Wilhelm, however, had not slipped off to Bjorkoe just to enjoy a family outing with his Russian cousins away from prying journalists and monocled gossipmongers. He had come to make history. He was going to outdo his old mentor Bismarck, who, after forging German unity and seating Wilhelm’s grandfather on the Imperial throne, had gained the admiration of all Europe’s professionals by his adroit diplomacy. Bismarck had once taken out reinsurance against the dangers of encirclement and the fundamental insecurity of the European security system by signing a secret nonaggression pact with Russia.
At secret meeting in Finland with Russia
