1871 German federal election
{{Short description|none}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox election
| country = German Empire
| type = parliamentary
| previous_election = 1868 Zollparlament election
| previous_year = 1868
| election_date = {{Start date|df=yes|1871|03|03}}
| next_election = 1874 German federal election
| next_year = 1874
| seats_for_election = All 382 seats in the Reichstag
| majority_seats = 192
| registered = 7,656,283
| turnout = 3,905,531 (51.01%)
| image_size = 130x130px
| image1 = Rudolf_von_Bennigsen.jpg
| leader1 = Rudolf von Bennigsen
| party1 = National Liberal Party (Germany)
| leader_since1 = 1867
| last_election1 = 23.28%, 104 seats
| seats1 = 117
| seat_change1 = {{increase}} 13
| popular_vote1 = {{formatnum:1125942}}
| percentage1 = 28.97%
| swing1 = {{increase}} 5.69 pp
| image2 = Hermann von Mallinckrodt.jpg
| leader2 = Hermann von Mallinckrodt
| party2 = Centre Party (Germany)
| leader_since2 = 1870
| last_election2 = Did not exist
| seats2 = 58
| seat_change2 = New party
| popular_vote2 = {{formatnum:707896}}
| percentage2 = 18.21%
| swing2 = New party
| image3 = {{eppt|Conservative Party (Prussia)|height=130|width=95}}
| leader3 =
| party3 = Conservative Party (Prussia)
| leader_since3 =
| last_election3 = 14.82%, 65 seats
| seats3 = 56
| seat_change3 = {{decrease}} 9
| popular_vote3 = {{formatnum:524881}}
| percentage3 = 13.51%
| swing3 = {{decrease}} 1.31 pp
| image4 = {{eppt|German Progress Party|height=130|width=95}}
| leader4 =
| party4 = German Progress Party
| leader_since4 =
| last_election4 = 8.75%, 31 seats
| seats4 = 45
| seat_change4 = {{increase}} 14
| popular_vote4 = {{formatnum:351209}}
| percentage4 = 9.04%
| swing4 = {{increase}} 0.29 pp
| image5 = Victor Herzog von Ratibor (cropped).jpg
| leader5 = Viktor I, Duke of Ratibor
| party5 = Free Conservative Party
| leader_since5 =
| last_election5 = 6.67%, 37 seats
| seats5 = 37
| seat_change5 = {{steady}} 0
| popular_vote5 = {{formatnum:343098}}
| percentage5 = 8.83%
| swing5 = {{increase}} 2.16 pp
| image6 = Hohenlohe-schillingsf%C3%BCrst1867.jpg
| leader6 = Chlodwig Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst
| party6 = Imperial Liberal Party
| leader_since6 = 1871
| last_election6 = Did not exist
| seats6 = 33
| seat_change6 = New party
| popular_vote6 = {{formatnum:274068}}
| percentage6 = 7.05%
| swing6 = New party
| map_image = File:Karte der Reichstagswahlen 1871.svg
| map_size = 390px
| map_caption = Map of results (by constituencies)
| title = President of the Zollparlament
| before_election = Eduard von Simson
| before_party = Independent politician
| posttitle = President of the Reichstag after election
| after_election = Eduard von Simson
| after_party = Independent politician
}}{{Politics of Germany}}
The first federal elections were held in Germany on 3 March 1871.Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p762 {{ISBN|978-3-8329-5609-7}} The National Liberal Party emerged as the largest party in the Reichstag, with 117 of the 382 seats.Nohlen & Stöver, p788 Voter turnout was just 51%.
