BETHMANN-HOLLWEG PERSUADED KAISER WILHELM TO GO ON HOLIDAY IN NORWAY

After the destabilisation of Europe by the assassination of Arch Duke Ferdinand, Kaiser Wilhelm II wanted to remain in Germany to help to stabilise the situation.

But guess who persuaded Wilhelm to go on holiday in Norway, which he did on 6th July, but only after offering Austria-Hungary "blank cheque" support?

Yep. Rothschild cousin Bethmann-Hollweg.

And guess who also supported and sent the "blank cheque" offer to Austria-Hungary?

Yep. Rothschild cousin Bethmann-Hollweg.

Wilhelm was basically kept out of the loop during this holiday, learning from Norwegian newspapers, not directly from Berlin, what was happening in Europe. In fact he claims to have learned of the Austro-Hungarian ultimatum to Serbia delivered on 23rd July from a Norwegian newspaper, which made him return to Berlin arriving on 26th July, when Bethmann-Hollweg offered his resignation for, wittingly or unwittingly, creating such a diplomatic mess.

After the arrival of the news of the assassination of my friend, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, I gave up going to Kiel for the regatta week and went back home, since I intended to go to Vienna for his funeral. But I was asked from there to give up this plan. Later I heard that one of the reasons for this was consideration for my personal safety; to this I naturally would have paid no attention.

Greatly worried on account of the turn which matters might now take, I decided to give up my intended journey to Norway and remain at home. The Imperial Chancellor and the Foreign Office held a view contrary to mine and wished me to undertake the journey, as they considered that it would have a quieting effect on all Europe. For a long time I argued against going away from my country at a time when the future was so unsettled, but Imperial Chancellor von Bethmann told me, in short and concise terms, that if I were now to give up my travel plans, which were already widely known, this would make the situation appear more serious than it had been up to that moment and possibly lead to the outbreak of war, for which I might be held responsible; that the whole world was merely waiting to be put out of suspense by the news that I, in spite of the situation had quietly gone on my trip.

Thereupon I consulted the Chief of the General Staff, and, when he also proved to be calm and unworried regarding the state of affairs and himself asked for a summer leave of absence to go to Carlsbad, I decided, though with a heavy heart, upon my departure.

...But when, after that, I learned from the Norwegian newspapers -- not from Berlin -- about the Austrian ultimatum to Serbia, and, immediately thereafter, about the Serbian note to Austria, I started without further ado upon my return journey and commanded the fleet to repair to Wilhelmshaven

[source : Kaiser Wilhelm II's Account of Events, July, 1914. From his Memoirs, http://www.gwpda.org/1914/kwiijuly.html

So Bethmann-Hollweg:
1. encourages Kaiser Wilhelm to send "blank cheque" to support from Germany to Austria-Hungary;
2. then sends Kaiser Wilhelm off on holiday, against Wilhelm's instincts;
3. then fucks it all up so that Austria-Hungary issues Serbia an ultimatum;
4. keeps Wilhelm out of the loop, so that Wilhelm only learns of this ultimatum from a Norwegian newspaper, not directly from Berlin, forcing Wilhelm to cut short his holiday and set off immediately to return to Berlin;
5. offers his resignation to Wilhelm, but Wilhelm rejects this offer instead ordering Bethmann-Hollweg to get Germany out of "this stew" (which of course he doesn't, or can't thanks to Grey's deceptions).