How could Bismarck have made the German system work under less capable successors?
Short answerGermany needed stronger constitutional accountability and a political selection system that rewarded governing ability rather than access to the Kaiser.
NotesThe viewer asks how Bismarck might have redesigned policy so that less capable successors could still succeed. The deeper need was a constitution that held leaders accountable and promoted political skill through more than imperial favor. German chancellors could thrive by pleasing the Kaiser, while British politicians had to survive party competition and elections. In this account, first-past-the-post elections also pushed British parties toward the political middle ground and tended to exclude extremes. Institutional feedback and leader selection could keep the system from depending on one exceptional operator.