WI: Wilhelm II, the People's Kaiser

I'm not sure if this could be a full timeline or just a fun thought exercise, but I've been pondering a POD where Wilhelm II directs his energy towards internal reforms instead of foreign adventures.

IOTL Wilhelm was fascinated by England's fleet and her colonial empire. ITTL he keeps the obsession with England, but it expresses itself differently. Whether because his visits to England happen to feature different sorts of events or because Wilhelm's in a different mood, he focuses on England's political structure.

The British Empire might include multiple thrones, but it only has the one king. It also only has one parliament running the whole show. Local government is strictly administrative, and subordinate to the national parliament. Also, even the multiple kingdoms exist on a broad scale. All of the English people are part of England, a unitary entity.

By contrast, Germany is still visibly stitched together out of multiple German countries. There are multiple kings who wield real power and who even have their own armies. One obvious example of the trouble this caused was Alsace-Lorraine, which Wilhelm couldn't bargain away to the French even if he wanted to because his government would then effectively lose control of the border. The new border would be controlled by Baden and Bavaria, both of which could and would block the central government's efforts to build fortifications or even deploy troops on the border.

So, Wilhelm decides to devote his reign towards creating a modern Germany. Modern technology and modern governance, sweeping away the lingering traces of the HRE. In particular, I think his end goals would be something like:
  • All non-Kaiser nobility will become purely honorary or, at most, financial sinecures. The Duke of Wellington doesn't maintain his own private army in Wellington. Neither should the King of Bavaria.
  • The central government runs the country. In practice, it will devolve some power to local administrators, but this will be purely prudential rather than a matter of right.
  • The Kaiser will be a sort of president-for-life, in the sense of exercising the powers of the American president for life (not the sense of a Latin American dictator for life). This would probably be dressed up in some propaganda about how the Kaiser embodies the guiding spirit of the nation.
As the title suggests, I think his best bet at pulling this off is to pursue a high-low populist alliance, most likely with the SPD, in his effort to sideline the aristocracy. It's hard to imagine Wilhelm II as a tribune of the people, but it should be fun to watch him try.

Keep in mind this whole reform program is being pursued by Wilhelm II, not by some omni-competent SI. He's bringing all the skill and nuance that he applied OTL in the realm of international diplomacy, but now he's giving it to his own people.

What's the most likely result? German civil war? Reform himself right out of a job? Preemptive invasion by neighbors who see the reforms as prelude to war? Eternal peace and prosperity as Europe avoids the world wars and people from all walks of life join hands and sing together in harmony?
 
In the Imperial era about every thing you mention had a parallel with other modern states such as Britain and the US. For example the Kaiser led a seperate, executive government akin to the US President while the Kings, Dukes etc were akin to US Governors and the Bundesraat was akin to the US Senate. That many of these position were royalty or noble is akin to the British Monarchy and House of Lords until 1906. As for the Imperial Army being made of from constituent contingents, the US National Guard were state armies to and extent controlled and equipped by the states.
 

NoMommsen

Donor
Where do you got your 'knowledge' (if it can be called such) from ?
...
The British Empire might include multiple thrones, but it only has the one king.
nnnot so simple. The different 'crowns' are still juridical entities of their own.
But - at the m,oment - all these jobs are taken by one and the same person.

Juridical well possible to divide them again.
...
It also only has one parliament running the whole show.
...
simply wrong
There's the - for 'our' scope of time - the 'Scottish Parliament', formerly the Parliament of Scotland
There's (still) the Tynwald of the Isle of Manx
Then there was for 500 years until 1800 the Parliament of Ireland.
...
All of the English people are part of England, a unitary entity.
...
Might be an ... interesting experience for you on occasion of being on the british isles to aske how 'english' a Mancunian (Manchester Region) feels or how 'english' an East Anglian estimates a Mancunian or a cockney speaking Londonian, etc., etc., etc.

