Politics with scandals. Germany and Britain in transnational perspective (1880-1914)

Abstract

The end of the 19th century saw a lot of spectacular scandals throughout Western Europe. There were revelations of corruption and colonial violence, of adultery and homosexuality, and of abuse of power in politics and the conduct of members of the elite. By analyzing two dozen scandals in Great Britain and Germany, this article asks who initiated these scandals and how they were communicated. Furthermore, it discusses the consequences of different types of scandals. It reveals that it was often not the new popular press but rather politicians who actually initiated scandals. Influenced by the popular press, they chose new forms of communication that changed political culture. Tabloids were less significant in respect to political press than it has been assumed. Moreover, this article shows that scandals shaped norms and influenced political actions. The scandals were an expression of contemporary political culture and were at the same time transforming it.