Leo von Caprivi

Georg Leo Graf von Caprivi de Caprara de Montecuccoli (English: Count George Leo of Caprivi, Caprara, and Montecuccoli; born Georg Leo von Caprivi; 24 February 1831 – 6 February 1899) was a German general and statesman. He served as the imperial chancellor of the German Empire from March 1890 to October 1894, succeeding longtime chancellor Otto von Bismarck.

Caprivi was born into a Prussian noble family of Italian origin. After graduating from the Prussian Staff College, he rapidly rose through the ranks and distinguished himself in particular during the Franco-Prussian War, where he served as chief of staff of the X Army Corps. In 1883, he was appointed chief of the Imperial German Navy, but upon the ascension of Wilhelm II he quickly came into conflict with the Emperor, who envisioned an offensive navy capable of challenging the British. He resigned in 1888 and returned to the Imperial German Army.

In 1890, Wilhelm forced Bismarck's resignation and named Caprivi chancellor; he simultaneously became minister-president of Prussia. During his tenure, Caprivi promoted industrial and commercial development, and attempted to reconcile opposing domestic forces through a series of social reforms. As part of Wilhelm's "new course" in foreign policy, Caprivi abandoned Bismark's military and political alignment with the Russian Empire by electing not to renew the Reinsurance Treaty. He aimed to forge closer ties with Britain, acquiring for Germany the archipelago of Heligoland and the Caprivi Strip in southern Africa in exchange for recognizing British authority in Zanzibar, though improvement of relations ultimately did not result in an alliance. Caprivi also pursued an aggressive trade policy and concluded numerous bilateral treaties for reduction of tariff barriers, reversing the protectionist policies implemented by his predecessor.

Caprivi's policies were met with significant domestic opposition, particularly from right-wing nationalists, pro-colonial groups and large landowners. The failure of his educational reforms marked the beginning of his downfall and led to his resignation as Prussian minister-president in 1892. His position becoming more untenable as conflict arose over a new military bill, Wilhelm dismissed him as Chancellor in 1894, after which he withdrew from public life.