Prince Bernhard Heinrich Martin Karl von Bülow

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(b. 3 May 1849; d. 28 Oct. 1929) German; Chancellor 1900 – 9 Von Bülow seemed to personify the spirit of the age. He wanted Germany to get its "place in the sun" and become a world power. He followed his father into the diplomatic service, working in Vienna, Athens, Paris, and St Petersburg. Because he married a newly divorced woman he was banished to Romania from 1888 to 1893. During this time he became a convinced adherent of Treitschke, the historian who believed in the inevitability of Germany's rise to power. Von Bülow advocated close ties with Russia, indifference to Austria, caution vis-à-vis France, and hostility towards Britain. In 1893 he was appointed ambassador to Italy, and head of the Foreign Ministry in 1897. He was promoted to Chancellor in 1900, with a brief from the Kaiser to allay British suspicions of Germany's efforts to build a fleet, and finance its construction. This policy failed, causing fierce competition in naval building between Britain and Germany. The defeat of Russia in 1905 was also a blow to von Bülow, as Japan was an ally of Britain. Russia became allied to France and Britain.

In Germany Bülow gained Centre Party support for his programme and was the first Chancellor to attempt to govern through a parliamentary majority. He introduced tariffs which helped agriculture, especially the big landowners; when the Centre politicians criticized his colonialism, he dropped them and formed a Conservative-Liberal block which won the election of 1907. This fell apart after the left Liberals could not be appeased over political and financial reforms. He was already seriously damaged because he approved publication in the Daily Telegraph of an interview with the Kaiser which offended many in Britain and Germany alike. He was forced to resign in 1909.

Bülow, Bernhard, Fürst von (Klein Flottbek nr. Hamburg, 1849-1929, Rome), was chancellor of the German Empire from 1900 to 1909. Bülow was created Graf in 1899, Fürst in 1905. He served as an officer in the war of 1870-1 and then entered the diplomatic service (1874), holding appointments in Athens, Paris, St Petersburg, and Bucharest, and was ambassador in Rome (1893). In 1897 he became foreign secretary and three years later succeeded Hohenlohe as chancellor. Bülow's policy of holding aloof from other powers (notably Great Britain) in order to secure better terms of agreement was a failure which was marked by the formation of the Entente Cordiale in 1904, by German isolation in the Moroccan crisis of 1905; and by the Anglo-Russian agreement of 1907. His handling of the Daily Telegraph affair (see Daily Telegraph-Affäre), which was partly due to his negligence, alienated the Emperor, and led eventually to his fall. Skilful as a negotiator, he lacked vision, and has passed into history as an ‘Epigone’, who squandered Bismarck's political heritage.