The Lion and the Eagle: Anglo-German Naval Confrontation in the Imperial Era - 1815-1919 by David J. Gregory

Author:David J. Gregory
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: David Gregory in conjunction with Writersworld
Published: 2012-09-04T04:00:00+00:00

Kaiser Wilhelm II, as quoted by Colonel Stuart-Wortley

The change of Chancellor was actually influenced by one of the Kaiser’s self-inflicted diplomatic crises. Bülow played a characteristically slippery role in this process, and, by doing so, eventually lost the remaining trust that Wilhelm had reposed in him.

In late 1907, Wilhelm paid a state visit to Britain. He was not in the best frame of mind at that time, as one of his closest confidantes, and behind the scenes ‘fixer’, Prince Philip ‘Phili’ von Eulenberg, had been implicated in a sensational and much-publicised homosexual scandal. The affair had, by then, reached the courts. This was in an age when homosexuality was not only a criminal offence, but socially tainted anyone associated with those touched by suspicion. As Eulenberg was known to be an intimate friend of the Kaiser, the trial was an excruciating embarrassment to the latter. Far too late, Wilhelm attempted to distance himself from his former favourite. Already perceived, in the eyes of many of his subjects, as lacking judgement in his choice of friends, he now stood accused of compounding this error with the additional charge of disloyalty.

The self styled ‘All Highest’ and ‘Supreme Warlord’ was deeply humiliated by his exposure to the often caustic press comment, public censure, and private ridicule that ensued. In the circumstances, the acutely depressed Wilhelm did not feel in the mood to undertake a planned visit to Great Britain, and it was only with some difficulty, and stiff pressure from the British, that he was persuaded to meet his state obligations.

As it happened, the Kaiser’s visit was a considerable success, and both governments were well satisfied with the results, which gave a boost to improving mutual relations. The enthusiastic reception given to Wilhelm raised his flagging spirits somewhat, and, at the end of the official leg of the visit, he decided to stay on in a private capacity. His incorrigibly Anglophobe wife had returned to Germany immediately, and, released from her influence, Wilhelm was happy to relax away from the immediate problems awaiting him back in Berlin. The Eulenberg unpleasantness could be cast from the mind for a while.

He hired a small castle on the south coast of England and invited the owner, Colonel Stuart-Wortley, to stay as his guest. There he entertained and mingled with the local gentry. For Wilhelm, it was an opportunity to play one of his favourite roles; that of the English country squire. It was also a much welcomed opportunity to be rid of the stultifying pomp and circumstance of the Prussian Court – paradoxically, a burden he assiduously perpetuated once he returned to his native soil.

Wilhelm never mastered the language of diplomacy. He pronounced as an emperor or he spoke man to man. He was a stranger to most of the stages that intervened between these conditions. In the latter mode he often pontificated, but he was erudite, amusing, and frequently indiscreet. His natural exuberance spilled over into his conversation, and he was prone to making exaggerated statements to emphasise the points he was trying to make.

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