"Dropping the Pilot" (1890) Bismarck was forced to resign in 1890, two years into the reign of Wilhelm II. Here, we see a weary Bismarck descending the ladder of the “ship” Germany, which he had steered for almost 20 years as chancellor. A young Wilhelm II looks on from the deck. This illustration, entitled “Dropping the Pilot,” was published in the British magazine Punch March 29, 1890.