University of Nebraska at Omaha DigitalCommons@UNO Student Work 8-1-1964 Friedrich von Holstein and the attempt at an alliance between Great Britain and Germany in 1901 Larry Dean Klein University of Nebraska at Omaha Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/studentwork Recommended Citation Klein, Larry Dean, "Friedrich von Holstein and the attempt at an alliance between Great Britain and Germany in 1901" (1964). Student Work. 406. https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/studentwork/406 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UNO. It has been accepted for inclusion in Student Work by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UNO. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FRIEDRICH VON HOLSTEIN AND THE ATTEMPT AT AN ALLIANCE BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN AND GERMANY IN 1901 A Thesis Presented to the Department of History «tnd the Faculty of the College of Graduate Studies University of Omaha In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts by Larry Dean Klein August I96I4. UMI Number: EP73044 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publish,ng UMI EP73044 Published by ProQuest LLC (2015). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 - 1346 Accepted for the faculty of the College of Graduate Studies of the University of Omaha, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts. ■ ■■ ... \V lHiit4 iiJfclfrwA f , Jv V VI im|hj iV < C he V■■ Vt„ .. i.jh'J , {\ >\* iSin •vi)(' wm. j* . , Chairman \ f Department; Graduate Committee Same Qepar^m@ri^ i r I, iCaAi PREFACE Friedrich von Holstein, a Vortragender Rat in the Berlin Foreign Office, influenced German foreign policy dur­ ing the Wllhelr.t&n Bra. He appeared as the controversial and mysterious figure who guided the Second Reich through the era of Veltpolitlk. Holstein’s contemporaries, as well as histo­ rians, asserted that his influence was a contributive factor In causing Germany to fight World War I. To ascertain the extent of his influence, on© must consider his actions in a particular instance. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to examine a specific diplomatic incident and, at least in this instance, place in proper perspective Holstein’s in­ fluence on German foreign policy. A significant problem, which permits an examination of his influence, is the attempt at an alliance between Great Britain and Germany in 1901. Germany, since the Bismarckian Era, had always ex­ pressed an interest in concluding an alliance with Great Britain. Her leaders realised that the geographic position of Germany exposed her frontiers to French and Russian at­ tack and that only a British alliance would provide the pro­ tection against possible invasion. The possibility of Ger­ many concluding such an agreement arore during 1901, but the proposal failed to materialize. Failure to conclude an iil alliance supposedly resulted from the actions of none other than Friedrich von Holstein* # # # «• For matters of simplification and clarification the following changes have been carried out through the entire text* In place of umlauted German letters an **eH has been inserted* and all headings on diplomatic exchanges have been limited to the surname of the correspondent* iv A canfOWLEDGEMENTS The author wishes to express his sincere appreciation to Dr* A. Stanley Trlckett, Chairman, Department of History, University of Omaha, for his guidance and counsel during the author’s attendance at the University of Omaha* This study would not have been possible without the valuable advice and assistance of Dr. Trickett. I am also grateful to Dr* Ert J. Gum for his constructive criticism on this study. Special thanks are due the Inter-Library Loan Service of the Gen© Eppley Library, University of Omaha, for aid In obtaining materials used in the research. v TABLE OP CONTENTS Page PREPACK ill ACKNOWLEDGEMEIITS ............ v Chapter I. FRIEDRICH VON HOLSTEIN AHD THE BISMARCKIAN ERA 1 Iiolstein1 s Earlier Life The Earlier Diplomatic Career of Holstein The Influence and Position of Holstein Under Bismarck Holstein and Bismarck*s Foreign Policy II. raiEDRICH VOW HOLSTEIN AND THE BISMAiiCKIAI'I “IRA 28 The Influence and Power of Holstein After 1890 Holstein, the Kaiser, and German Foreign Policy 1390-1395 Holstein and Anglo-German Relations 1895- 1901 III. FRIEDRICH VOH HOLS THIN AND THE FIRST PHASE OF THE 1901 ATTEMPT AT AW ALLIANCE ........... 