How might German naval and alliance policy have changed if Wilhelm II had died before taking the throne and Prince Heinrich had succeeded him?
Short answerPrince Heinrich's naval experience, opposition to Tirpitz, and French contacts could have produced a less confrontational fleet policy and a different alliance system.
NotesThe counterfactual has Wilhelm II die before taking Germany down its historical political path, leaving his younger brother to succeed him. Prince Heinrich was a naval officer, although he opposed Tirpitz's program. His professional contacts with France might also have helped repair Franco-German relations before the Franco-Russian alliance became entrenched. The succession choice links fleet policy and diplomacy to the coalition structure that shaped the First World War.