History of Europe
1
HISTORY
Subject
: History
(For under graduate student)
Paper No.
: Paper-VI
History of Modern
Europe
Unit No. & Title
:
Unit-2
Europe between 1871 & 1914
Lecture No. & Title
: Lecture-2
German Foreign Policy:
Changes under Wilhelm II
SUMMARY
The web of alliances that Bismarck had created for
Germany in order to ensure her protection and supremacy
ultimately proved to be a major political liability for the
Chancellors who followed him. In the 1880s, as the pace
of industrial development slowed down, the twin policies of
Mitteleuropa and
Mittelafrika held before Bismarck the
option of a mercantilist, imperialist alternative, and which
Bismarck had indeed pursued. Even after the departure of
Bismarck from the arena, both these options remained in
History of Europe
2
play in the theatre of German politics for his successors to
pursue.
After Bismarck’s resignation, Leo von Caprivi succeeded
him during the reign of Kaiser Wilhelm II. During this time
there was the first real push towards the colonial empire
first with Mitteleuropa and then with Mittelafrika. From
1895-96 onwards, the defining component of Wilhelmine
foreign policy, Weltpolitik, began to surface.
Von Caprivi was succeeded by Chancellor Chlodwig Von
Hohenlohe in 1897, who laid major emphasis on naval
build-up as an expression of German Weltpolitik. Under
von Bulow, the German navy grew to be a major threat to
Britain. Britain tried to negotiate with Germany but
because of internal political pressure Germany refused to
enter into any negotiations with Britain thus estranging
her. Thereafter Germany was left alone with Austria-
Hungary and Britain assimilated all the other European
powers as her allies.