DBWI: Kaiser Wilhelm II wasn't assassinated in 1905

Rush Tarquin

Gone Fishin'
Hey guys. How do you think history would have been different if Kaiser Wilhelm II hadn't been assassinated in 1905? How would the European powers have reacted to the various subsequent crises if Wilhelm had been on the German throne?
 
Most likely it would have been a lot calmer. Germany wouldn't have aided the Tsar in the rebellions that soon emerged.
 

GarethC

Donor
Most likely it would have been a lot calmer. Germany wouldn't have aided the Tsar in the rebellions that soon emerged.
Well, Tirpitz got on much better with Wilhelm II than with his son. I vaguely recall that German naval spending was briefly targetted to try to outbuild the RN or something in the last years of Wilhelm II's reign - maybe if that continued there could have been some kind of naval arms race?

That would be weird though - I mean, I think the Kaiserliche Marine could have realistically fielded a dozen or so dreadnoughts in the early teens or something, which would drastically affect the balance of power. So you might see Britain seeking other relationships to counterbalance Germany, like better relations with France instead of the inimitié cordiale of the teens. They might also have kept up relations with Japan and avoided the Manchukuo intervention - so Lean wouldn't have put Olivier in Churchill of Weihaiwei.
 
Hey guys. How do you think history would have been different if Kaiser Wilhelm II hadn't been assassinated in 1905? How would the European powers have reacted to the various subsequent crises if Wilhelm had been on the German throne?

He died of a pulmonary embolus.
 
Well, Tirpitz got on much better with Wilhelm II than with his son. I vaguely recall that German naval spending was briefly targetted to try to outbuild the RN or something in the last years of Wilhelm II's reign - maybe if that continued there could have been some kind of naval arms race?

That would be weird though - I mean, I think the Kaiserliche Marine could have realistically fielded a dozen or so dreadnoughts in the early teens or something, which would drastically affect the balance of power. So you might see Britain seeking other relationships to counterbalance Germany, like better relations with France instead of the inimitié cordiale of the teens. They might also have kept up relations with Japan and avoided the Manchukuo intervention - so Lean wouldn't have put Olivier in Churchill of Weihaiwei.

God can you imagine how Britain would have acted if the Germans created a naval arms race:eek:?!? We could have seen a war between the two instead of the warm relations that lasted into the '20s. And if there had been a war between the two, it could have caused Austria-Hungary and Italy to join in as well. Such a war would have been simply horrible. I wonder if Wilhelm II would have backed his ally Austria's anti-Serbian policy that came about after the attempted assassination of the then Archduke Ferdinand.

I know Russia eventually backed down after evidence came out that linked the black hand terrorists with the Serbian Government, but considering how impulsive Wilhelm II was he might not have adapted the wait and see approach that avoided war. Terrifying to think of.

Edit: My bad did not realize this was a bumped thread.
 

shiftygiant

Gone Fishin'
We, according to Tsar Nicholas II biography (The Man Who Would Be King: 15 years of struggle) , the Kaiser had a habit of demanding he to cut ties with the French in favor for the Triple Alliance. Had the Kaiser lived, I can see him persuade his Cousin to do so, aiding in stopping the rebellions that would eventually claim the Tsar- if he shows Russia France won't come to help, then he could tilt the scales. Imagine, a Quadruple Power.

Of course however, this means Association Football never comes to German like IoTL. Without Wilhelm III's passion for the beautiful game, it could have never picked up in Germany- and of course without the German National Team forming in 1908, then the Football matches that helped strengthen Germany and Britain's new bond could have never had happened.
 
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