Kaiser Wilhelm II - Emperor of Germany - Essay Example

Kaiser Wilhelm II Kaiser Wilhelm II was an emperor of Germany. He is one of the most divisive men to have existed in the in Europe in the first decade of the 20th century. Some of intellectual linked Wilhelm II with the emergence of World War I. This was due to his endorsement of the Austrians going to war when a Serb assassinated Franz Duke Ferdinand (Imperial War Museums 1). Kaiser Wilhelm II’s accession to power in Germany had a profound impact in Germany and the rest of Europe. The impact was experienced in the last quarter of 19th century to the rest of the 20th century. The period between 1888 and 1914 saw rapid growth of Germany as an economic and military dominance. On the other hand, Europe was largely divided into different opposing camps due to the suspicion arising from allies that were formed during this period. The mistrust culminated into the World War 1, where Germany experienced the worst defeat in the century. Consequently, there was the abolishment of German monarchical rule, and all this was blamed on Wilhelm’s actions and character (Imperial War Museums 1). Additionally, the miscalculated judgments by Wilhelm led to the dismissal of Bismarck in 1890. Moreover, Wilhelm II disrupted the political system that had existed in Europe (Imperial War Museums 1). This was largely seen through strained relationship that existed between Germany and Britain. In addition, as Germany engaged in supporting the Boers against Britain, this hastened the development of strong ties between France and Britain to the detriment of Germany (Imperial War Museums 1). This also increased isolation of Germany to the rest of Europe. The other essential thing to note is Wilhelm’s support of Austria-Hungary against Serbia. This opened doors for strenuous relations between various allies in Europe. This was detrimental to Germany and Europe and was utterly opposite of the situation in the last quarter of 19th century. This paper seeks to assess the impact upon Germany and Europe, between the years 1888 and 1914, of Kaiser Wilhelm 11’s accession to power in Germany. Several events took place in Germany from 1888 to 1914. The significant events took place after Kaiser Wilhelm II accession to power in Germany in 1888 (Mommsen 292-297). He adopted different form of governing for over two decades before the beginning of the First World War. The form of governance was different as compared to the one practiced by Bismarck. The governance was more liberal and compared to the conservative nature adopted by Bismarck. He engaged in aggressive and expansionist political course entirely in the name of maintaining Germany position in Europe. All these far-reaching policies acted as a recipe to war in 1914. This was because the policies adopted by Wilhelm II destabilized the relative peace that Bismarck had managed to restore. However, the foreign policy remained the same throughout this period as what was envisioned in the unification of Germany. Moreover, there was the adoption of a German constitution in this period that envisaged the militaristic foundation of the new empire. The constitution gave all sections of the government real political power. The sections included the Bundesrat, the Reichstag, Prussian cabinet and the military establishment. The election of the Reichstag was by all males over the age of 24 (Imperial War Museums 1). This gave Germany a law making body that had similar democratic principles to the rest of Europe. However, all the different factions of the government were under Wilhelm II. As a result, Wilhelm had enormous political power and this was instrumental to the institutionalization of ‘personal rule’ as envisioned in his dreams (Imperial War Museums 1). Secondly, Wilhelm made a political decision that was not expected by many in Germany at this period. He forced Bismarck to resign in 1890. This was seen as resulting from variation in political ideologies. This was because Bismarck was conservative as compared to Wilhelm 11 liberal approach. This provided leeway for Wilhelm to implement policies that he felt was appropriate for the nation. Such action included naval armament and a colonial empire expansion for Germany (Eley 472). This helped in uplifting Germany position, in Europe and the rest of the world. However, these policies appeared to conflict with the interest of Germany neighbors and led to severe of ties that had originally been established by Bismarck (Cecil 859). This led to advance of new partnership different from the one established by Bismarck. An alliance was formed between France