The Fall of Bismarck and the Rise of William II

In 1888, the Kaiser (king) of Germany, William I died. William I, under the guidance of Bismarck, had created a new and powerful German nation. Upon his death, the role of Bismarck came into question. Bismarck was getting old and did not see eye-to-eye with the new Kaiser, William II. He was the grandson of William I, and wanted to quickly make an impression upon Germany and the world.

William II believed that Bismarck had created two major problems for Germany. Bismarck's systems of alliances were too complex, in his opinion, and needed to be simplified. Second, he believed that Russia was a dangerous threat to Germany and did not think that a treaty with her was a good idea. Furthermore, an alliance between Germany and England would be much more powerful. If he were to become allies with England, he would have to cut Russia out of future alliances. This was necessary because England and Russia distrusted each other, and England did not want to be involved with Russia.

Bismarck was released from his duties six months after William II came to power. With Bismarck out of the way, William II undertook his own plans for the future of Germany. First, he did not renew the Reinsurance Treaty with Russia. Russia became very worried by this change in events, and began to look for new allies. Ultimately, Russia and France were to join forces.

Second, William embarked on his four-point policy to make Germany the greatest nation in the world. This policy included:

1. The creation of a high seas fleet. He wished to build a large, powerful navy that was capable of being a rival to England.

2. Increased spending upon new armaments and equipment to make the German Army the most powerful in the world.

3. The development of a German overseas empire like the one that England had all over the world.

4. Develop an aggressive foreign policy on issues around the world. William II wanted Germany to be seen as a power broker on the international scene.

When William II became Kaiser, Germany held a strong international position and had good relations with most countries. With the loss of Bismarck, coupled with and the new policies of William II, Germany was to lose its control over European politics.