ABSTRACT
The period 1895–1899 saw no desire or serious fear of a Continental war on the part of the German political leadership. In July 1895, Schleswig-Holstein, who was at the height of his influence in the first years of the Hohenlohe chancellorship, for the first time hinted at the policy of the free hand. Except for Germany’s seizure of Kiao-chow late in 1897, the Far Eastern problems lessened the danger of war between Germany and either France or Russia or both. The deterioration of Anglo-French relations, which had for some time been the subject of German diplomatic reporting, culminated in the Fashoda incident in September 1898. An element of suspicion of Russia was voiced by Holstein in June 1895 concerning the joint arrival of French and Russian naval units in Kiel to celebrate the opening of the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal. Until its dissolution in 1899 the High Command continued work only on the improbable and most simple case of war.
