Bismarck's system without Bismarck

Personality becomes an institutional problem here rather than a collection of colorful anecdotes about Kaiser Wilhelm II. Wilhelm repeatedly assumed that he could shift positions, outmaneuver other governments, and still be regarded as a trustworthy partner. Bernhard von Bülow could manage the Kaiser but was less effective at controlling the politics beneath him. Bismarck's system demanded a level of coordination and judgment that his successors could not supply.