Chancellor Theobold von Bethmann-Hollweg

Bethmann-Hollweg became Chancellor in 1909. He was chosen to help with the domestic political problems facing Germany at that time. Although, he soon became more and more involved with foreign affairs. He had tried to reduce the strength of the Triple Entente powers but ultimately failed. During the war, he tried to start peace negotiations with the allied powers. However, German generals made unreasonably severe demands that ruined these attempts to stop the war. He also argued against the use of unrestricted submarine warfare on the grounds that it would bring the USA in to the war. In the end, it was the German High Command who demanded that Bethmann-Hollweg be removed from the Chancellorship in 1917.

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