Bismarck's Fall & The Rise of Weltpolitik
Added 2024-12-27 19:05:48 +0000 UTCPatrons,
This will first be released to all Bismarck and above tiers. Tomorrow I'll release it for all Patrons.
I hope you enjoy the next part in this Road to WWI series, this time looking at Bismarck's fall from power and Wilhelm II's first few years in power. Next up: The Franco-Russian Alliance
Thanks for your continued support, I hope everyone had a great Christmas. Feel free to make any suggestions!
Comments
Willy feels oddly familiar to me. Something about fuck the international system my country first. Can’t quite put my finger on it.
Jack
2025-02-27 04:01:11 +0000 UTC😏
Old Britannia
2025-01-11 10:19:36 +0000 UTC“Bismarkian edging”
Brix
2025-01-10 19:44:22 +0000 UTCAgreed. Even if Frederick never ended up reforming the political system comprehensively (and I suspect with the rise of the SPD he wouldn't have done) the lack of a naval arms race changes so much between 1900 and 1914 the ramifications are almost unfathomable. Yeah I agree on the Reassurance Treaty. Bismarck's ultimate ambition always seems to have been a partition of the Balkans between Austria and Russia. I suspect even this wouldn't have settled the squabbling though. Ultimately I think the firm alliance with Austria in 1879 was basically a mistake, probably the greatest mistake Bismarck made, as it made eventually choosing between her and Russia almost inevitable.
Old Britannia
2024-12-28 11:50:56 +0000 UTCFrederick III is for me the ultimate historical counterfactual. Having a (somewhat) liberal Emperor leading Germany could have changed everything. I'm no Germanophile, far from it but I really don't think it's impossible that under Frederick's leadership Germany transforms itself into a somewhat functional democracy instead of the autocratic mess it became under Wilhelm II. A world in which Germany isn't led by Wilhelm II and actively provoking the UK and blundering from crisis to crisis would be vast improvement over what we got. In regards to the Reassurance Treaty I really don't know what Bismarks long term plan was with it. Keeping Austria Hungary and Russia in an alliance together does seem mission impossible. Eventually you will be forced to choose or risk alienating both. Decisively deciding to ally with Austria Hungary over Russia seems like logical endpoint of Bismarks system.
Lovable Snowman
2024-12-28 00:34:55 +0000 UTC
