Meanings
- historicalThe aggressive foreign policy of Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany beginning in 1891.
Industrialists financed these pressure groups because they supported Weltpolitik. In the reign of William II German nationalism became more aggressive and had an increasingly unsettling effect upon relations between the Great Powers.
2004, Michael Scaife, History: Modern British and European, Letts and Lonsdale, →ISBN, page 602 more examples
'The main decision made by Kaiser Wilhelm II in the 1890s was to pursue Weltpolitik.' a) What is meant by Weltpolitik in relation to German foreign policy between 1890 and 1914? (3 marks) Weltpolitik is a term used to describe the expanding […]
2003, Stephen J. Lee, Europe, 1890-1945, Psychology Press, →ISBN, page 15The policy of Weltpolitik had serious international repercussions. First, the Junkers got high grain tariffs, which angered Russia and forced it into an alliance with France and Britain. German Junkers wanted to eliminate competition from […]
2007, Greg Cashman, Leonard C. Robinson, An Introduction to the Causes of War: Patterns of Interstate Conflict from World War I to Iraq, Rowman & Littlefield, →ISBN, page 54
Origin
- GermanWeltpolitik
- EnglishWeltpolitik
Borrowed from German Weltpolitik, a compound of Welt (“world”) + Politik (“politics”).
More words from German
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Weltpolitik. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Weltpolitik
“Weltpolitik.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Weltpolitik. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Weltpolitik,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Weltpolitik.
Source: Weltpolitik on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.