Q&A · 20:34-24:41

An Anglo-German alliance system

A great-power counterfactual maps how naval policy and alliance trust could reshape Europe, Japan's position, and Mediterranean security.

Question

If Kaiser Wilhelm II had shown more tact, could he have obtained an alliance with Britain, and how would that change Europe?

Short answer

The likely alignment is an Anglo-German-Austrian-Italian bloc against France and Russia, with possible Japanese involvement and major Mediterranean consequences.

Notes

The 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.