Imperial Germany allows mass immigration of skilled workers

Discussions on alternate history, including events up to 20 years before today. Hosted by Terry Duncan.
Post Reply
Futurist
Member
Posts: 3642
Joined: 24 Dec 2015, 01:02
Location: SoCal

Imperial Germany allows mass immigration of skilled workers

#1

Post by Futurist » 13 Jan 2019, 05:33

What if Imperial Germany would have implemented an immigration policy which would have allowed skilled workers (in other words, high-IQ workers) to immigrate to Germany en masse?

The logic behind such an immigration policy would be to help Germany's population (something which would certainly be beneficial for Germany as it faces an increasingly powerful Russia next door) increase but also to reduce the risk of immigrants taking jobs away from Germans. If the immigrants to Germany will be skilled/high-IQ, then they will probably be more likely to create their own businesses and thus to create additional jobs for Germans.

Basically, I am thinking of a German immigration policy similar to the one that Canada and Australia have today--with one major exception. Specifically, due to the different values of the times, Germany's immigration policy is only going to accept Christians and Jews and not people of other religions. I strongly doubt that Germans would have been willing to accept a massive numbers of immigrants who are neither Christian nor Jewish in the late 19th and early 20th centuries--and even accepting a lot of Jews is going to be something which the German leadership is actually going to need to get its people to accept.

Anyway, any thoughts on this?

Also, just how much larger is Germany's population going to be in this scenario? In addition to this, what about if the World Wars never occur in this scenario?

Futurist
Member
Posts: 3642
Joined: 24 Dec 2015, 01:02
Location: SoCal

Re: Imperial Germany allows mass immigration of skilled workers

#2

Post by Futurist » 13 Jan 2019, 05:34

For the record, I was also thinking of the German government actively recruiting smart individuals in other countries and giving them scholarships to study in Germany as well as a pathway to acquiring German citizenship. :)


maltesefalcon
Member
Posts: 2047
Joined: 03 Sep 2003, 19:15
Location: Canada

Re: Imperial Germany allows mass immigration of skilled workers

#3

Post by maltesefalcon » 13 Jan 2019, 06:56

Do you have any data whatsoever on how many skilled workers applied IRL and were rejected? What exactly was the immigration policy vis a vis long lines of potential new citizens?

Futurist
Member
Posts: 3642
Joined: 24 Dec 2015, 01:02
Location: SoCal

Re: Imperial Germany allows mass immigration of skilled workers

#4

Post by Futurist » 13 Jan 2019, 06:58

maltesefalcon wrote:
13 Jan 2019, 06:56
Do you have any data whatsoever on how many skilled workers applied IRL and were rejected? What exactly was the immigration policy vis a vis long lines of potential new citizens?
Unfortunately, I don't have such data. Indeed, I would love to see such data as well.

I do have this map to explain why I think that Germany is likely to be an attractive destination for immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to move to, though:

Image

Futurist
Member
Posts: 3642
Joined: 24 Dec 2015, 01:02
Location: SoCal

Re: Imperial Germany allows mass immigration of skilled workers

#5

Post by Futurist » 13 Jan 2019, 07:01

Also, you can read about the Ostflucht:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostflucht

More than two million Germans moved out of Germany's eastern provinces. I'm presuming that many of these people ended up in the western parts of Germany--including some Poles. This is why there is a visible Polish presence east of Dortmund on this ethnic/linguistic map of Germany in 1900:

Image

South
Member
Posts: 3590
Joined: 06 Sep 2007, 10:01
Location: USA

Re: Imperial Germany allows mass immigration of skilled workers

#6

Post by South » 13 Jan 2019, 09:10

Good morning Futurist / Alvin,

Re: "Any thoughts on this?";

How does Imperial Germany - or any nation-state - circa 1871 -1918, have its leadership ......Please list some actual examples ...... do to accept "a lot of Jews..."? Can the industrialist, and later Foreign Minister Walter Rathenau, serve as an inspiration for would-be immigrants ?

"skilled workers", "high - IQ workers" and "smart individuals" are not synonymous terms.

The accompanying GDP map does not assist in clarifying much re the posed question. Russia and the Ottoman Empire are featured in the low GDP category. Yet, these 2 countries' - skilled workers - fared much better than the unskilled in the purple country and the 2 blue countries.

In 1871, if you're a skilled artisan or a professional, eg a dentist ... think of Joseph Trumpeldor, DDS, a Russian dentist; lost arm in Ru-Ja War of 04-05 or of our Doc Holiday, DDS of Georgia and later of "out West". US Senator Barry Goldwater's grandfather settled in the Arizona Territory (still being basically the Gadsden Purchase area) and not in German areas when moving from his original home in Polish lands.

Moving to a new nation that had just fought a war against a Great Power ... How are armies raised ? Are immigrants eligible for conscription ? Are there other opportunities ? ... After America's Civil War, many Europeans moved to the US to settle in the new areas opening up because of the new railroads and land-grant colleges. Many of the US cities had streets paved with gold cobblestones. Dorothy of the Wizard of Oz walked on a precious metal road and her slippers were (originally) ruby red. The symbolism is present.

Some acid tests:

Who would move to Singapore in the first 3 years of its existence? to Bangladesh in its first 3 years of its existence ? to the United Arab Emirates - it started in 1972 - ?

Horace Greeley said it best: "Go West, young man, go West". He stayed in New York City and became a millionaire.

A foot note placed here before I sign off with a FRENCH DuPont Chinese lacquer fountain pen;

Barry Goldwater's grandfather emigrated from Poland to the Arizona Territory and the story says this later to be rich immigrant arrived with only the clothing he was wearing and the knapsack on his back. Some young guy studying for his PhD in history did research for his dissertation on what was in the knapsack; a half a million gold Prussian Marks.

~ Bob
eastern Virginia, USA

User avatar
wm
Member
Posts: 8753
Joined: 29 Dec 2006, 21:11
Location: Poland

Re: Imperial Germany allows mass immigration of skilled workers

#7

Post by wm » 13 Jan 2019, 13:22

As far as I know, there were no meaningful restrictions, if you wanted to live and work in Germany you could for as long you wanted.
Till 1938, tens of thousands of Polish Jews lived and ran their businesses in Nazi Germany.
Citizenship requirements weren't especially onerous either.

maltesefalcon
Member
Posts: 2047
Joined: 03 Sep 2003, 19:15
Location: Canada

Re: Imperial Germany allows mass immigration of skilled workers

#8

Post by maltesefalcon » 13 Jan 2019, 16:52

Futurist wrote:
13 Jan 2019, 06:58
maltesefalcon wrote:
13 Jan 2019, 06:56
Do you have any data whatsoever on how many skilled workers applied IRL and were rejected? What exactly was the immigration policy vis a vis long lines of potential new citizens?
Unfortunately, I don't have such data. Indeed, I would love to see such data as well.

I do have this map to explain why I think that Germany is likely to be an attractive destination for immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to move to, though:

Image
You have no empirical data to show any evidence of any skilled people being turned away nor any citations of official policy concerning same.

So there is no way to postulate what would occur if said (possibly non-existant) policy were reversed because you have no way to quantify the effects of either the IRL situation or the effects of its reversal.

Yet another of your stream of conciousness musings I guess, which is not improving the quality of discussion on this sub-forum.

Post Reply

Return to “What if”