| Country: | German Empire |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Previous Election: | 1868 Zollparlament election |
| Previous Year: | 1868 |
| 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%) |
| 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: | 13 |
| Popular Vote1: | |
| Percentage1: | 28.97% |
| Swing1: | 5.69pp |
| Leader2: | Hermann von Mallinckrodt |
| Party2: | Centre Party (Germany) |
| Leader Since2: | 1870 |
| Last Election2: | Did not exist |
| Seats2: | 58 |
| Seat Change2: | New party |
| Percentage2: | 18.21% |
| Swing2: | New party |
| Party3: | Conservative Party (Prussia) |
| Last Election3: | 14.82%, 65 seats |
| Seats3: | 56 |
| Seat Change3: | 9 |
| Percentage3: | 13.51% |
| Swing3: | 1.31pp |
| Party4: | German Progress Party |
| Last Election4: | 8.75%, 31 seats |
| Seats4: | 45 |
| Seat Change4: | 14 |
| Percentage4: | 9.04% |
| Swing4: | 0.29pp |
| Image5: | Victor Herzog von Ratibor (cropped).jpg |
| Leader5: | Viktor I, Duke of Ratibor |
| Party5: | Free Conservative Party |
| Last Election5: | 6.67%, 37 seats |
| Seats5: | 37 |
| Seat Change5: | 0 |
| Percentage5: | 8.83% |
| Swing5: | 2.16pp |
| 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 |
| Percentage6: | 7.05% |
| Swing6: | New party |
| Map Size: | 390px |
| 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 |
The first federal elections were held in Germany on 3 March 1871.[1] The National Liberal Party emerged as the largest party in the Reichstag, with 117 of the 382 seats.[2] Voter turnout was just 51.0%.