and Russia, and Germany was left in a precarious situation as the threat of war was now from two fronts (Cecil 860). The only ally to Germany was Austro-Hungarian Empire that influence was diminishing in the region. This led Germany into more troubles as it heightened the conflict with Russia due to the threat the alliance posed to the Balkan region (Cecil 860-861). The attempts of Wilhelm II to put Germany on the European stage through militarism and increased colonial empire expansion placed Germany in a continued conflict with other European powers. Moreover, the crisis that Germany was facing further escalated to the 20th century. The crisis was heightened by Germany provision of a fake assistance to Austria-Hungary upon the assassination of Austrian archduke Franz Ferdinand (Imperial War Museums 1). Germany encouraged the outbreak of war, as opposed to the mediation process between rival sides. In fact, Wilhelm II addressed public gathering in favor of war against the Serbs. This was cemented by a passing of legislation in support of war by the Reichstag with subsequent dissolution leaving authority to Wilhelm and the military establishment. The increasing pressure forced Austria-Hungary to declare war against Russia, and this became a European affair and hence European war (Imperial War Museums 1). This portrays Wilhelm responsibility to the outbreak of war in 1914. On the other hand, some of the policies adopted by Wilhelm 11 were not consistent during the tenure. For example, he noted that Great Britain and Germany were friends, but forced Britain to form an alliance with France and Russia (Adolf 1). Moreover, he encouraged relationship with Russia and even gave support in East Asia but supported Austria in the Balkans region (Adolf 1). He did this in the hope that the Triple Alliance was critical in stopping the war. However, due to the imperialistic policies, the war was inevitable. On the other hand, he managed to bring some order in Germany by stopping the progress of the Social Democratic party. Moreover, a rapid success in the naval expansion was experienced, and this resulted to fueling of the international fire across the neighbors. This helped to maintain stable industrial growth up until the beginning of the war. Moreover, after the dismissal of Bismarck, Wilhelm made additional changes to the policies. These policies were geared towards foreign politics will less concentration on the domestic scene. This was possible as Chancellor Leo von Caprivi assisted Wilhelm (Troschitz 6-10). Both of them agitated for a more liberal policy by doing away with the anti-socialist laws and by bringing down the protective tariffs. However, this was for a short time as the conservative gained an upper hand after removal from office of Caprivi in 1894 (Troschitz 6-10). This enraged Wilhelm II as there was dwindling support on policies being implemented by regime. He further engaged in ensuring there was a reduction of power held by the Reichstag. Wilhelm’s accession to power had a profound impact on Germany and Europe. This period saw a rise in German population at a rate never experienced in the previous regimes. Secondly, there was growth of industries, and burgeoning of arts. However, economic growth experienced at this period led to increased capital labor strife. Moreover, there were also some shifting changes across Europe after Wilhelm II ascent to power. The main changes were seen through the shifting of alliances across Europe. This was seen as the new regime failed to revive a treaty with Russia in 1890. The regime felt that the renewing of the treaty would contradict some clauses of the Austro-German alliance. Consequently, Russians opted to form an alliance with France, and this was completed in 1894 (Troschitz 13). As a result, the nations that bordered Germany in Europe formed a strong ally. This posed difficulties to Germany due to the threat of war from the two fronts. The alliance prompted France to fund the industrialization process in Russia. In fact, the differing political system between France and German did not deter the philanthropic process adopted by France. This reduced the chances of Germany forming an alliance with Russia. On the other hand, the shifting of alliance left Germany with challenges in Europe. This was due to difficulties faced in finding a suitable replacement of Russia in the alliance. The administration approached Britain, but Britain was reluctant to join as it thought that this would present a threat to its interest in various parts of the world. Still, there was hope to Germany, because, at the end of 1890’s, some British