Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg

Born in Hohenfinow in 1856, Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg served as Chancellor of the German Empire from 1909 to 1917. During the July Crisis of 1914, he extended the critical "blank check" support to Austria-Hungary, which escalated regional tensions into World War I. Domestically, he attempted moderate reforms to balance conservative and liberal interests while remaining cautious toward democratizing Prussia's three-class franchise. As the war progressed, he sought a negotiated peace without massive annexations and initially opposed unrestricted submarine warfare, which deepened his rift with military hardliners. Under pressure from both the Reichstag Peace Resolution and the Supreme Army Command, he resigned in July 1917.

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