Divergences 1888

In our timeline, on March the 9th, 1888, the German Kaiser Wilhelm I died at the age of 91. His son, the Emperor Frederick III, would die after only 99 days on the throne due to lung cancer, leaving the belligerent Kaiser Wilhelm II to lead Germany into a spiral of isolation, war mongering, and eventually, the ruinous Great War.



Imagine, for a moment, if the liberal and pro-British Frederick III did not have lung cancer. Imagine if he had lived beyond 99 days on the throne, not marred by bed rest, and instead had lead Germany into a brave new future. This is Kaiserreich: Divergences.'

Kaiser Wilhelm I's death on March 9th leaves the nation in mourning. His son, Frederick III, is suffering from lung cancer and not expected to live long. He attempts to lead Germany in a more liberal direction in the brief time he has, however. He creates a bill that would limit the power of the Kaiser and the Chancellor. The Chancellor, appointed by the Kaiser, has the power to shut down the Reichstag for any reason, mainly if they begin passing laws which angers the Kaiser in fact. In our timeline, Frederick dies before the law can pass. In this timeline, however, in the only POD, the Kaiser's help begins to make a comeback, and after 99 days on the throne, his cancer is entirely gone. A new era has dawned for Germany.

Immediately upon his recovery, the Kaiser begins an ambitious project to make new alliances with European nations. Currently the Nation enjoys an unofficial alliance with Russia and Austria, friendly relations with Britain, neutral relations with the United States, and a rivalry with France. The Kaiser invites his mother in law, Queen Victoria, to the country to both entertain and plan the wedding of his nephew Alfred to the British princess (also in our timeline). Keeping Bismarck on as an adviser, realizing he is woefully unprepared to be Kaiser (in our timeline Wilhelm II, foolishly believing himself able to lead Germany, dismisses the Chancellor). Although Bismarck and Frederick disagree on liberalness in the country, the experienced Chancellor and the new Kaiser still get along well, both making compromises to ensure German dominance.

For the next two years, the country continues much as it had under Wilhelm I. Germany slowly grows its colonial web in Africa, industry grows, and France finds itself slowly more and more isolated, as the now extremely democratic Germany enjoys extremely positive relations, growing its previous friendship with Britain. The German power-bloc of Austria-Germany-Russia is not entirely solidified, however. In 1890, our timeline, Kaiser Wilhelm II is forced to choose between a permanent Austrian or Russian alliance when Austrian-Russian arguments over the fate of the Southern Slavs in the Balkans breaks out again. In our timeline, the un-pragmatic Kaiser finalizes an alliance with Austria, believing his South-German brethren to be superior. However, Frederick III, with the unflinching and bold Bismarck, sees the trouble with his South German friend, and the advantage in close ties with the mighty Russia (who has seemly endless manpower and resources), and with full knowledge than an isolated Austria would provide an alliance with France, seeks to break apart the un-liberalized Austrian Empire.