diplomats revived the chance of there being an alliance between the two nations. However, this did not materialize as the British was reluctant to commit itself as required by the Germans. This alliance was seen to attract more enemies than friends as the two countries were fierce trade rivals. The Germans also made this difficult, as they wanted to be acknowledged as an equal partner by the British Empire in the world and colonial politics (Troschitz 9). This made Britain renegade in the formation of an alliance. This prompted conservative Germans to brand Britain reputation as stained by commercial self-indulgence. This reduced the chances of the two countries coming into terms with their main overseas rivals: France and Russia. This meant that, at the turn of the 20th century, Germany was still in alignment with only Austria-Hungary and Italy in what was known as the Triple Alliance. This meant that the alliance was only in opposition to the Russian-French alliance, and this helped Europe to maintain a stable balance of power. Additionally, Germany changed its foreign policies towards the end of the 19th century. These were meant to make Germany competitive in terms of empire acquisition, as was the case in France and Britain. Wilhelm II believed that Germany deserved to get a place in the world, as was the case to other European nations in what was known as ‘Weltpolitik’ (Troschitz 11). Consequently, nationalism in Germany was based on importance. This prompted the appointment of two ministers by Wilhelm II that represented a new quality of foreign politics (Troschitz 10-11). These were Bernhard von Bulow and Alfred Tirpitz. Tirpitz engaged in infrastructural development, and this helped Germany to occupy a place as a vital sea power. On the other hand, Wilhelm and Bulow geared Germany towards a different foreign politics attitude. As a result, it infuriated foreigners who perceived such policies as aggressive and insensitive to their plea. This was detrimental to Germany diplomacy in Europe. Moreover, Britain considered the development plan under Tirpitz as a threat to own identity in Europe and the rest of the world. Britain then counteracted this by further expansion of own fleet. In fact, the conservative newspaper in Britain demanded that Britain had to utilize its fleet if Germany was to engage in the construction of warships (Troschitz 12-13). This heightened suspicion in Europe especially between Germany and Britain and this dominated the rest of the 20th century. Moreover, the nationalistic policies adopted by Wilhelm II led to severed relationship between Britain and Germany. This was because Wilhelm II was forced to choose between his British family and his Germany nationalism (Bartone 30). Wilhelm opted to be a nationalist rather than being friendly to Britain. This policy had a direct effect on the interaction between the two countries. In fact, by the time Edward was taking the throne, Wilhelm had already begun severing relationship with Britain. The king further pushed this through his own policies based on his fear for Germany as well as the dislike of Wilhelm II (Bartone 31). The revolution in naval affairs also had a far-reaching consequence in Germany and Europe. The revolution began after the dismissal of Bismarck by the Kaiser regime. This helped in the Germany abandonment of the Reinsurance Treaty with Russia (Bartone 31). The naval revolution led to other countries of Europe such as Britain, France, and Russia engaging in the armament programs. These countries believed that this was crucial in maintaining their stature in Europe through colonial expansion. Moreover, these countries believed that a country that could not be able to defend itself was vulnerable to loosing sovereignty. Additionally, Wilhelm ii ascent to power led to increased competition for colonies in Europe. Various agreements were signed recognizing borders in the colonial empire between warring factions. For example, Britain and Germany made territorial concessions and recognized the borders of each other’s African colonies (Bartone 32). However, Wilhelm was cautious and viewed this as a temporary thing that could lead to an Anglo-German alliance. Moreover, at the turn of the 20th century, Wilhelm II became more popular among the European nations. This was due to his stance on the Boer war while the rest of European powers were not able to challenge Britain. However, this would not last long as upon the ascent of King Edward VII to throne as he continuously engaged in reviving Britain stand in the world (Bartone 35). This also led to improved relation and bilateral