Wilhelm II, the naval race, and British neutrality

If Wilhelm II in 1940 woke in his younger body in 1890, could he save Imperial Germany?

His best chance would be to stop championing the naval race, redirect funding, and seek British friendship or neutrality, though European balance-of-power politics would still make success uncertain.

The panel disagrees over whether hindsight would overcome Wilhelm II's personality and the institutions around him. The case for a different outcome starts with his personal support for naval spending. He could use army opposition to the navy's budget to reduce the fleet program, then present cooperation with the Royal Navy as a way to obtain maritime support. This could reduce the immediate Anglo-German rivalry and leave more money available to the army. One view holds that Britain's concerns about Russia and India could make German friendship, or at least British neutrality, possible. The opposing view stresses Britain's resistance to continental hegemony and Germany's ambitions toward the Low Countries. The proposed diplomatic opening remains uncertain even to its advocate.