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Old 10-23-2019, 10:01 PM   #4407
fchase8
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: New York, NY
Default Re: New Reality Seeds

Quote:
Originally Posted by Astromancer View Post
Try this idea...

Kaiser-3

In most worlds Frederick III died after ruling less than three months putting the unstable Wilheim II on the throne. In this world Frederick only had a cough. Frederick sadly came to realize his son was unstable and with Bismark's blessing had him put away and removed from the succession.

Frederick, generally dismissed as to mild and non-aggressive, was quietly cunning. He allowed France enough rope to keep on strangling themselves. He had Germany play second fiddle to Britain in such a way as to be indispensable and pretty much in the driver's seat. Russia was shown sympathy in such a way as to keep them busy elsewhere. America was allowed to stay blissfully isolationist. Japan was shown respect and slyly made an ally. And China was shorn of many key provinces in a way that almost seemed like good manners. In short, Frederick got more for Germany than Wilheim tried for, and without upsetting the power balance.

However, all good things... It is now August 1914 and Frederick is dying. His heir Prince Henry, though competent and diplomatic, is childless. Henry's heir is his brother's son August Wilheim is very conservative (his older brothers have been disqualified for various scandals).

Kaiser Henry is said to be ailing, what future awaits?

Basically, a later WWI with a much stronger Germany.
Frederick III is a great 'what might have been', a dream of a liberal Hohenzollern Germany. Though this Frederick III sounds a little utopian - not out of bounds, viable as an alternate, but not the 'most likely scenario' (which pretty much no canon GURPS Infinite Worlds is, to be fair).

Frederick III having his son put away sounds extreme, but Wilhelm's physical disability could contribute to it.

If Frederick III had his son Wilhelm put away and removed from succession, would Wilhelm have ever married/had kids/had August Wilhelm?

This timeline could have been one of the 'Bismarck' timelines named by Infinity. The last Pyramid (R.I.P.) has a Bismarck-2, where Germany didn't unify. Though this timeline's divergence wouldn't revolve directly around the Iron Chancellor, he still would have been close to its great change.
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