Count Captive
Count Captive was appointed Chancellor of Germany after the tall of Bismarck in 1890. He continued on this post from 1890 to 1894.
He was a brilliant soldier but did not have sound knowledge of politics and diplomacy and failed to exercise any influence on the policies of William Kaiser II. Bismarck had also suggested him as his successor at the time of his resignation for the post of Chancellor of Germany.
Priuce Hoheniohe
ADVERTISEMENTS:
He worked as Chancellor of German Empire from 1894 to 1900. He was connected with the royal family of Russia. Prince Hoheniohe was an experienced politician and exercised some influence on the Emperor being his close relation. The emperor enjoyed the greatest freedom in his times.
Von Bulow
Von Bulow was appointed Chancellor after the death of Prince Hoheniohe. He remained on this post from 1900 to 1909.
It is said that he was the most brilliant and perhaps the most baneful figure of Imperial Germany under the last of the Hohenzollerns. But he was very proud and an imperialist. Germany was isolated due to his policies.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Bethman Hollweg
He was an honest man and worked as Chancellor of the German empire from 1909 to 1917 but he was not well versed in the game of diplomacy.
He did not have the capacity to understand the intricate diplomatic problems. He failed to influence the emperor and the High officials of the army.
Other Chancellors
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Michaelis, Count Heartling and Prince Maximilian followed Bethman Hollweg respectively within a year. None of them proved worthy enough to save the German empire from decadence.
In fact, during this period the Emperor himself was his own Prime Minister. A prominent scholar has remarked about the weaknesses of these Chancellors, that the Emperor should build a pillar of stone in place of Chancellors and seek it advice to do anything. Grant and Temperley have remarked in this context:
“The Chancellors were Count Caprivi and Prince Hoheniohe, the one being too much of a soldier and the other too much of a grey beard to exercise real power.
Bethman Hollweg had a reputation for earnestness and sincerity, but he found it hard to impose his will either on the Kaiser or on the General Staff, on the turbulent Tirpitz at the Admiralty or on the boisterous Kiderlon Watoher at the foreign office.”