Soziale Union
1990: Freie Demokratische Partei
1994 European: Die Republikaner
1994: Freie Demokratische Partei
1998: Freie Demokratische Partei
1999 European: Die Republikaner
2002: Freie Demokratische Partei
2004 European: Die Republikaner
2005: Freie Demokratische Partei
2009 European: Die Republikaner
2009: Freie Demokratische Partei

[tpfkaw]

So I guess up till Hitler, essentially Bismarck-esque parties?

Uh no, they were the anti-Bismarck liberals.  The pro-Bismarck "liberals" were the Nationalliberalen.

[tpfkaw]

That's very funny   I think you know not so much about Germany.

Never claimed to, but I think you'd be surprised.

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Well, Eugen Richter, their party leader, at least was quite libertarian, and was very much against Bismarck's welfare state, against protectionism, etc.  "Left-liberal" did not have the same meaning back then as it does now, it referred to whether they thought they should ally with the conservatives against the socialists (right-liberals) or whether they should try to be a unique movement fighting a "two-front war" against both (left-liberals).

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"Conservative in economical issues" meant, at the time, supporting protectionism and Bismarck's welfare state, and "in the center on social issues" meant supporting and introducing extremist anti-Catholic legislation.  I think not.

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Alright, fine, I'll live in Bavaria then.  Seems like the most fun-loving part anyhow.

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I'm only voting for them in European elections, as you can see.

It's done for a very specific reason. He has an inferiority complex when it comes to other posters' knowledge of foreign politics, and so he (along with someone else) pretends to have more interest and knowledge about foreign affairs than he actually does, because he's convinced that other people are posturing in the same way he now is.

[tpfkaw]

Bismarck was a wise politician. His social program prevented a radicalization of the masses in Germany. He has it enforced against the will of his own supporters. Without his politics you would have a good chance to see a German Soviet Union 1919

Debatable, I'd think not.

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The areas that they cooperated with the SPD in; free speech, legalizing unions, repealing the anti-Socialist laws, anti-anti-Semitism etc. are areas that I'd have agreed with the SPD too, so that's hardly a dealbreaker for me.  I'm aware that they weren't nearly as radical as I am, but then hardly anyone is.

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I'm voting for them mainly as a protest vote during the FDP's flirtation with (modern) left-liberalism and cooperation with the SPD, although part of that was over military spending so perhaps I might rethink those votes.

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In EU elections the only position that matters is the position on the EU.  I'm not voting for the communists, so that leaves them as the only option.  If there were someone else besides them, the commies and the Nazis who are Euroskeptic, then I'd vote for them.

[tpfkaw]

The areas that they cooperated with the SPD in; free speech, legalizing unions, repealing the anti-Socialist laws, anti-anti-Semitism etc. are areas that I'd have agreed with the SPD too, so that's hardly a dealbreaker for me.  I'm aware that they weren't nearly as radical as I am, but then hardly anyone is.

[Tepidly raises hand]

Nope.