最近報道されることの多い「優生保護法」という過去の法律。最近問題になっているのは、男女への強制的不妊手術に対する国家賠償責任。私はこの法律が生きていた時は子供でしたので、名前を含めてよく理解できない事柄ばかりでしたが、当時TVニュースなどで言っていたのは、優生保護法が人工的妊娠中絶の根拠法であったということ。報道機関も麻痺していたのでしょう。子供ながらに感じたのは「優性保護」という呼称の持つ尊大さがそもそも理解を超えていたこと。（あるいは当時の大人たち(or NHK)は「優性保護」の意味がわからなかった？）

なぜそんなことがまかり通ったのでしょう？私なりの回答は、厚労省、かつての厚生省ですが、ここは、悪名高き内務省から分離した行政部門であることです。山縣有朋以来の唯我独尊的文化を持って、デモクラシー、労働運動、共産主義を弾圧し、令状なく逮捕監禁し、拷問を加えた特高（特別高等警察）の体質を継承しているから。同様に現代の警視庁も内務省、特高の文化を継承していますので、憲法、法律とは無縁の独自の法解釈、行政を今日でも展開しています。厚生省の発足はたしか1933年です。戦後ではなく戦前に既に独立していました。なにがそれをうながしたのでしょうか。最近私なりに答えを見つけたような気がします。本日の話題はその源流です。（なお、内務省はGHQにより占領初期に解体されました。当然でしょうね。）

さて、本日の話題。先日ある本を読んでいたら驚きの記述がありました。世界最初の福祉国家はドイツだと考えられているそうです。その推進役はオットー・フォン・ビスマルクだそう。私には驚きでしたね。彼は国民の健康は健全な国家、徴兵制の要であると考えて、普通選挙を導入して庶民が政治に参加できるようにした、傷病兵に年金を支給し、死んだ兵士の家族には経済的援助を提供した----大衆の政治参加と福祉国家とは徴兵制というクルマの両輪である、と考えたそう。（『戦争と法』長谷部恭男2020）私がビスマルクに抱くイメージとは相当かけ離れた価値観が見えます。もしかすると彼は漠然と感じられ、知られているよりも、ずっと偉大な政治家なのかも知れません。

私はあまりドイツのことに詳しくありませんので、これ以上この件を知ろうとしてもどのような本を読めば良いのか見当が付きません。こんな時はChatGTPに訊くのが手っ取り早いでしょう。彼の回答を引用します：

Germany is often considered the first welfare state because it was under Chancellor Otto von Bismarck that a comprehensive system of social insurance programs was first introduced. These programs laid the foundation for what we now recognize as the modern welfare state.

Bismarck's Welfare Reforms

During the late 19th century, Bismarck implemented a series of social insurance programs in Germany, which were revolutionary for the time. The main motivations behind these reforms were both political and social. Bismarck sought to stabilize German society and reduce the appeal of socialism by addressing some of the economic grievances of the working class. The idea was to integrate the working class into the state by providing social benefits, thereby weakening the socialist movement.

Key Reforms

  1. Health Insurance (1883): This was the first major piece of welfare legislation. It provided health insurance for workers, which was funded by contributions from both employers and employees.

  2. Accident Insurance (1884): This law provided workers with protection against the consequences of workplace accidents. The program was funded by employers and managed by the state.

  3. Old Age and Disability Insurance (1889): This was one of the first pension schemes in the world, offering financial support to workers who were too old or disabled to continue working. It was also funded by contributions from employers and employees.

Why Germany is Considered the First Welfare State

Germany is considered the first welfare state because these programs represented a new approach to governance, where the state took an active role in ensuring the well-being of its citizens. Bismarck’s policies introduced the concept that the government should protect its citizens against certain economic risks, which was a significant departure from previous laissez-faire attitudes.

These reforms became a model for other countries, and many of the principles behind them—such as state-supported healthcare, unemployment benefits, and pensions—became standard components of welfare states around the world.

Conclusion

Yes, the creation of the welfare state in Germany was achieved while Otto von Bismarck was Chancellor. His pragmatic approach to social policy, motivated by a desire to maintain political stability and social order, led to the development of the first modern welfare state.


なるほど。では、彼の後に続くナチズムは、これを破壊する方向に作用したのでしょうか。


The Nazi regime in Germany did not entirely destroy the welfare state programs established under Otto von Bismarck, nor did it enhance them in a way that would be consistent with the original intentions of social welfare. Instead, the Nazis manipulated and repurposed these programs to serve their ideological and political goals, while also expanding some aspects of welfare selectively.

The Welfare State Under Nazism

  1. Ideological Manipulation: The Nazi regime reshaped welfare programs to align with its racist and totalitarian ideology. Social welfare became less about universal care and more about promoting the health and welfare of the "racially pure" Aryan population. Welfare programs were infused with propaganda, emphasizing the well-being of the "Volksgemeinschaft" (people's community) while excluding Jews, disabled individuals, and others deemed "undesirable."

  2. Expansion of Certain Programs: The Nazis did expand certain welfare provisions, particularly those related to family support and health care for "Aryan" families. Programs like the "Mother and Child" assistance program were designed to increase birth rates among "racially pure" Germans. The regime also promoted public health initiatives, though these were often tied to eugenic policies, such as forced sterilizations.

  3. Selective Welfare: The welfare state under Nazism was not dismantled, but it was selectively applied. The programs were restructured to exclude large segments of the population based on race, political affiliation, and physical or mental health. Welfare became a tool for social control, rewarding those who conformed to Nazi ideals and punishing those who did not.

Post-1945 Reconstruction of the Welfare State

After Germany's defeat in 1945, the welfare state was not rebuilt from scratch but underwent significant reform and restructuring.

  1. Denazification and Reforms: In the immediate post-war period, the Allied occupation forces initiated a process of denazification, which included dismantling the Nazi influence on existing institutions, including welfare programs. The goal was to remove Nazi ideology and reestablish democratic principles in all areas of governance.

  2. West Germany (Federal Republic of Germany): In West Germany, the welfare state was rebuilt and expanded in the post-war period, especially during the economic miracle (Wirtschaftswunder) of the 1950s and 1960s. The new welfare state was based on principles of social market economy (Soziale Marktwirtschaft), combining economic liberalism with social welfare protections. Programs such as pensions, unemployment benefits, health insurance, and family allowances were reinstated and expanded.

  3. East Germany (German Democratic Republic): In East Germany, the welfare state took on a different character under communist rule. The government provided extensive social services, but these were closely tied to state control and the command economy. Welfare programs were universal, but they were also a means of ensuring political loyalty and suppressing dissent.

Conclusion

The Nazi regime did not destroy the welfare state but instead twisted it to serve its racist and totalitarian goals. After World War II, Germany did not start entirely from scratch but reformed and expanded the welfare state, particularly in West Germany, as part of the broader reconstruction and democratization efforts. Unquote.

ビスマルクは、大酒のみのガサツな大男のような印象でしたが、Chattieのコメントを読んで、彼の本来の持ち場であった外交面での活躍よりも、しっかりと庶民の方向を向いた、国家の大計をにらんだ、大物政治家であったというような印象を持ちました。もしこれが妥当な評価だとしても、続く２０世の前半のヒトラーのナチズムはおそらくそれをかなりぶち壊したのですね。歴史とは一筋では進まず跛行（はこう）するものなのかも知れません。