Though I admitt, they often actually have kinda 'british' identity ... 'feeling'. Though ... with the 'glory of the Empire' mainly gone this has also somewhot ... diminished.
...because his government would then effectively lose control of the border. The new border would be controlled by Baden and Bavaria, both of which could and would block the central government's efforts to build fortifications or even deploy troops on the border.
Any source (at all) on this rather ... interesting interpretation of history ?

So, Wilhelm decides to devote his reign towards creating a modern Germany. Modern technology and modern governance, ...
Wilhelm WAS an utter modern monarch, fan of whatever technology there was also aside whatever relating to navy matters :
telephone
hot-air-stream heating (I know reinvention from the romans but 'brand new' in ending 19th, begionning 20th century)
separate hot/cold running water in his baths
electric light​
All new gadgets of the beginning 20th centura Wilhelm was eager to incorporate in his castles and manisons FASTER that i.e. the then Duke of Mecklenburg (also a 'hightech-freak' of his time).
automobile
photography (he was prpbably the 2nd selfmade 'media-celebrity' (behind Prince Albert of England, prince-consort of Queen Victoria)​

It wass during his reign that the most modern all-embracing system of social insurances and securities (still besting some of todays G20 nations) was indroduced, first on advice of Bismarck, later expanded by Wilhelm against Bismarcks and his successors wishes (and btw. : he asctually attempted being a 'tribune of the people' but his childish personalityx was ... dissapointd by the socialist who cried always for 'MOAARRE').

...sweeping away the lingering traces of the HRE.
Sry, but , ... the HRE had died,vanished , ceased to exist even in the juridical sense (only being the historical source of some modern law) in 1806 by Franz II laying down the Emperors Crown due to Napoleons foundation of the Rheinbund.

and ... why for heavens sake should the federal structure of the Realm be 'unmodern' ?

Tbh, what you describe as a possible 'modern reformed German Realm' sounds more like a power-mad centralist wet dream of a wannabe despot (... of the Civilization II-Gamer-type).
... and also completly disregards that Wuilhelm was fist and foremost King of Prussia. ... Emeroro of the German Realm was only his ... not always actually liked additional second job. ... imposed/forced by Bismarck and the other german kings and lords upon the Prussian Crown.


In short :
what you propose due to lack of historical knowledge sounds to me as already crossing ASB-borderlands.


EDIT :
If you want to learn something (and not only speculate/confabulate) about Wilhelms Realm I would recommend this site.
Even if only with the help of google-translate it can offer you a vast amount of real info (in any case compared to what are your source atm).
 
Last edited:
Where do you got your 'knowledge' (if it can be called such) from ?

To be fair it can be a difficult subject to grasp unless you have a close and serious look at it while bearing in mind that it ended a century ago. The more I look at it the more I see similarities with the US rather than Britain, Russia or other monarchies; the federal structure being the key factor.
 

NoMommsen

Donor
To be fair :
aside some closer details about Wilhelm II. all I've 'critisized and contrary knowledge I presented is ...
wiki (and looking into and for some source used in the wiki-articles)​

IMHO not much of a closer and more serious look into matters if you wanna start a discussion about a certain topic.
IMHO you should then also inform yourself a wee bit about this topic
 

NoMommsen

Donor
Well let me try to be somewhat less destructive and have a look into your _proposals_ for Wilhelm what to achieve (though I'm still VERY interested at your source of info/perception of the Alsace-Lorrain situation as you describe it).

All in all your proposals somewhat ignore (don't know about ?) the actual constitution of the German Realm, Bismarck-Empire or as its often called by us 'hindsighteers' the 2nd Empire. In short :
It was a confederacy of otherwise independant nations that elected the most powerfull among them - the Prussian King - as their leader/primus inter pares (however far above und 'unequal' to them he actually was in terms of 'power')​


