Bernhard von Bülow facts for kids

Quick facts for kids His Serene Highness Bernhard von Bülow Prince of Bülow
Bernhard von Bülow in 1899
Chancellor of Germany (Imperial Germany) Minister President of Prussia
In office 17 October 1900 – 14 July 1909
Monarch	Wilhelm II
Deputy	Arthur von Posadowsky-Wehner Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg
Preceded by	Chlodwig zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst
Succeeded by	Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg
Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs
In office 20 October 1897 – 16 October 1900
Chancellor	Chlodwig zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst
Preceded by	Adolf Marschall von Bieberstein
Succeeded by	Oswald von Richthofen
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Prussia
In office 20 October 1897 – 14 July 1909
Prime Minister	Chlodwig zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst Himself
Preceded by	Adolf Marschall von Bieberstein
Succeeded by	Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg
Personal details
Born	Bernhard Heinrich Karl Martin von Bülow (1849-05-03)3 May 1849 Klein-Flottbeck, Duchy of Holstein, German Confederation
Died	28 October 1929(1929-10-28) (aged 80) Rome, Italy
Spouse	Maria Beccadelli di Bologna
Alma mater	University of Lausanne University of Berlin University of Leipzig University of Greifswald
Signature

Bernhard Heinrich Karl Martin, Prince of Bülow (German: Bernhard Heinrich Karl Martin Fürst von Bülow German: [fɔn ˈbyːloː]; 3 May 1849 – 28 October 1929) was an important German statesman. He served as Germany's foreign minister for three years. Later, he became the Chancellor of the German Empire from 1900 to 1909.

Bülow strongly believed in Weltpolitik, which meant making Germany a leading power worldwide. During his time as Chancellor, Germany saw great economic growth and new technology. However, his foreign policy sometimes made other countries upset. This played a part in the start of the First World War.

Bernhard von Bülow: Germany's Leader

Early Life and Education

Bernhard von Bülow was born in Klein-Flottbeck, Holstein, which is now part of Hamburg. His father, Bernhard Ernst von Bülow, was a statesman from Denmark and Germany. His mother, Louise Victorine Rücker, was from a wealthy family. Bernhard learned English and French from his governesses when he was young. His father spoke French, and his mother spoke English.

In 1856, his father worked in Frankfurt, where he met Otto von Bismarck. Bernhard became good friends with Bismarck's son, Herbert. When Bernhard was 13, his family moved to Neustrelitz. He studied at universities in Lausanne, Leipzig, and Berlin.

Military Service and Law

During the Franco-Prussian War, Bernhard volunteered for the army. He became a lance-corporal and later a lieutenant. He fought in battles and was invited to stay in the army after the war, but he chose not to. Instead, he finished his law degree at the University of Greifswald in 1872. After that, he worked for the Prussian government and then joined the diplomatic service. He was a Lutheran.

Starting a Career in Diplomacy

In 1873, Bernhard's father became the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. Bernhard then joined the diplomatic corps. He had short assignments in Rome, St. Petersburg, Vienna, and Athens. In 1876, he worked at the German embassy in Paris. He also helped as a secretary at the Congress of Berlin.

In 1884, he became the first secretary at the embassy in St. Petersburg, Russia. Otto von Bismarck believed that good relations with Russia were very important. Bülow married Maria Anna Zoe Rosalia Beccadelli di Bologna in 1886. She was a talented pianist. This marriage was helpful for his career. In 1888, he chose to work in Bucharest, Romania. Later, in 1893, he became the ambassador to Rome, Italy.

Becoming Foreign Secretary

In 1897, Kaiser Wilhelm II asked Bülow to become the new Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. This was a very important job. Bülow's father had held this position before. Wilhelm wanted Germany to build a strong navy that could compete with Britain's.

Bülow and Wilhelm developed a good working relationship. Instead of disagreeing with the Kaiser, Bülow often agreed with him. Sometimes, he would quietly do what he thought was best, knowing the Kaiser might forget his earlier instructions. This made Wilhelm trust him. Bülow was the first professional diplomat to lead the Foreign Office since Bismarck. In 1899, he was given the title of Count after successfully getting the Caroline Islands for Germany.

Leading Germany as Chancellor

Bernhard Fürst von Bülow (left) at Berlin's Tiergarten.

In October 1900, Kaiser Wilhelm asked Bülow to become the Chancellor and Prime Minister of Prussia. Bülow accepted the important role. He made sure to always stay on the Kaiser's good side. Wilhelm trusted him greatly, saying, "Since I have Bülow I can sleep peacefully."

Bülow was known for defending Germany's actions in places like China. He also often had to explain or smooth over the Kaiser's public mistakes. In 1905, he was promoted to major general in the army.

Policies at Home

During Bülow's time as Chancellor, several important changes were made.

• Workers could claim accident insurance for a longer time (1900).
• Industrial courts became required in towns with many people (1901).
• Health insurance was expanded, and rules about child labor were strengthened (1903).
• A new law improved the secret ballot for elections (1904).
• Members of the Reichstag (Germany's parliament) started getting paid (1906).

Bülow also created a group of political parties called the "Bülow Bloc." These parties were strongly patriotic and supported the Kaiser. They did well in the 1906 election.

