In late 1905, Theodore Roosevelt was approached by his good friend and German Ambassador [Speck von Sternberg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_Speck_von_Sternburg) about matters in Morocco. Wilhelm II, speaking via Sternberg, described to Roosevelt a plot whereby Spain and especially France, latter with England’s assistance, were colluding to keep Morocco’s markets and resources to themselves. He added: “She is bound to think of her national dignity. As soon as France discovers that Germany meekly submits to her bullying, we feel sure that she will become more aggressive in other quarters.” Hoping to use the Americans as a counterbalance to France and Britain, Wilhelm asked the president to sponsor an international conference to determine the fate of Morocco. “A word from you to England will mean a great deal,” Sternberg declared, at Wilhelm’s direction, “and I’m sure the Emperor will be most grateful to you for intimating that you would like to see England and Germany in harmony in their dealings with Morocco.”
Wilhelm himself was characteristically more forceful. The Kaiser warned that if Germany did not receive satisfaction, he would be compelled to act alone. In a typically third-person memorandum to Roosevelt, Wilhelm went as far as to utter the word that seasoned diplomats reserve for the direst emergencies. “He would have to choose between the possibility of a war with France and the examining of those conditions which France may have to propose, so as to avoid a war.” Initially, Roosevelt rebuked the Emperor. “The Kaiser’s pipe dream this week takes the form of Morocco,” Roosevelt remarked to Taft. “We have other fish to fry and we have no real interest in Morocco. I do not care to take sides between France and Germany in the matter.” Wilhelm was adamant, and wrote another letter insinuating war. “It really did look as if there might be a war,” Roosevelt explained later. The president came to conclude that while Morocco didn’t matter to the United States, Europe did, and a war between the two largest continental powers wouldn’t benefit Americans or anyone else— whatever the kaiser might think.
Ticking off the reasons for changing his mind and acceding to Wilhelm’s request for mediation, he wrote, “I felt in honor bound to try to prevent the war if I could, in the first place, because I should have felt such a war to be a real calamity to civilization; and in the next place, as I was already trying to bring about peace between Russia and Japan, I felt that a new conflict might result in what would literally be a world conflagration; and finally for the sake of France.” TR relayed Wilhelm’s spear-rattling to his other good friend and French ambassador [Jean Jusserand](https://www.reddit.com/r/HistoryMemes/s/Z0nxNtISV8). He urged Paris to agree to a conference. Whether or not the Kaiser’s complaints about Morocco had any merit, Wilhelm had worked himself into such a huff that he might well go to war out of wounded pride. Under the circumstances, magnanimity in giving Wilhelm a way back down from this particular limb would benefit everyone. The French agreed, and Roosevelt then messaged the Kaiser so that he wouldn’t ruin things by gloating. He declared of Wilhelm that “he stands as the leader among the sovereigns of today who have their faces set toward the future.” Roosevelt added: “He has won a great triumph; he has obtained what his opponents in England and France said he never would obtain, and what I myself did not believe he could obtain. The result is a striking tribute to him personally no less than to his nation, and I earnestly hope that he can see his way clear to accept it as the triumph it is.”
Source: T.R., The Last Romantic, pages 573-576
Femto-Griffith on
At this point, I think Kaiser Wilhelm II was trying to do the “taunt the opponent into declaring war” kind of like how the Ems Telegram taunted France into the Franco-Prussian War, but without really understanding why it worked so well.
Wilhelm II wanted a war, which explains many of these actions.
TiberiusGemellus on
Willy does remind of an extremely powerful certain someone today with the tendency to run his mouth without consulting with his brain first.
Nuclear-Jester on
“THIS IS WHY YOUR PARENTS NEVER LOVED YOU WILHELM”~The ghost of Bismark allegedly
JustANewLeader on
Wilhelm II is such an enigma. On the one hand, he was intelligent, well-read, generous and kind when he needed to be; on the other hand, he acted so bizarrely and aggressively as to completely make him unworthy of ruling a country.
I wonder if that’s a tragedy or a black comedy.
Cool-Champion8628 on
You could argue this was a case of Nixon’s Madman Theory of politics; the Kaiser would make out of pocket comments all the time while his more sober adjuncts in the room got down to brass tacks.
(I think he just wanted an excuse to write to President Roosevelt. Sternberg once refused to deliver a letter from Wilhelm II to Teddy on the basis that it was improper for the Kaiser of Germany to write to the President of the United States ‘*as an infatuated schoolboy might write to a pretty seamstress.*’
TalkingGuns0311 on
Poor Sternburg lol. Guy’s just trying to do a tough job and keep the peace, and ol’ Wild Mouth Willy wouldn’t stfu.
