German statesman. He served as prime minister from 1907 to 1917.
(1856-1921) German statesman. He served as prime minister from 1907 to 1917. He was born on 29 November 1856 in Hohenfinow, Brandenburg, Germany. He died in the same place on January 2, 1921. He was the son of a banker family from Frankfurt. He studied law in Strassburg, Leipzig and Berlin. He served in various government positions. He became the Prussian interior minister in 1905 and the interior minister of the German Empire in 1907.
Theobald Theodor Friedrich Alfred von Bethmann Hollweg (29 November 1856 – 1 January 1921) was a German politician who was Chancellor of the German Empire from 1909 to 1917. He oversaw the German entry into World War I and played a key role during its first three years.
He became prime minister after Prince Bernhard von Bülow's resignation on 14 July 1907. Between March 1909 and February 1912, his negotiations with Britain regarding the reduction of weapons in the navy were inconclusive. But together with the British Foreign Secretary, Sir Edward Grey, he succeeded in preventing the Balkan War from expanding into a major conflict between Austria-Hungary and Russia.
Bethmann was instrumental in enacting a social security law in 1911 and adopting a liberal constitution for Alsace-Lorraine. During his term as Prime Minister, some limited reforms were made to the electoral system, and a law was prepared regarding the expansion of the army.
In 1914 he made an effort to prevent the outbreak of war. The General Staff could not be active in this regard as it was in conflict. He tried to ensure that the USA, which was in question to join the war in 1916, remained neutral. Once the US entry into the war was certain, he vehemently opposed those who favored continuing submarine warfare. He was forced by the General Staff to resign shortly before the peace talks due to the constant disagreement between them.