If Kaiser Wilhelm II had shown more tact, could he have obtained an alliance with Britain, and how would that change Europe?
Short answerThe likely alignment is an Anglo-German-Austrian-Italian bloc against France and Russia, with possible Japanese involvement and major Mediterranean consequences.
NotesThe answer begins with the premise that German naval behavior is central to whether Britain can be brought into the alliance system. It then follows the diplomatic consequences: Britain, Germany, Austria, and Italy put France and Russia on the back foot, and Japan might find a combined British-German alignment attractive for both army and navy reasons. The Mediterranean becomes especially important because Italy, Austria, and the Royal Navy together change the options available to France and Spain.