WI: A Different Prince for Prussia?

So, I was trundling along and found a website talking about Wilhelm II's brother, Prince Heinrich. So here is my what question is: if Wilhelm II died via throat cancer, say in 1901, and, ( I am none to sure who would be next in line, but for convenience sake we can just kill Wilhelm's entire lineage if need be on a boat trip to Victoria's funeral) Prince Heinrich became the new King of the German State, what might happen? He seemed to be more diplomatic and worldly than his rather odd and ill-tempered brother, if the previously noted article is anything to go by.

Would alliances shift? Would the world stage push back the inevitable (or perhaps less so) great war to a later date, perhaps in the mid-1920's? Or, might the general staff push the good-natured but manipulable Heinrich into war even faster than his brother did?

I think the geopolitical scene (as well as the underlying economic scene) would make the alliances between France and Russia a certainty to remain, as well as the more-so defensive nature of the Triple Alliance. However, I do think that it would be possible for the British to remain in "splendid isolation", assuming they could reasonably assure that any continental power could not become hegemon over it, if their naval superiority was not threatened. Hopefully Heinrich could have remarked upon "what even is the strategic value of a battleship?" to the British, quelling their attitudes of alarm. Plus, it is not for certain that Italy remains on the side of the triple alliance, especially if Austria-Hungary and Germany undergo a rift in their relationship, allowing Italy to pressure Austria by threatening joining the French in their alliance, prior to any war, if it is favorable to do so.

Your thoughts?
 
Or, might the general staff push the good-natured but manipulable Heinrich into war even faster than his brother did?

This won't happen because the General Staff didn't push Germany into war. Much like other countries Germany's politicians, including the Kaiser, decided to go to war. The General Staff developed and executed war plans, under the direction of the politicians who told the Chief the enemies of the state were; for example the French and Russians were in alliance from 1893 and the Germans assumed from 1912 that Britain would join that alliance if war came.

Prince Heinrich became the new King of the German State, what might happen?

The German Kaisers position was a bit like the US President's position: an Executive separate from the Parliamentary Legislature. Convention dictates that his Chancellor be the Prime Minister of Prussia, so he'll be stuck with Bethmann Hollweg in 1914 and the Reichstag and Bundestag will also be the same.

Where he might make changes is in the military sphere, he may not appoint Moltke the Younger to Chief of General Staff when Schlieffen retires in 1906, although his memo will still be written and handed to whomever Henry chooses as his successor. It may be Friedrich von Bernhardi or Colmar von der Goltz, both of whom had their own ideas and experiences which might make German war planning a bit different, although the strategic situation would be the same.

But to me the most important opportunity that Henry might do, as a Navy man and not as flighty and strange as his brother, is reform the German Navy command structure (or more accurately the pile of dogshit that substituted for a structure in the Kreigsmarine).

Kaiser Wilhelm II was the Commander-in-Chief of the Kaiserliche Marine. All power and authority was in his hands. All decisions and orders were made and issued by him and not just in his name. There was no single senior component of the KM to either advise or challenge his authority.

The administration of the KM was not a coherent unified body capable of either advising or carrying out his orders. The KM was divided in to a number of components, all of which were in a direct line of command to the Kaiser. There was no admiral in overall command of the KM. There was no equivalent of the First Sea Lord or the US Chief of Naval Operations. This was a recipe for bureaucratic rivalry, and confusion in the implementation of policies.

These bodies were:

1. The Naval Cabinet
2. The Admiralty Staff
3. The Imperial Naval Administration
4. The Inspector-General of the Navy
5. The Baltic Naval Station
6. The North Sea Naval Station

7. The High Seas Fleet
8. The Overseas Squadrons
http://www.naval-history.net/XGW-GermanNavy1914-1918.htm

In contrast the British system, while far from perfect, was much better.

THE BOARD OF ADMIRALTY
As constituted on 20th October 1904, the Board was composed of politicians, naval officers, and a civil servant. Each had a specific area of responsibility but all decisions had to be made by the Board.
The chairman of the Board was the First Lord of the Admiralty. He was a member of the Cabinet and responsible to the Parliament for all aspects of the naval service: including policy, senior appointments, budgets and ship building programmes.