Economic Changes

Bülow's government increased taxes on imported farm products in 1902. This made German grain very protected. His government also made trade agreements with other European countries. These agreements started in 1906.

Foreign Policy and Alliances

As foreign minister, Bülow supported building up Germany's navy. He hoped this would make Germany a stronger player on the world stage. However, his actions sometimes made Britain feel uneasy. Britain, France, and Russia began to form closer ties, which worried Germany.

Britain and France had been rivals for a long time. But King Edward VII of Britain worked to improve relations with France. They signed the Entente Cordiale in 1904. This agreement settled their differences, especially over colonies. France agreed not to challenge British control in Egypt. In return, Britain supported France's claims in Morocco.

Germany was informed about this new agreement. At first, the German press said it didn't harm Germany's interests. However, Bülow and his advisors worried that Germany was being left out. They thought the agreement could hurt German trade and influence in Morocco.

Bülow decided to support an independent Morocco. He even encouraged the United States to get involved. In 1905, Bülow convinced Kaiser Wilhelm to visit Tangier in Morocco. The Kaiser gave a speech there, supporting Morocco's independence. This showed Germany's strong interest in the region.

The Algeciras Conference

Because of the tensions, an international meeting called the Algeciras Conference was held in 1906. Its goal was to discuss Morocco's future. During the conference, a large British navy fleet visited the port. This showed Britain's support for France.

The conference did not go well for Germany. Most countries voted against Germany's ideas. Bülow's advisor, Holstein, wanted to threaten war. But Bülow told him to stop. Germany did not get what it wanted from the conference. This outcome was not popular in Germany. In April 1906, Bülow had to defend the results to the Reichstag. During a heated discussion, he collapsed from overwork. After a month of rest, he returned to his duties.

The Daily Telegraph Interview

In 1907, Kaiser Wilhelm visited Britain. While there, he spoke freely to a house owner, Colonel Edward Montague Stuart-Wortley. Stuart-Wortley wrote an article about their talks for The Daily Telegraph newspaper. He sent it to Wilhelm for approval.

Wilhelm then sent the article to Bülow to review. Wilhelm asked Bülow not to show it to the Foreign Office. But Bülow sent it to his staff without reading it himself. The article was then published. It caused a huge stir.

In the article, Wilhelm made comments that offended people in Japan, France, Russia, and especially Britain. Germans were also upset because he claimed to have helped the British in their war against the Boers, whom most Germans supported.

Bülow was criticized for not properly reviewing the article. He denied reading it, but many wondered how he could have missed it. People began to question the Kaiser's ability to rule. Bülow offered to resign, but Wilhelm refused. Bülow then defended himself and the Kaiser in the Reichstag. He explained that the Kaiser's comments were well-intentioned. He promised that such mistakes would not happen again.

Von Bülow, Emperor Wilhelm II, Rudolf von Valentini (left to right) in 1908

The Kaiser was away during the Reichstag debate, which drew more criticism. When he returned, Bülow convinced him to agree with his statements to the Reichstag. Wilhelm was very upset and even thought about giving up his throne.

After a while, Wilhelm started to blame Bülow for the whole affair. He decided that Bülow needed to be replaced. In June 1909, Bülow's government lost a vote on a new tax. Wilhelm told Bülow that if he lost the vote, he would have to resign. Bülow offered his resignation on June 26, 1909.

On July 14, his resignation was announced. Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg became the new Chancellor. Wilhelm thanked Bülow for his service. Bülow received the Order of the Black Eagle with diamonds, a high honor.

Later Life and World War I

After leaving office in 1909, Bülow mostly lived in his villa in Rome, Italy. He also spent parts of the summer in Germany. He had inherited a large fortune, which allowed him to live comfortably. He wrote four books about Imperial Germany, which were published after his death. These books changed how people saw him.

Wartime Diplomat

From 1914 to 1915, Bülow served as Germany's ambassador to Italy. His goal was to convince King Victor Emmanuel III to join Germany and Austria-Hungary in the war. Italy had declared itself neutral at the start of the war.

Italy wanted certain territories from Austria-Hungary as compensation. Bülow was open to Italy's demands. However, Austria-Hungary was not willing to give up much land. Negotiations continued for months. In May 1915, Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary. Bülow left Rome the next day. He felt his mission had been impossible.

After the War

After the war, Bülow continued to live in Rome and Germany. His name was mentioned as a possible Chancellor in 1921. However, he was not popular enough with the German people or parliament.

Bernhard von Bülow died on October 28, 1929, in Rome.

Personality and Legacy

Bülow was known for being charming and speaking several languages. He was comfortable in high society and could impress people. Some colleagues thought he was not always trustworthy. He was good at debating in the Reichstag but sometimes lazy in his duties. He was a good choice to work with Kaiser Wilhelm II because he knew how to flatter and agree with the Kaiser.

Titles and Honours

• Given the noble title of Prince (Fürst) in 1905.
• Honorary member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences.
• Honorary doctorates from the Universities of Königsberg and Münster.
• Canon of the Brandenburg Cathedral chapter.
• Bülowplatz in Berlin-Mitte was named after him from 1910 to 1933 (now Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz).

German orders and decorations

Foreign orders and decorations

Military appointments

• À la suite of the Prussian Army

See also

In Spanish: Bernhard von Bülow para niños