OpossumNo1 on
Honestly, Wilhelm would’ve been sooo much better off if he had been in any other position than a Prussian prince.
8 Comments
In late 1905, Theodore Roosevelt was approached by his good friend and German Ambassador [Speck von Sternberg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_Speck_von_Sternburg) about matters in Morocco. Wilhelm II, speaking via Sternberg, described to Roosevelt a plot whereby Spain and especially France, latter with England’s assistance, were colluding to keep Morocco’s markets and resources to themselves. He added: “She is bound to think of her national dignity. As soon as France discovers that Germany meekly submits to her bullying, we feel sure that she will become more aggressive in other quarters.” Hoping to use the Americans as a counterbalance to France and Britain, Wilhelm asked the president to sponsor an international conference to determine the fate of Morocco. “A word from you to England will mean a great deal,” Sternberg declared, at Wilhelm’s direction, “and I’m sure the Emperor will be most grateful to you for intimating that you would like to see England and Germany in harmony in their dealings with Morocco.”
Wilhelm himself was characteristically more forceful. The Kaiser warned that if Germany did not receive satisfaction, he would be compelled to act alone. In a typically third-person memorandum to Roosevelt, Wilhelm went as far as to utter the word that seasoned diplomats reserve for the direst emergencies. “He would have to choose between the possibility of a war with France and the examining of those conditions which France may have to propose, so as to avoid a war.” Initially, Roosevelt rebuked the Emperor. “The Kaiser’s pipe dream this week takes the form of Morocco,” Roosevelt remarked to Taft. “We have other fish to fry and we have no real interest in Morocco. I do not care to take sides between France and Germany in the matter.” Wilhelm was adamant, and wrote another letter insinuating war. “It really did look as if there might be a war,” Roosevelt explained later. The president came to conclude that while Morocco didn’t matter to the United States, Europe did, and a war between the two largest continental powers wouldn’t benefit Americans or anyone else— whatever the kaiser might think.
Ticking off the reasons for changing his mind and acceding to Wilhelm’s request for mediation, he wrote, “I felt in honor bound to try to prevent the war if I could, in the first place, because I should have felt such a war to be a real calamity to civilization; and in the next place, as I was already trying to bring about peace between Russia and Japan, I felt that a new conflict might result in what would literally be a world conflagration; and finally for the sake of France.” TR relayed Wilhelm’s spear-rattling to his other good friend and French ambassador [Jean Jusserand](https://www.reddit.com/r/HistoryMemes/s/Z0nxNtISV8). He urged Paris to agree to a conference. Whether or not the Kaiser’s complaints about Morocco had any merit, Wilhelm had worked himself into such a huff that he might well go to war out of wounded pride. Under the circumstances, magnanimity in giving Wilhelm a way back down from this particular limb would benefit everyone. The French agreed, and Roosevelt then messaged the Kaiser so that he wouldn’t ruin things by gloating. He declared of Wilhelm that “he stands as the leader among the sovereigns of today who have their faces set toward the future.” Roosevelt added: “He has won a great triumph; he has obtained what his opponents in England and France said he never would obtain, and what I myself did not believe he could obtain. The result is a striking tribute to him personally no less than to his nation, and I earnestly hope that he can see his way clear to accept it as the triumph it is.”
Source: T.R., The Last Romantic, pages 573-576
At this point, I think Kaiser Wilhelm II was trying to do the “taunt the opponent into declaring war” kind of like how the Ems Telegram taunted France into the Franco-Prussian War, but without really understanding why it worked so well.
Wilhelm II wanted a war, which explains many of these actions.
Willy does remind of an extremely powerful certain someone today with the tendency to run his mouth without consulting with his brain first.
“THIS IS WHY YOUR PARENTS NEVER LOVED YOU WILHELM”~The ghost of Bismark allegedly
Wilhelm II is such an enigma. On the one hand, he was intelligent, well-read, generous and kind when he needed to be; on the other hand, he acted so bizarrely and aggressively as to completely make him unworthy of ruling a country.
I wonder if that’s a tragedy or a black comedy.
You could argue this was a case of Nixon’s Madman Theory of politics; the Kaiser would make out of pocket comments all the time while his more sober adjuncts in the room got down to brass tacks.
(I think he just wanted an excuse to write to President Roosevelt. Sternberg once refused to deliver a letter from Wilhelm II to Teddy on the basis that it was improper for the Kaiser of Germany to write to the President of the United States ‘*as an infatuated schoolboy might write to a pretty seamstress.*’
Poor Sternburg lol. Guy’s just trying to do a tough job and keep the peace, and ol’ Wild Mouth Willy wouldn’t stfu.
Honestly, Wilhelm would’ve been sooo much better off if he had been in any other position than a Prussian prince.