WI German Reunification with Kaiser as figurehead .

What would some of the ramifications be if when East and West Germany unified in 1990 they decided to do so as the German empire and brought the kaisers back to the throne as figureheads .
My thought is that the two nations struggle to find common ground with eachother and look to shared history .Since they obviously cant model themselves after the NAZIS they go for when Germany was at its peak and as a symbol of the old they are trying to bring back they place a Kaiser on the throne .He does not have to have any power but he would serve as a symbol of the unity of the people .Someone they can all get behind .
 
What would some of the ramifications be if when East and West Germany unified in 1990 they decided to do so as the German empire and brought the kaisers back to the throne as figureheads .
My thought is that the two nations struggle to find common ground with eachother and look to shared history .Since they obviously cant model themselves after the NAZIS they go for when Germany was at its peak and as a symbol of the old they are trying to bring back they place a Kaiser on the throne .He does not have to have any power but he would serve as a symbol of the unity of the people .Someone they can all get behind .

That is impossible. The Bundespräsident (Federal President) is the highest representative figure head of the Federal Republic (Richard von Weizäcker back in 90´). He is basically what the Queen of England is. To have a Kaiser they would have to vote a new constitution for a united Germany ( originally it was thought to vote for a new constitution for a united Germany in case the country reunited, in addition Germany has the Grundgesetz. Not even the conservatives of the conservatives would have any need for a monarch figure head.
 
Last edited:
I don't see there being much changes for restoration of monarchy. Wast here even any serious debate over issue and was there much support from people?

And left wingers not be usually very intrested about monarchy restoration. Easier it could be after WW2 and even then it is quiet implausible.
 
With the Kaisers and all things Prussian-related having been so thoroughly demonized by Entente propaganda, reinstalling the Kaisers, even as figureheads, would've been impossible. Even if it were possible, the results would be horrible.

That well has been too thoroughly poisoned -- witness the folks even here on AH who clearly believe pre-WW1 Prussia and its kings to have been simply proto-Nazis, in their supposedly incessant aggression and hatred.
 
With the Kaisers and all things Prussian-related having been so thoroughly demonized by Entente propaganda, reinstalling the Kaisers, even as figureheads, would've been impossible. Even if it were possible, the results would be horrible.

That well has been too thoroughly poisoned -- witness the folks even here on AH who clearly believe pre-WW1 Prussia and its kings to have been simply proto-Nazis, in their supposedly incessant aggression and hatred.


Yes, as my rhenish friend said, only old grandfathers or a tiny small amount of neo monarchists supports the kaiser, heck the media call some of them as neo nazis for wanting the kaiser back
 
Monarchism in Germany is (rightfully) utterly inconsequntial. There is no plausible way for a german kaiser in 1990.

Also,the Grundgesetz is a constituon,just saying.
 
Why would Germany turn back into a monarchy after decades of being a republic. Especially because very few Germans have any nostalgia for the empire. It pretty decisively delegitimized itself with WWI.
 
Perhaps some popularity for the monarchy could have been restored if one or the other of Wilhelm II's grandsons (e.g. Louis Ferdinand) had been actively involved in anti-Nazi opposition circles such as the Kreisauer Kreis, perhaps allowing him to run for office after the war or even have the monarchy restored.
 
One very real problem here is that even if the west likes him the east almost certainly won't like him. German dissidents still tended towards the left (the party in charge of reunification in east Germany was still the SPD), so it puts an unnecessary roadblock in front of reunification that suddenly there's also a monarch they don't like in the equation.
 
What would some of the ramifications be if when East and West Germany unified in 1990 they decided to do so as the German empire and brought the kaisers back to the throne as figureheads .
My thought is that the two nations struggle to find common ground with eachother and look to shared history .Since they obviously cant model themselves after the NAZIS they go for when Germany was at its peak and as a symbol of the old they are trying to bring back they place a Kaiser on the throne .He does not have to have any power but he would serve as a symbol of the unity of the people .Someone they can all get behind .
I can't see that ever happening with a 1990 PoD. If a capitalist west is struggling to find common ground with a Communist east, I doubt they would see bringing back an Imperial figurehead with hereditary privilege as a way to win the support of East Germans who had lived in a country that had been culturally communist for decades.
Also, no European state in the late twentieth century would rename itself to become an Empire, and particularly Germany, given all the historical baggage attached to it. Many in Europe, such as Margaret Thatcher, had misgivings about reunification, fearing it would create a Germany that would ultimately end up dominating the rest of the continent. Setting up the Fourth Reich (which is presumably its name) is not exactly going to assuage those concerns.
 
What would some of the ramifications be if when East and West Germany unified in 1990 they decided to do so as the German empire and brought the kaisers back to the throne as figureheads .
My thought is that the two nations struggle to find common ground with eachother and look to shared history
Problem with your premise is: No German wanted the Kaiser back. Its even doubtful that a lot of people knew that some Hohenzollern where still around. So you have no common ground, you have something which is pretty alien to both West and East Germans.
.Since they obviously cant model themselves after the NAZIS they go for when Germany was at its peak and as a symbol of the old they are trying to bring back they place a Kaiser on the throne .He does not have to have any power but he would serve as a symbol of the unity of the people .Someone they can all get behind .
West as East Germany both modeled themself to a degree after the 1848 revolution. So you dont need any other new, fancy symbols.
 
One very real problem here is that even if the west likes him the east almost certainly won't like him. German dissidents still tended towards the left (the party in charge of reunification in east Germany was still the SPD), so it puts an unnecessary roadblock in front of reunification that suddenly there's also a monarch they don't like in the equation.

No, the conservatives of CDU/DSU along with other smaller GDR parties (including the GDR SPD) lead the last coalition government of the GDR. Lothar de Maiziere ( CDU) was the prime minister.
 
The closest one could get would be if one of Wilhelm's grandchildren (preferrably the respective heir to the throne, of course) would get into regular post-WW2 politics and happens to get elected Bundespräsident. Then you would have the successor of the German empire indeed being head of state (albeit not crowned as emperor but the tabloids would sure as hell publish corresponding caricatures)
And even then having close relatives of the former emperor getting into politics might stir things up quite a bit.
 
Top