Results
{{Election results
|image={{Parliament diagram |background=#F8F9FA
|n1 = 1 | p1 = Social Democratic Party of Germany
|n2 = 1 | p2 = German People's Party (1868)
|n3 = 45 | p3 = German Progress Party
|n4 = 7 | p4 = Independent Liberals |c4 = #EEDC82
|n5 = 2 | p5 = Old Liberals |c5 = #008000
|n6 = 1 | p6 = Danish Party |b6 = #FFA54F
|n7 = 13 | p7 = Polish Party |b7 = #FFA54F
|n8 = 0 | p8 = Alsace-Lorraine Party |b8 = #FFA54F
|n9 = 117 | p9 = National Liberal Party (Germany)
|n10 = 33 | p10 = Imperial Liberal Party
|n11 = 3 | p11 = Clericals |c11 = #696969
|n12 = 58 | p12 = Centre Party (Germany)
|n13 = 7 | p13 = German-Hanoverian Party
|n14 = 37 | p14 = German Reich Party
|n15 = 1 | p15 = Independent Conservatives |c15 = #007FFF
|n16 = 56 | p16 = Conservative Party (Prussia)
}}
|party1 = National Liberal Party
|votes1 = 1125942
|seats1 = 117
| sw1 = +5.69
| sc1 = +13
|party2 = Centre Party
|votes2 = 707896
|seats2 = 58
| sw2 = New
| sc2 = New
|party3 = Conservative Party
|votes3 = 524881
|seats3 = 56
| sw3 = −1.31
| sc3 = −9
|party4 = German Progress Party
|votes4 = 351209
|seats4 = 45
| sw4 = +0.29
| sc4 = +14
|party5 = German Reich Party
|votes5 = 343098
|seats5 = 37
| sw5 = +2.16
| sc5 = 0
|party6 = Imperial Liberal Party
|votes6 = 274068
|seats6 = 33
| sw6 = New
| sc6 = New
|party7 = Polish Party
|votes7 = 176342
|seats7 = 13
| sw7 = −0.52
| sc7 = +2
|party8 = Independent Liberals
|color8 = #EEDC82
|votes8 = 74903
|seats8 = 5
| sw8 = −9.05
| sc8 = −27
|party9 = German-Hanoverian Party
|votes9 = 73470
|seats9 = 7
| sw9 = +1.01
| sc9 = +3
|party10 = General German Workers' Association
|color10 = {{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}
|votes10 = 56117
|seats10 = 0
| sw10 = −0.27
| sc10 = −2
|party11 = Social Democratic Workers' Party
|votes11 = 41040
|seats11 = 1
| sw11 = −0.19
| sc11 = −1
|party12 = German People's Party
|votes12 = 29595
|seats12 = 1
| sw12 = −1.23
| sc12 = −7
|party13 = Old Liberals
|color13 = #008000
|votes13 = 24900
|seats13 = 2
| sw13 = −2.79
| sc13 = −16
|party14 = Danish Party
|votes14 = 21143
|seats14 = 1
| sw14 = −0.23
| sc14 = 0
|party15 = Clericals
|color15 = {{party color|Centre Party (Germany)}}
|votes15 = 15329
|seats15 = 3
| sw15 = −9.21
| sc15 = −33
|party16 = Independent conservatives
|color16 = #007FFF
|votes16 = 14805
|seats16 = 1
| sw16 = −9.64
| sc16 = +1
|party17 = Schleswig-Holstein Particularist Liberals
|color17 = #EEDC82
|votes17 = 6968
|seats17 = 2
| sw17 = −1.03
| sc17 = −6
|party18 = Lassallean General German Workers' Association
|color18 = {{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}
|votes18 = 4770
|seats18 = 0
| sw18 = −0.02
| sc18 = −1
|party19 = Saxon Particularist Conservatives
|color19 = #007FFF
|votes19 = 1549
|seats19 = 0
| sw19 = −0.06
| sc19 = 0
|party20 = Others
|votes20 = 17596
|seats20 = 0
| sw20 = −0.84
| sc20 = 0
|party21 = Unknown
|votes21 = 894
|seats21 = 0
| sw21 = −0.07
| sc21 = 0
|invalid = 19016
|total_sc = +85
|electorate = 7656283
|source=Wahlen in Deutschland{{Cite web|url=https://wahlen-in-deutschland.de/krtw.htm|title=Reichstag 1867-1918|website=Wahlen in Deutschland}}
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{German elections}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Federal elections in Germany
Category:1871 elections in Germany