The four naval officers were:

  • the First Sea Lord whose duty was to ensure the 'fighting and seagoing efficiency of the fleet;
  • the Second Sea Lord for manpower and training;
  • the Third Sea Lord for the design and construction of ships and weapons; and
  • the Fourth Sea Lord for supplies and transport.
Two other politicians were the Civil Lord, responsible for works and buildings, and the Political and Financial Secretary, responsible for the budget. A second Civil Lord was appointed in 1912 to look after contracts and the dockyards. Finally, the Permanent Secretary was the lone civil servant.

A Naval War Staff was created on 8th January 1912. Formed by the enlargement of the Directorate of Naval Intelligence, its Chief supervised directorates on:

  • operations,
  • intelligence,
  • mobilisation and
  • trade.
The role of the Chief of the War Staff was to advise the Board on all the matters relevant to the staff. He could not make decisions on the conduct of operations. The relationship between him and the First Sea Lord was ill-defined both by role and by rank.
http://www.naval-history.net/xGW-RNOrganisation1914-1918.htm

Maybe Henry could reform the KM command structure into something more like the British system while keeping some of the best parts of the German system, like the naval Staff established in 1899.
 
Firstly, thanks for the reply, I had thought this post would fall into obscurity after twelve hours.

Where he might make changes is in the military sphere, he may not appoint Moltke the Younger to Chief of General Staff when Schlieffen retires in 1906, although his memo will still be written and handed to whomever Henry chooses as his successor. It may be Friedrich von Bernhardi or Colmar von der Goltz, both of whom had their own ideas and experiences which might make German war planning a bit different, although the strategic situation would be the same.

But to me the most important opportunity that Henry might do, as a Navy man and not as flighty and strange as his brother, is reform the German Navy command structure (or more accurately the pile of dogshit that substituted for a structure in the Kreigsmarine).

Do you think that this might lead to a more decisive battle (perhaps in German favor) for the Battle of Jutland? Also, more broadly, if we assume that Moltke the Younger is not appointed, would the Schlieffen Plan work more decisively in ending the war? Or perhaps with Heinrich at the helm, might war not even start? No "blank check", no reliance on telegrams to King Nicholas?
 
Firstly, thanks for the reply, I had thought this post would fall into obscurity after twelve hours.

Do you think that this might lead to a more decisive battle (perhaps in German favor) for the Battle of Jutland? Also, more broadly, if we assume that Moltke the Younger is not appointed, would the Schlieffen Plan work more decisively in ending the war? Or perhaps with Heinrich at the helm, might war not even start? No "blank check", no reliance on telegrams to King Nicholas?

No worries, there's a couple of things in there that interest me.

The command at the tactical level was pretty good I think, Scheer did well to sink a couple of battlecruisers and avoid anihilation at Jutland. It was at the operational and strategic level that the command structure failed: the fleet wss drastically underused between Dogger Bank and 1916 raids on the British coast and the Flanders ports were not utilised by destroyers despite the HSF being immobile. A better command structure would have made better use of newly won navy bases in conjunction with wider fleet activities.

As for Henrys actions, I don't know but given enough time even slight changes can have large compounded results. However he will largely operate in the same environment with the same people.
 
No worries, there's a couple of things in there that interest me.

The command at the tactical level was pretty good I think, Scheer did well to sink a couple of battlecruisers and avoid anihilation at Jutland. It was at the operational and strategic level that the command structure failed: the fleet wss drastically underused between Dogger Bank and 1916 raids on the British coast and the Flanders ports were not utilised by destroyers despite the HSF being immobile. A better command structure would have made better use of newly won navy bases in conjunction with wider fleet activities.

As for Henrys actions, I don't know but given enough time even slight changes can have large compounded results. However he will largely operate in the same environment with the same people.

Jutland, when I first read about it was fascinating, coupled with the the startling fact that the Germans had these massive iris searchlights for the night battle. This video was quite interesting as a mini-doc. Hopefully, if I do start a story, I can touch on the naval portion of the first world war, since it is quite fascinating. Thanks again!
 
Top