65 Holstein and the Alliance Negotiations In January The Alliance Negotiations and the Far East Holstein and the Alliance Negotiations in February IV. FRIEDRICH VON HOLSTEIN AND THE SECOND PHASE OF THE 1901 ATTEMPT AT AN ALLIANCE ........... * 8? Holstein and the Alliance Negotiations in March and April Holstein and the Alliance Negotiations in May Holstein and the Postponement of the Alliance Negotiations vi Chapter Page V. FRIEDRICH TOM HOLSTEIN AMD TOE FINAL PHASE OF TOE X901 ATTEMPT AT AM A L L I A N C E .............. 125 Holstein end the Alliance Negotiations from June to December Holstein and the end of the Alliance Negotiations VI. CONCLUSIONS 139 BIBLIOGRAPHY.............................. 110 Vll CHAPT'TI I FRIEDRICH VON HOLSTEIN AND THE BISMARCKIAN ERA On April 21^, 1337# Friedrich von Holstein was b o m at Schwedt an den Oder.^* As a member of an old Mecklenburg family, Holstein inherited, along with a tradition of mili­ tary service, a fairly substantial fortune. His parents, Karoline and August von Holstein, provided their only child with the normal upbringing due a son of the lower Prussian o nobility. Ee spent ills first eleven years at the country estate of freeenow with occasional journeys to B e r l i n . 3 Young Friedrich had, for the most part, a happy childhood, but at times he exhibited a wi fchuravr and quiet side to his character. His tendency to withdraw, which later contributed to his gloomy disposition, he Inherited from his father PJhen Revolution came In 13*|.3, the elder Holstein ^Helmuth Rogge (el.), Friedrich von Holstein Lebens- bekenntnia im Briefer an elne Frau (BerllyTj ¥ er lag Ull3t ein, I9J£), pp. 3—U-"* Her"eaTF--:-r ~cTteT~as Rogge, Lehensbekenntnla. 2q. P. Gooch, "Holstein* Oracle of the Wilhelmstras- 36*” Studies In German History (Hew Yorki Longmans, Green and Co., l^liB), p. 391. Hereafter cited as Gooch, Holstein Oracle. ^Norman Rich and K. H. Fisher (ed.), The Holstein Papers (£4. vols•; Cambridge: At the University Press, 195?- 196377 1# x. Hereafter cited as Holstein Pape >s. ^Rogge, Lob er. s b ek enn tn 1 a, pp. xvi -xvi i , I4 2 sold his estate and moved his family to Karlstein, the home of his sister, Mlnne von Holtzendorff, near Zehden an der Oder.'* At Karlstein Friedrick formed a close friendship with his cousin and life-lor.g correspondent, Ida von Btuelpnagel, nee Holtzendorff.^ During the lP60fs, as their friendship grew, the family circle expected ^rledrich and Ida to marry, but they remained only confidential friends# ri* The Holstein family, when not In Karlstein, resided n in Berlin or traveled in France, Switzerland, and Italy# On the family trips abroad Friedrick developed a great facil­ ity in foreign languages which later contributed to his rapid rise In the diplomatic service Holstein's education was under the supervision of a private tutor until lS£3 , when he entered the University of Berlin# He concentrated his studies In the area of law, but his real interest was for a military career# Holstein, while at the University, attempted to enter the army but failed to pass his medical examination.^* H© soon obtained his law de- ^Holstein Papers. Ill, 3* ^Throughout his life, Holstein maintained an avid correspondence with Ida von 3tuolpnagel to whom ho revealed a great deal of information concerning his role in the Foreign Office. These letters provided on© of the first major, reli­ able sources dealing with Holstein as published in Hogg©, Leben sbekennfcn i s• ^Rogge, Leben abek enntn1s, p. xiv# ^Holstein - __ Panere,Ay * I,W x. ^Gooch, Holstein Oracle, p. 391. ^%olstein ihpers, I, x 3 gree, and in l8£6 he entered th© Prussian civil service. For the next four years he served as an official In the City Court of Berlin.^ It was during these years that Count Al­ fred von Schlieffen, later Chief of the Prussian General Staff, introduced him to Berlin society.^ Apparently dissatisfied with the civil service, Hol­ stein, in i860, applied for a transfer to the Prussian diplo­ matic service. He received a provisional transfer but only as a result of the influence of Count Otto von Bismarck.^3 His first diplomatic appointment followed on December 6 , i860, when he became an attach© in the Prussian Embassy at St. Petersburg.^ At th© time Bismarck was the Prussian Ambas­ sador. Thus began Holstein's thirty year period of associa­ tion with the future German Chancellor. Bismarck reported that Holstein was eager, industrious, intelligent, though awkward in society, and somewhat dominated by prejudice. ^ ^Friedrich von Trotha, Fritz von Holstein als Kenach und Polltiker (Berlin* Verlag RTc'hard Schroed@r,193^)» p. Hereafter cited as Trotha, Holstein als Mensch. ^Gooch, Holstein Oracle, p. 391. •^Holstein Papers, 1, x. ^Xbid., Ill, 3. ^Gooch, Holstein Oracle, pp. 391-92. According to Buelow, Holstein * s inability to advance socially In Russia later led him to oppose the pro-Hussian policy of the Chancellor.