Instant Access To 100,000+ Essays!

Germany’s Kaiser William II’s foreign policy and the Schlieffen Plan were two crucial factors in causing World War I. By reversing Bismark’s carefully planned out policies towards Britain and Russia and dismissing Bismark from chancellor, William’s foreign policies were one of the main causes of WWI. After becoming Kaiser of Germany in 1888, William II quickly dismissed Bismark from the position of chancellor in 1890. William took this as an opportunity to reverse Bismark’s meticulously planned policies towards Britain and Russia. One of these policies included the Reinsurance Treaty signed in 1887, which formed an alliance between Germany and Russia. This policy stated that Germany was to remain neutral if Austria attacked Russia and that Russia would remain neutral if France attacked Germany. William allowed the Reinsurance Treaty to lapse, which provided for neutrality if either Russia of Germany were to become involved in a defensive war.