...
So, Wilhelm decides to devote his reign towards creating a modern Germany. Modern technology and modern governance, sweeping away the lingering traces of the HRE. In particular, I think his end goals would be something like:
...
The topic "HRE" I had already adressed.
However, it might be intersting for you that this - any juridical reminescence toward it was something highly discouraged by Bismarck, his successors and especially the Hohenzollern as the Prussian Kings. It would have necessitated to include somehow the Austrians, at least the cisleithanian part of the Dual-Monarchy.
Even the 'romantical' comparision of the modern Realm with the HRE was rather disliked by the Hohenzollern and their chancellors.
....
  • All non-Kaiser nobility will become purely honorary or, at most, financial sinecures. The Duke of Wellington doesn't maintain his own private army in Wellington. Neither should the King of Bavaria.
...
Financial sinecures ... as all of the higher up nobles - and the majority of the lower as well - were well furnmished big-scale landowners : not at all necessary

About the 'different-states' troop contingents ... Once again a 'highly political' question, as it would touch the independence of the memberstates and the constitution by its confederal core.
By constitution EVERY member-state of the Realm was obliged to keep and maintain and sustain their own troops though in terms of structure and equipment rather 'standardized'. That even included such smaller members as i.e. the city-state of Lübeck or the numerous principalities of Thuringia and of anhaltinian origin. Though esp. the latter were 'happy' to shift most of the administrative works towards the prussian war ministry what did NOT freed them from their obligation to pay for the troops garrisoned on their territory, 'decorated' with their little states colors (somewhere on the uniform). They were also in the first instance sworn in to their local Prince, Grand-Duke, King.

The 'larger', more potent memberstates like the Kingdom of Saxony and Bavaria, as well as the Grand-Duchies of Württembergia, Badenia and Hessia were concluded some special military conventions of - mainly - the same content. But ... you know ... prestige.
... as well as a higher number of votes within the Bundesrat, the assembly of the memberstates of the confederal Realm. The most important and most powerfull institution within the bismarckian constitution.​

But, tbh, that might be one of the rather few points of your list, that might be possible to be realized. With some 'bribing', i.e. in releaving the memberstates from their financial burdens to maintain troops by their own purse, it might be possible to gain enough votes within the Bundesrat to set-up an imperial army along the lines of the imperial navy that also was not bound to some singular memberstate or states.
What would ofc. had to include an at least official seperation of Prussia and the army High-command. Simply by numbers the prussian-born soldiers as well as generals would still have an overwhelming majority.
Though that would not only include a personality-switch of Wilhelm - as already pointed out - away from the 'first-and-foremost King of PRUSSIA selfperception but also of every prussian officer and soldier who also were first-and-foremost officers of the prussian King ... and NOT the german Emperor.
....
  • The central government runs the country. In practice, it will devolve some power to local administrators, but this will be purely prudential rather than a matter of right.
...
Wow, here you depict the wet dream of Bismarck and every chancellor up to Max von Baden as the last chancellor of the German Realm not ot forget every State Secretary of Domestic Affairs during the 2nd german empire.
Tbh I don't see how you would get a majority of the memberstates to agree on something like that. It would make them superflous and esp. their administrations ruling over almost all of the finances being generated and moved within Germany.
....
  • The Kaiser will be a sort of president-for-life, in the sense of exercising the powers of the American president for life (not the sense of a Latin American dictator for life). This would probably be dressed up in some propaganda about how the Kaiser embodies the guiding spirit of the nation.
...
A proper description of the Kaisers position IOTL. Aside that it was his dynasty that was awarded the position.
To make it 'only' a life-time job with an election for the next 'Kaiser Elected' you actually would return to the principles and processes of the HRE. :closedeyesmile:



What's the most likely result? German civil war? Reform himself right out of a job? Preemptive invasion by neighbors who see the reforms as prelude to war? Eternal peace and prosperity as Europe avoids the world wars and people from all walks of life join hands and sing together in harmony?
Well the only way to achieve kinda 'united', centralized german empire as you seem to think of would be by another 'german war' :
-Prussia against everybody
-with all of the other states falling under the head of the House of Hohenzollern, Wilhelm becomming also the King of Bavaria, Saxony, Grand-Duke of Badenia, etc., etc.. ... as the House of Windsor posseses the crowns of ... a lot of countries.​
 
Top