Kaiser Wilhelm II is one of the most influential people in the lead up to World War One due to his beliefs and actions that caused some of the biggest developments in pre-WWI Europe. The Kaiser was the one to push for the foreign policy of Weltpolitik (world politics in German) in his empire which prompted Germany’s introduction into the arms race and the Scramble for Africa (albeit at a later time than the rest of the European powers). His personal standpoint greatly affected the stance of the German empire concerning Great Britain, as a personal hate or envy he had for the nation pushed him to want to build a fleet to rival theirs. These actions, influenced by his own personal bias, pushed the possibility of an Anglo-German alliance and can be thought to have pushed Britain towards France and Russia instead.
A portrait of Kaiser
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02994/KAISER-WILHELM_2994889k.jpg
The Bosnian Crisis of 1908 is also significant in its effects on pan-Slavism and south-Slav nationalism. The annexation of the provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina is important as it drove tensions between the Slavic people (nations, like Serbia and Russia, as well as ethnic Slavs within the provinces and the rest of the Austro-Hungarian Empire) and the Austro-Hungarians: Austria-Hungary even mobilised against Serbia and could’ve have caused war if not for Russia accepting an ultimatum from Germany in 1909. This agitation caused animosity towards Austria-Hungary from the Slavic nations and could have even been the reason behind the formation of the Black Hand, a Serbian secret society that wanted to unite all south-Slav peoples under one nation. This crisis also pushed Russia to encourage Serbia into inciting anti-Austrian agitation amongst the Slavs living in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Alexander Izvolsky, Russia’s Foreign Minister at the time of the annexation
