Wilhelm II, German Emperor after his consent had been gained that major changes to the high command could be effected. Wilhelm was in favour of the dismissal of Helmuth von Moltke the Younger in September 1914 and his replacement by Erich von Falkenhayn. In 1917, Hindenburg and Ludendorff decided that Bethman-Hollweg was no longer acceptable to them as Chancellor and called upon the Kaiser to appoint somebody else. When asked whom they would accept, Ludendorff recommended Georg Michaelis, a nonentity whom he barely knew. The Kaiser did not know Michaelis, but accepted the suggestion. Upon hearing in July 1917 that his cousin George V
Kaiser Friedrich III-class battleship Karl der Grosse" and "Kaiser Wilhelm II" were equipped with two of the 3-bladed screws on the outer shafts and a four-bladed screw that was in diameter on the center shaft. "Kaiser Friedrich III" had four Thornycroft and eight cylindrical boilers; "Kaiser Wilhelm II" had a similar arrangement, except the Thornycroft boilers were replaced by Marine-type boilers. "Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse" was equipped with four Marine and six cylindrical boilers, while "Kaiser Barbarossa" had four Thornycroft and six cylindrical boilers. "Kaiser Karl der Grosse" had two Marine boilers, two Marine double boilers, and six cylindrical boilers. The powerplants were rated