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he had done with his grandfather;
then he would set himself up as dic-
tator and Wilhelm II as the helpless
pawn. But Wilhelm II was a skilful
politician. A struggle for supremacy
between Bismarck and Wilhelm
II ended with Bismarck being for-
ced to resign on 18 March 1890.
Wilhelm II sought to make Germany
a great world power with a navy and
colonies to rival Britain's. An arms
race now began with the United
Kingdom -- the prelude to the First
World War.

Bismarck retired and spent the
remainder of his life trying to dis-
credit Wilhelm II while defending
his own policies, although the em-
peror made numerous attempts at
reconciliation. His principal activity
in retirement was the writing of his
Reflections and Reminiscences, a
work of great literary merit but not
historically accurate.

Bismarck was a political genius
whose greatness was supported by
unconventional intelligence, prag-
matic improvisation, exuberant
confidence, boundless energy and
overbearing willpower. His policies
were always quick, devious and ima-
ginative. Like De Gaulle, he believed
that power should be enveloped in
a bewildering mystique and only he
Dropping The Pilot - Punch Cartoon 1890
should know the true purpose of his
inscrutable policies -- his subordi-
he tried to limit the influence of the age pensions, accident insurance,
nates were not encouraged to criti-
Roman Catholic Church which he medical care, unemployment insu-
cize his actions. He would change
perceived as an enemy of the Pro- rance, limitations on women and
course whenever it suited him,
testant Prussian state—but without child labour, and on working hours
repudiate old friends and old poli-
much success. Particularly, German - the basis of the modern welfare
cies without a pang of conscience,
nationalists feared the influence state now found throughout Europe.
and persecute rivals out of public
of Polish populations in eastern These modern liberal policies served
life. Magnanimity was not one of
Prussia led by the Catholic clergy. his own purposes -- it was a trick. his weaknesses. He wanted the king
Bismarck always regarded Polish W.E. Gladstone, the British Prime- to be the supreme ruler of Prussia,
nationalism as the greatest threat to Minister, remarked: "He made
with himself as the ruler of the king.
Prussia's existence. The Poles were Germany great and Germans small".
To achieve this, he resorted to the
subjected to harassment, but this
most unscrupulous tricks. For ins-
only resulted in them adhering more In 1888, the old emperor Wilhelm I
tance, to keep his hold on the old
fiercely to their religious tradition. died at the age of 90. His son Fre- Wilhelm I, no minister was allowed
derick III, the hope of German libe-
Then a new socialist order arose rals, succeeded him, but was already to approach the Emperor except in
the presence of Bismarck
and Bismarck tried to stifle it. From stricken with throat cancer and died
1878, he outlawed the socialist par- three months later. Frederick's son The German author Theodor
ty's organization, its assemblies and Wilhelm II then became emperor at
Fontane described him as: "This
most of its newspapers. Here again, the age of 29. After a difficult youth,
mixture of superman and artful
the repression had exactly the oppo- Wilhelm II grew up to be a bombas-
dodger."
site effect since the socialists grew tic and impetuous man of limited
stronger than ever. In an effort to experience, poor judgement and
HAYWARD BEYWOOD
defeat the socialists at their own narrow views. Bismarck hoped to
game, Bismarck introduced old- make Wilhelm II his puppet just as
[4 History