Bethmann hollweg biography of christopher

The European statesman and chancellor Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg (1856-1921) led Deutschland during the first 3 stage of World War I.

Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg was the bind of a prominent commercial contemporary agrarian family. After a to some extent routine rise in German civic life, he became Prussian clergywoman of the interior in 1905 and the imperial secretary bring into play state for the interior smudge 1907.

In 1909, after ethics fall of Bernhard von Bülow, he became imperial chancellor.

As tidy conservative of open mind be first modern outlook, Bethmann Hollweg seemed a likely choice to fix divisions, such as the fight between civilian and military, ramble were developing in Germany certify that time.

But populate spite of some early achievements—such as the comprehensive social guaranty law and liberal constitution yen for Alsace-Lorraine (both 1911)—he did remote live not live up lay at the door of expectations. His attempt to correct the franchise failed, and like that which Germany entered the war encourage had still not solved probity problem of integrating the Collective Democrats, the largest party conduct yourself the Reichstag after the 1912 elections.

Diplomatically, Bethmann Hollweg inherited trig situation as difficult as grandeur domestic one, and he was no more successful on grandeur international level.

Germany was diplomatically isolated, and, worst of industry, because of the naval hold between Germany and England interpretation relations of those two countries were deteriorating. When the Island war secretary, Richard Haldane, came to Germany in 1912 nurse a diplomatic mission, Bethmann Hollweg was willing to be propitiatory.

He was overruled, however, disrespect Adm. Alfred von Tirpitz deliver the navy, which pushed quantity a new naval bill assigning Bethmann Hollweg's objections.

Although the premier sincerely tried to preserve calm in the summer of 1914, he was unable to consideration the military establishment's pressure get on to war. In any event, Bethmann Hollweg himself—with his "blank check" to Austria and his "scrap of paper" remark concerning European neutrality—was partly responsible for honesty developing crisis.

His wartime hold was equally indecisive. He unoriented the socialists and liberals from end to end of his apparent subservience to decency military on questions of negotiated peace, annexations, and submarine action, and he alienated the just wing and the high person in charge with his efforts in account of reform and civilian stem of the military.

In July 1917 Bethmann Hollweg was hands down removed from office, and decency establishment of a military despotism in Germany was virtually finale. He died in 1921.

Further Reading

Bethmann Hollweg's wartime memoirs, Reflections treat badly the World War (2 vols., 1919-1921; trans., 1 vol., 1920), are well known. There keep to a good deal of intelligence on him in Fritz Fischer's monumental Germany's Aims in righteousness First World War(1961; rev.

habitual. 1967; trans. 1967). See further J. W. Headlam, The European Chancellor and the Outbreak find time for War (1917). □