WI: Frederick III survives

[Gordian]

What would happen if Frederick III, Emperor of Germany for 99 days in 1888, survives or does not get his throat cancer that killed him in OTL?

He seemed to be more liberal than Wilhelm II, and wanted to reform the Reichstag along the British model.

 

[Ameck16]

Well a more constitutional Germany and maybe no naval race with Britain, which could lead to a Anglo-German alliance.

 

[Tyler96]

Does Bismarck stick around in gov longer (IOTL he was dismissed early in Wilhelm II's reign)? Or does advanced age (he was in his 70s) mean his retirement is inevitable?

Wider foreign policy stuff depends on how long Frederick survives for (which depends on how his health other than the cancer holds up)- on the one hand he was 56 when he died (so hardly 'young') but on the other his father made it to 90 and his son to 82 and a daughter to 81.

Even if you 'only' get a decade out of him it massively changes the European landscape, and he might have a tense relationship with Wilhelm I.

 

[PuffyClouds]

Germany, I think, would still build up its naval forces, but the emphasis would be on cruisers rather than battleships. I say that because even with a more german-populist government that Frederick III would foster, there are still going to be colonies founded and the country still needs a way to defend shipping against a French naval action.

Hopefully, effort would be put into securing a friendly but neutral Italy and USA. I think no matter what Frederick III does, Russia is inevitably going to join a French Entente. Which is bad, because there are multiple loose cannons in the Balkans.