talks between Great Britain and Japan with eventual signing of the treaty. In this treaty, each country pledged to offer support in case there was an outbreak of war with two or more powers (Bartone 36). The area of concern to Britain was the defense of India, in which Britain felt was vulnerable to attack from Russia. Furthermore, Edward visited France to bolster friendlier relations, and this was meant to show Wilhelm II that he was driving Britain foreign agenda. As a result, a colonial treaty was signed between Britain and France known as “Entente Cordiale” (Bartone 36). This treaty recognized the two countries sphere of influence in Africa and the Middle East. This removed any potential conflict that would arise. On the other hand, the treaty limited further German colonial expansion in Africa. Further, Wilhelm ascent to power led to reigniting of anti-Semitism. This was adopted as a popular call in Germany and was reflected in the subsequent regimes. This led to extermination of Jews in Europe (Rohl 1). This was due to the rise of the German monarchical ideology, which became prevalent in the 1900’s. This was due to liberal and social democracy that transformed both local and foreign ideologies. This was the root of both Anglophobia and anti-Semitism in Europe especially after the end of the First World War (Rohl 1). The real monarch had a far-reaching political and social implication in Europe. In conclusion, it is clear that Kaiser Wilhelm ii accession to power in Germany between the years 1888 and 1914 transformed not only Germany but also the rest of Europe. In fact, the impact also spread to the first half of the 20th century. Initially, once he took over power, Germany experienced various forms of economic reforms. This helped Germany to maintain a place among the superpowers of Europe. Moreover, Germany was able to develop in terms of infrastructure and military strength, and hence it gained bargaining powers in Europe. However, this was only short-lived as Wilhelm II led to serious divisions in Europe. In fact, Wilhelm II led to serious division in Europe where different allies existed based on suspicion. On the other hand, Wilhelm II diplomatic skills were weak, and this led to the outbreak of the turmoil and eventual decline of authority. Wilhelm, on the other hand, disrupted the political order that had existed in Europe. This occurred as he dismissed Bismarck, and adopted a different foreign policy ideology, which left some of its allies. This was seen as King Edward isolated Germany in the turn of the 20th century. This further weakened Germany chance of scrambling for more colonies in Africa and some parts of Europe. In addition, Wilhelm II engaged in armament programs after the passage of the statute by the Reichstag. This was treated with suspicion by the rest of Europe. Consequently, the rest of Europe began the armament programs to protect and maintain their sovereignty. This armament program led to escalation of war in Europe in the first half of the 20th century. Moreover, it is also clear that Kaiser Wilhelm II was instrumental to sentiments against Jews in Egypt before it was taken over by the Nazi regime. Finally, Kaiser Wilhelm II transformed political, social, and economic ideology in Germany and the rest of Europe. Works Cited Adolf, Gustav. “The German Empire.” Allempires.com. Web 11 October 2013. Bartone, Christopher. “Royal Pains: Wilhelm II, Edward Vii, and Anglo-German Relations, 1888-1910.” Web 12 October 2013. < https://etd.ohiolink.edu/ap:0:0:APPLICATION_PROCESS=DOWNLOAD_ETD_SUB_DOC_ACCNUM:::F1501_ID:akron1341938971, inline> Cecil, Lamar. “Wilhelm II: The Kaiser's Personal Monarchy, 1888-1900.” The International History Review 27.4 (2005): 859-861. Web 11 October 2013. < http://www.jstor.org/stable/40109702?seq=1&uid=3738336&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21102764064123> Eley, Geoff. “The View from the Throne: The Personal Rule of Kaiser Wilhelm II.” The Historical Journal 28.2 (1985): 469-485. Web 11 October 2013. < http://www.jstor.org/stable/2639112?seq=4> Imperial War Museums. “Kaiser Wilhelm II.” Iwm.org.uk. Web 11 October 2013. < http://www.iwm.org.uk/history/kaiser-wilhelm-ii#> Mommsen, Wolfgang. “Kaiser Wilhelm II and German Politics.” Journal of Contemporary History 25.2/3 (1990): 289-316. Web 11 October 2013. < http://www.jstor.org/stable/260734?seq=4> Rohl, John. “The Kaiser and his Court.” Historytoday.com. Web 12 October 2013. < http://www.historytoday.com/story/11152> Troschitz, Robert. “The Rise of the Anglo-German Antagonism between 1888 and 1914.” Munich: GRIN Verlag, 2009. Print Read More