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[[Image:Windhorstdenkmal Meppen.jpg|thumb|upright|Memoriale alla scuola di [[Meppen]].]]
Alla morte di [[Hermann von Mallinckrodt]] (1821–1874), Windthorst divenne leader del partito, carica che ricoprì fino alla morte. Sotto la sua guida, a dispetto dei dissidi col governo prussiano, il movimento crebbe considerevolmente, ampliando la sua base di consenso. In veste di leader centrista, entrò presto in contrasto col cancelliere Bismarck, che personalmente attuò una campagna diffamatoria contro la sua persona, tentando di emarginarlo dal suo stesso partito. Dal canto suo, Windthorst fu tra i più aspri critici delle politiche bismarckiane., Thespecie changenel ofperiodo policydel in[[Kulturkampf]]. 1879Il ledcambio todella apolitica greatdel alterationcancelliere, innel his1879, position:fece hemutare wasradicalmente reconciledla tosituazione: BismarckWindthorst andsi evenriconciliò sometimes attended receptions atcon Bismarck's house.e Never,fu however,sovente was his position so difficult as during the negotiations which led toospite a repealcasa of the [[Kulturkampf|May laws]]sua.
Dinnanzi alla crescita nell'opinione pubblica del sentimento [[antisemitismo|anti-giudaico]], si schierò apertamente in favore degli [[Popolo ebraico|ebrei]] ed espulse dal suo partito tutti gli antisemiti.
On the background of rising [[anti-Semitism]], he stood up for the [[Jew]]s and enforced the expulsion of anti-Semitic members from the Center Party.
InNel 1887, Bismarck appealedchiese to thea [[Popepapa Leone XIII]] todi useusare hisla authoritysua toautorità orderper theconvincereil CenterCentro toa supportsupportare theil militarysuo proposalsprogramma of the governmentmilitare. Windthorst tooksi theprese responsibilityla ofresponsabilità keepingdi thetenere papalil instructionsresto secretdel frompartito the rest of hisall'oscuro partydi andciò ofe disobeyingdisobbedì thealle instructionsistruzioni. In un'assemblea a great meeting at [[CologneColonia]] innel Marchmarzo 1887, hedifese defendedla andsua justifiedazione hise action,proclamò andl'autonomia claimeddecisionale fordel the Center full independence of actionpartito in allambiti purelyprettamente political questionspolitici. InSuccessivamente thesupportò socialBismarck reform,nella hesua supportedriforma Bismarcksociale, ande as thein undisputedquanto leader ofdel thepartito largestmaggioritario party in thedel [[Reichstag (German Empire)|Reichstag]], hecontinuò wasad ableinfluenzare tol'attività exercisedel influencegoverno overanche thedopo actionl'uscita ofdi thescena government afterdi Bismarck's retirement. HisFu relationsin withbuone therelazioni emperorcon l'imperatore [[WilhelmGuglielmo II ofdi GermanyGermania|WilliamGuglielmo II]] became very cordiale, and innel 1891, hecon achievedil arespingimento greatin parliamentaryParlamento triumphdella byriforma defeatingscolastica, thespinse Schoolalle billdimissioni andil compellingcancelliere [[Heinrich von Gossler|Gossler]]. toQuesto resign.fu Ail fewsuo daysultimo afterwardssuccesso hepolitico: diedpochi giorni dopo, onil [[14 Marchmarzo]] [[1891]], atmorì a BerlinBerlino.
HeFu wassepolto buried in thenella [[Marienkirche]] indi Hanover[[Hannover]],che whichera hadstata beeneretta erectedcol fromdenaro theversato moneyin subscribeduna assottoscrizione apubblica testimonialin tosua himmemoria. HisAl funeralsuo wasfunerale apartecipò mostil remarkable''gotha'' displaydell'aristocrazia ofe public esteem, in which nearly all the ruling princes ofdell'alta Germanysocietà joinedtedesca, and was a strikingriprova signdel ofsuo thealtissimo positionprofilo tocome which,uomo afterpolitico. twentyWindthorst yearsfu ofuno incessantdei struggle,più hegrandi haded raisedillustri hisleader party.politici Windthorst was undoubtedly one of the greatest of Germantedeschi parliamentarydi leaderssempre: no one equalled him in his readiness as a debater—his defective eyesight compelling him to depend entirely upon his memory. It was his misfortune that nearly all his life was spent in opposition, and he had no opportunity of showing his abilities as an administrator. He enjoyed unbounded popularity and confidence among the German Catholics, but he was in no way an ecclesiastic: he was at first opposed to the [[FirstConcilio VaticanVaticano CouncilI|Vatican decrees of 1870]], but quickly accepted them after they had been proclaimed. He was a very agreeable companion and a thorough man of the world, singularly free from arrogance and pomposity—owing to his small stature, he was often known as "die kleine Excellenz". He married in 1839: of his three children, two died before him; his wife survived him only a few months.
Windthorst's ''Ausgewählte Reden'' were published in three volumes (Osnabrück, 1901–1902).
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