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Wilhelm was a constitutional monarch and shared power with his ministers and an elected parliament, or Reichstag. However, the kaiser had the final say on all significant matters, including appointments.<ref name=rohl18>Röhl, John C. G., ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=FN9GAgAAQBAJ&dq= Wilhelm II: Into the Abyss of War and Exile, 1900–1941]'', Cambridge University Press, 2014, p. xxviii.</ref> His supporters boasted that he was the "mightiest ruler on earth."<ref name=rohl17>Röhl, p. xxvii.</ref> His manic depressive personality led to chaotic policymaking.

Wilhelm was a constitutional monarch and shared power with his ministers and an elected parliament, or Reichstag. However, the kaiser had the final say on all significant matters, including appointments.<ref name=rohl18>Röhl, John C. G., ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=FN9GAgAAQBAJ&dq= Wilhelm II: Into the Abyss of War and Exile, 1900–1941]'', Cambridge University Press, 2014, p. xxviii.</ref> His supporters boasted that he was the "mightiest ruler on earth."<ref name=rohl17>Röhl, p. xxvii.</ref> His manic depressive personality led to chaotic policymaking.

Wilhelm's foreign policy aimed at "Napoleanic supremacy" over France and Russia. In the kaiser's view, Napolean's mistake was to go to war with Britain, something he hoped to avoid. Wilhelm had great enthusiasm for naval matters, and Germany began building a high seas fleet in 1900. The kaiser hoped to use his navy to intimidate Britain into severing its alliance with France. He give up on this project after the British intervened in the Agadir Crisis in 1911 in support of French interests. Public opinion was outraged to learn that the resources expended on the fleet over the years would not give Germany its promised "place in the sun." The military and the right wing parties agitated in favor of a military solution. The Reichstag approved army expansion in July 1913. The General Staff adopted the "Schlieffen Plan" to invade France by way of Belgium.

Wilhelm's foreign policy aimed at "Napoleanic supremacy" over France and Russia. In the kaiser's view, Napolean's mistake was to go to war with Britain, something he hoped to avoid. Wilhelm had great enthusiasm for naval matters, and Germany began building a high seas fleet in 1900. The kaiser hoped to use his navy to intimidate Britain into severing its alliance with France. He give up on this project after the British intervened in the Agadir Crisis in 1911 in support of French interests. When the public learned that the high seas fleet would not be enough to give Germany its promised "place in the sun," the response was emotional and polarized. The military and the right wing parties agitated in favor of a military solution. The Reichstag approved army expansion in July 1913. The General Staff adopted the "Schlieffen Plan" to invade France by way of Belgium.

The planned invasion was launched in August 1914, triggering [[World War I]]. Although the assassination of Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo in July created a useful pretext, this wasn't enough to prevent British involvement. The British were outraged by the invasion of neutral Belgium. They responded with a declaration of war against Germany, as well as full military support for the Belgians and French.

The planned invasion was launched in August 1914, triggering [[World War I]]. Although the assassination of Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo in July created a useful pretext, this wasn't enough to prevent British involvement. The British were outraged by the invasion of neutral Belgium. They responded with a declaration of war against Germany, as well as full military support for the Belgians and French.

==The Agadir Crisis (1911)==

==The Agadir Crisis (1911)==

In earlier diplomatic incidents, the kaiser and his government had asserted Germany's rights while public opinion had remained cautious. This dynamic reversed in the Agadir crisis of 1911. The crisis began on July 1 when Germany sent the gunboat SMS ''Panther'' to the port of Agadir in Morocco. This move was engineered by German Foreign Minister Kiderlen, who left the rest of the government in the dark during much of the crisis that followed. It was a challenge to France, which considered Morocco to be part of its sphere of influence.  

In earlier diplomatic incidents, the kaiser and his government had asserted Germany's rights while public opinion had remained cautious. This dynamic reversed in the Agadir crisis of 1911. The crisis began on July 1 when Germany sent the gunboat SMS ''Panther'' to the port of Agadir in Morocco. The move was engineered by German Foreign Minister Kiderlen, who left the rest of the government in the dark during much of the crisis that followed. It was a challenge to France, which considered Morocco to be part of its sphere of influence.  

On July 21, Prime Minister Lloyd George announced that Britain was prepared to go to war to avoid French humiliation in Morocco. In Germany, this intervention triggered a wave of Anglophobia.<ref>Röhl, p. 874. "The British decision of July 1911 to protect France by threatening Germany with war and mobilizing the Royal Navy had strengthened to an alarming degree the aversion felt in broad sections of the public in Germany and among the ruling elite towards Great Britain. The fatalistic belief gained ground that sooner or later war with the naval Power and its Entente partner France was inevitable."</ref>

On July 21, Prime Minister Lloyd George announced that Britain was prepared to go to war to avoid French humiliation in Morocco. In Germany, this intervention triggered a wave of Anglophobia.<ref>Röhl, p. 874. "The British decision of July 1911 to protect France by threatening Germany with war and mobilizing the Royal Navy had strengthened to an alarming degree the aversion felt in broad sections of the public in Germany and among the ruling elite towards Great Britain. The fatalistic belief gained ground that sooner or later war with the naval Power and its Entente partner France was inevitable."</ref>

==Opposition in the Reichstag (1912-1913)==

==Opposition in the Reichstag (1912-1913)==

In the Reichstag election of January 1912, voters turned against the militarism of the right-wing parties. The number of seats held by the Social Democratic Party more than doubled from 43 to 110 (out of a total of 397). For the first time, the three left-of-center parties, namely the Social Democrats (110), Center Party (91), and the Progressive People's Party (42), together secured a working majority. The Center Party is the precursor of the Christian Democratic Union, Germany's post-World War II conservative movement. The PPP is the precursor of the modern Free Democrats.

The Reichstag election of January 1912 turned on the issue of war and peace. In the wake of Agadir, the right demanded stronger action against Britain and France. Left-of-center Germans, meanwhile, turned to the Social Democratic Party as a bulwark against militarism. The number of seats held by the Social Democratics more than doubled from 43 to 110 (out of a total of 397). For the first time, the three left-of-center parties, namely the Social Democrats (110), Center Party (91), and the Progressive People's Party (42), together secured a working majority. The Center Party is the precursor of the Christian Democratic Union, Germany's post-World War II conservative movement. The PPP is the precursor of the modern Free Democrats.

The Social Democrats demanded reform of the "three-tier" method of voting used in the Prussian state elections. Prussia was by far the largest of the German states at this time. In peacetime, Germany's main army was Prussian and answered to Wilhelm as Prussian king. Three-tiered voting meant that the Prussian parliament was dominated by the junkers, conservative landowners who lived east of Elbe. Agricultural was the least efficient sector of the German economy at this time, so a voting system based on agricultural wealth was anachronistic.

The Social Democrats demanded reform of the "three-tier" method of voting used in the Prussian state elections. Prussia was by far the largest of the German states at this time. In peacetime, Germany's main army was Prussian and answered to Wilhelm as Prussian king. Three-tiered voting meant that the Prussian parliament was dominated by the junkers, conservative landowners who lived east of Elbe. Agricultural was the least efficient sector of the German economy at this time, so a voting system based on agricultural wealth was anachronistic.