What if Kaiser Frederick Survived?

Howdy folks, I know it's been a little bit without content, but this short break has really gone a long way in helping me with content! So, for this video, we're looking into a man who never got his chance to save his country. Enjoy!

MUSIC:

Video Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:20 Personal Life
10:11 Scenario
14:53 Outro

[naughtiusmaximus]

You forgot his most heartbreaking remark in his diary "I can't die, what will happen to Germany?"

[thomasbenstead]

3:50 To the contrary, Wilhelm was pro-British up until the years leading to WWI, when the relationship soured. He adored Queen Victoria: he was in the room when she passed. And he greatly admired the British navy, and was an honorary Admiral. Read Dreadnought by Robert K Massie for more info

[dominicadrean]

Yeah Kaiser Frederick was a very weak father he let his wife torture their own son for 10 years and because of his mother's uncaring heart towards him really shaped him as a man especially towards his mother's home country I really feel bad for Kaiser Wilhelm unlike his cousin Nicholas which was a great father and loved his family Kaiser Wilhelm got nothing

[jonsouth]

Kaiser Willhelm II was far from anti-British he adored his Grandmother Queen Victoria, He adored the Royal Navy when made an honorary admiral he was very proud. It is true he had issues with certain members of the family but the idea that he was anti-British is simply not true he strongly admired Britain. Yes, he did sell guns to the Boars but he also helped the British on multiple occasions.

[dr.finnegan]

Yes, Frederick was more “liberal” than his son, but he was also a seasoned veteran of the unification wars. There’s no doubt he would’ve made a FAR better emperor than Wilhelm II.

[LiterallyRyan_Gosling]

Every time I see one of these scenario I think: "Why were we so close to a good world?"

[kylermcreynolds]

Kaiser Wilhelm’s relationship with the UK is quite bit more complicated. He disliked his mother and British politics but her loved aspects of its military especially the navy. The naval race between the two nations was one of the causes of WW1

[DarthKieduss]

I saw Fall of Eagles, which told the rise and fall of the monarchies of Germany, Russia and Austria. I also wondered how Frederick III would rule if he hadn't smoked his whole life.

[tomhalla]

It is an example of medical malpractice and history. Wilhelm II was an example of a botched forceps delivery, and his father was misdiagnosed early on, when the cancer was still treatable. Both times by British doctors, oddly.

[LT.KiraHertling]

I really appreciate you tackling this subject, virtually no one on YouTube has ever addressed what would have happened if Kaiser Friedrich III had lived and reigned longer. This is an event that would change the rest of the 19th century and the 20th century and people don't realize it. If he had lived for another 10, 12 or even 20 years, I think that even then he would not be able to transform the German Empire into a Liberal country like the United Kingdom, I think it is impossible, but with Germany becoming a country that follows National Liberalism or Conservative Liberalism would be good enough. The British and the Germans would maintain good relations without all those frictions caused by Kaiser Wilhelm II, the First World War would probably continue happening there would be no way to avoid it, but the alliances would be different. With the United Kingdom, Germany, Russia on one side and France, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire on the other, with this war lasting less than the Great War of our reality, with these nations becoming after the war. I leave here my congratulations for your great work.

[concept]

Its tragic in a sense that the two biggest wars in human history were caused by a broken family.

[theBaron]

Don't let the terminology confuse the subject. To 19th-century Prussia and the rest of Germany, "liberalism" meant a government that included universal male suffrage and a parliament that made laws, under a constitutional monarch. Frederick was in favor of an elected parliament, and was willing to accept the role of King in cooperation with the Landtag, rather than the role of an absolute monarch.

[councilofknowledge]

I love your videos Josh. Your videos were some of the biggest to inspire me to start my channel! Cheers!

[PTrit]

8:40
You can say what you want but the "Good Comerade" is the most beautiful German Song

[Walterdecarvalh]

I used to blamed Wilhelm II for ww1, but after growing up, I now only blame him for 50% of it

Edit: a lot of people are commenting without knowing a lot of basic things that Wilhelm did such as his continuous alliance to Austria Hungary despite ending the alliance of the three empire, him sabotaging germany's possible alliances to England multiple times, despite that being one of his goals, his decision to follow the generals who wanted to pursue unrestricted submarine warfare, and I could go on and on, how he sabotaged Germany's diplomacy and fucked over Bismarck.

[dieidiotenkatze]

Really appreciate you using the as the background music :p

[Supremedalex]

I’m just here for his beard. One of the best.

(I do think the history is fascinating as well)

[Plaetzchendachs]

Nice vid, just imagine how many lives would be saved without two world wars and how wonderful Europe would look today with its fine architecture

[alexandrekan]

According to Bismarck's draft of the Constitution of Imperial Germany, the Chancellor is appointed by the Emperor and thus solely responds to him. This made Bismarck untouchable since everyone knew that Wilhelm I would never have ditched him during his reign. But it is likely that without that damn cancer Frederick III would have searched for a suitable replacement as soon as the situation allowed for it. His choice might have fallen on Chlodwig, Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, a prominent southern german liberal and a relative to the Imperial family. In our timeline he actually became Chancellor in 1894 under Wilhelm II, adopting the Civil Code aka Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch (BGB) into german law.

[gothia]

He was a true chad! Standing for to his ideals but also serving his nation in war flawlessly even tho he disliked it. His treatment of french prisoners tells of respect, something he shared and earned himself.
For me his son, Wilhelm II. will always be a wannabe. He tried to follow his grandfather politically and his father in terms of personal achievements but never really reached them.