Different political evolution of Imperial Germany

The first German emperor, Wilhelm I, survived two assassination attempts in 1878.

Suppose either of them was successful, how could that've changed Germany's future as a country?
Keep in mind how the militaristic Reich was still an infant state being only seven years old, and as such was in a much more moldable position.
The Kaiser's successor was more liberal, a self-avowed pacifist who detested wars despite having served himself.
Suppose he doesn't get cancer a decade later as he did IOTL, what kind of development could Germany have taken in an ideal world?

Could Germany have become a continental Britain of sorts?

I am first and foremost interested in realistic answers, but if you could provide a "wank"-style scenario, that would be much appreciated as well.

(It's probably also worth noting that after the unification, even Bismarck advocated for peace and expansion of German might through soft power emerging from the creation of a continental Zollverein - meaning even the pacifist liberal emperor and the arch-conservative chancellor could've agreed on the main issue Germany was facing.)
 
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Toraach

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I'm not an expert of the german politics of this period, but I read a book some years ago about the Hohenzollerns, and I remember one thing, that Frederick wasn't that liberal as he is portrayed nowadays sometimes. Because he was a liberal, but in a historical context of this era not by modern meaning, so he wasn't like his dad, or Bismarck, he was more pro-parliamentary, but he was also the same german nationalists as others. The national-liberal party in Germany was nationalist, expansionalist, and anti-catholic, they weren't some happy hippie guys. Just more modern, than mustached junkers from Ostpreussen. Correct me, if I'm wrong.
 
I'm not an expert of the german politics of this period, but I read a book some years ago about the Hohenzollerns, and I remember one thing, that Frederick wasn't that liberal as he is portrayed nowadays sometimes. Because he was a liberal, but in a historical context of this era not by modern meaning, so he wasn't like his dad, or Bismarck, he was more pro-parliamentary, but he was also the same german nationalists as others. The national-liberal party in Germany was nationalist, expansionalist, and anti-catholic, they weren't some happy hippie guys. Just more modern, than mustached junkers from Ostpreussen. Correct me, if I'm wrong.
If Germany's government is more anti-Catholic, would a more internally divided Germany focus on domestic political/religious battles than foreign expansion?
 
Friedrich's liberalism was limited to a few aspects of politics. As far as royal power was concerned he was a conservative who believed parliament had too many rights and would have much prefered to weaken parliament.

He was a weak willed man who also wasn't the brightest. Even his close friends questioned his capacity to be King. Some would even urge him too keep Bismarck around even after Bismarck ruined their careers because they didn't think Friedrich was capable of running the nation.

In many ways he was like his eldest son and the two shared a number of views as far as politics were concerned. Friedrich in his later years was simply better at keeping his mouth shut than Willie ever was.

In his favor, Friedrich despised the antisemites and openly expressed his sympathy for the jews in Germany, if I remember correctly. Needless to say this didn't do him any favors with the prussian nobility.
 
In many ways he was like his eldest son and the two shared a number of views as far as politics were concerned. Friedrich in his later years was simply better at keeping his mouth shut than Willie ever was.
A highly valuable trait in my opinion.

I hope he would see the writing on the wall, and try to structure German politics to avoid a continental war. One way would be to develop a longitudinal alliance that would connect Scandinavia, the Habsburgs, Italy, and the Ottomans to Germany so it can get around a close naval blockade. A bit more practical naval expansion. I differ, I think, from most people here on German WW1 naval policy, so essentially to say any more would be to make Fred my mouthpiece.
 
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