WI: Otto von Bismarck doesn't resign

Thanos6

Banned
But when his arguments couldn't convince Wilhelm, Bismarck became excited and agitated until uncharacteristically blurting out his motive to see the bill fail: to have the socialists agitate until a violent clash occurred that could be used as a pretext to crush them. Wilhelm replied that he was not willing to open his reign with a bloody campaign against his own subjects. The next day, after realizing his blunder, Bismarck attempted to reach a compromise with Wilhelm by agreeing to his social policy towards industrial workers, and even suggested a European council to discuss working conditions, presided by the German Emperor. Despite this, a turn of events eventually led to his distancing from Wilhelm. Bismarck, feeling pressured and unappreciated by the Emperor and undermined by ambitious advisers, refused to sign a proclamation regarding the protection of workers along with Wilhelm, as was required by the German Constitution, to protest Wilhelm's ever increasing interference to Bismarck's previously unquestioned authority. Bismarck also worked behind the scenes to break the Continental labour council on which Wilhelm had set his heart.


This led to Bismarck's resignation ten years before his death.


But let's say this doesn't happen. Let's say he's more honestly willing to compromise with Wilhelm and doesn't go behind his back to sabotage the emperor's pro-welfare programs. He stays on for at least ten years (making the admittedly questionable assumption that the stress of resignation, OTL, hastened his death).


How different are European and world history?
 
Your asking a lot from Otto here. Him and Willy did not get along, and if Bismarck had not resigned there is a good chance he would have been pushed to.

Unfortunatly, I don't know as much about the Kaiser Reich as I do before it so I'm not the best person to answer this question.
 
Top