re: #298 Feline Fearless Leader

But all the ethnic groups in Europe thought they were superior to the others.

Though Germany had this odd inferiority complex running though it at both the citizen and leadership level. Late to consolidate into a nation-state, got leftovers in the race for imperial colonies in Asia and Africa. And in the middle position between the other European land powers.

And then Wilhelm shows his independence from Bismarck by undoing everything he’d done to keep France and Russia apart, plus starting a large naval building program*, which is the one thing that will really alarm the UK.

* - Which seems to mainly have been based on jealousy and not any real national need for a large navy.

Most of the German navy stayed in port at first. Wilhelm built a navy, but didn’t want to risk his “babies” being sunk by the British navy, which in turn was mighty puzzled why it hardly saw any German ships — at least in 1914.

Wilhelm is a good example of the folly of having an absolute ruler run a country. Reading Tuchman I get the impression of an immature, emotionally unstable aristocrat who was accustomed to getting exactly what he wanted.