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:
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?
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.
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?