Kaiser Wilhelm II and his chancellors

From 1888 to 1918, Wilhelm II was the Kaiser of Germany and King of Prussia. On 9 March 1888, Kaiser Wilhelm I (William I) died in Berlin. He was succeeded by Wilhelm II's father, Frederick III who was already suffering from throat cancer.

Despite being a huge admirer of Bismarck, Wilhelm II encountered conflict with Germany's Iron Chancellor. The young Kaiser disagreed with Bismarck's peaceful foreign policy and wished for aggressive German expansion. The heated disagreements between Wilhelm II and Bismarck led to the resignation of the latter. In a letter, Bismarck pointed out the emperor's interference with his foreign and domestic policies. In 1890, Bismarck was succeeded by Leo von Caprivi.

Kaiser Wilhelm II ruled Germany from 1888-1918

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Leo, Graf von Caprivi (1890-94)

Caprivi was a military administrator who succeeded Bismarck as chancellor in 1890. One of Caprivi's initiatives as chancellor was the refusal to renew the Reinsurance Treaty with Russia. This ended the partnership between the tsardom and the Junkers.

Following the end of the German-Russian treaty, Caprivi supported Austro-Hungarian plans in the Balkans. Moreover, he also planned to make Great Britain part of the Triple Alliance through the German concessions to British interests in East Africa.

Economically, Caprivi lowered tariffs imposed by Bismarck. Moreover, he also rejected the renewal of anti-Socialist laws in the hope of gaining their favour. Caprivi's social and foreign policies received opposition from parties in the Reichstag. Botho Graf zu Eulenburg, Prussian prime minister, became one of Caprivi's critics. In response to the struggle between Prussia and Germany, Wilhelm II dismissed Caprivi and Eulenburg in 1894.

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Chlodwig Karl Viktor, Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst (1894-1900)

In 1894, after serving as prime minister of Bavaria in 1870 and Statthalter of Alsace-Lorraine, 75-year-old Chlodwig Karl Viktor succeeded Caprivi as chancellor of Germany. Unlike his predecessor, Hohenlohe renewed the agreement with Russia. He also dropped the support for Austria-Hungary. However, Hohenlohe made no significant efforts to pass or amend anti-Socialist laws. Generally, he attempted to copy the Bismarck era without much conflict.

On 3 January 1896, the Kruger telegram sent by Kaiser Wilhelm II to Transvaal president, Paul Kruger, ignited the German-Anglo rivalry.

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Bernhard von Bülow (1900-09)

Under the persuasion of Philipp, Fürst zu Eulenburg, Wilhelm II's personal friend, Bülow, was appointed as chancellor in 1900. Under Bülow, domestic policies such as the extension of the claiming period for accident insurance, creation of industrial arbitration courts in towns, control over child labour and expansion of health insurance were passed. In 1904, a polling booth law which improved secret ballots was also introduced.

In international politics, Bülow was able to put Germany in between the interests of other great powers such as Great Britain, France and Russia. Regarded by Wilhelm II as 'his Bismarck', Bülow pushed for aggressive foreign policy like the Kaiser wanted. During his chancellorship, Germany acquired colonies in China and the Pacific. He also supported Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz's modernisation of the German navy.

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Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg (1909-1917)

Unlike his predecessors, Hollweg had no experience in foreign affairs. On 14 July 1909, he succeeded Bülow as chancellor. His attempts to negotiate with Britain over the reduction of naval armaments in March 1909 and February 1912 resulted in nothing due to opposition from Tirpitz and the Kaiser himself. During the Balkan Crises (1912-1013), Hollweg and British Foreign Secretary, Sir Edward Grey, were successful in alleviating tensions between Russia and Austria-Hungary.

At home, despite being politically conservative, Hollweg recognised the need for moderate reforms. His diagonal policy aimed to work with a coalition of right-wing parties in the Reichstag without alienating the left. Hollweg was able to introduce a constitution for Alsace-Lorraine, but failed to democratise Prussia.

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Georg Michaelis (July - November 1917)

On 13 July 1917, following the forced resignation of Hollweg, Michaelis became the chancellor of Germany and Minister President of Prussia. Michaelis was regarded as Germany's 'first bourgeoisie chancellor'. His chancellorship was largely influenced by Paul von Hindenburg, army commander, and Erich Ludendorff, German General Staff. Although supported by the army, the new chancellor failed to get the Reichstag which was then dominated by the centre-left.

Following the naval mutinies at Wilhelmshaven, the Reichstag demanded Michaelis' resignation in August. The resignation took effect on 1 November 1917.

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Georg von Hertling (1917-18)

Prior to being chancellor of Germany and Minster President of Prussia, Hertling served as the Minister President of Bavaria between 1912 and 1917. Similar to Michaelis, Hertling was seen as a puppet of Hindenburg and Ludendorff, who at that time constituted virtual military dictatorship. Due to age and conservatism, Hertling was proven unable to manage the last quarter of the war. As a result, he was forced to resign.

Maximilian von Baden (October - November 1918)

For only 37 days, Max of Baden served as Chancellor of the German Empire. Despite his initial reluctance, Baden negotiated the armistice based on the proposal of US President Woodrow Wilson. His very short rule saw the collapse of the German Empire, abdication of Wilhelm II and transformation of the government into a parliamentary system with SPD Chairman Friedrich Ebert as president of the Weimar Republic.