It also came less than a year after their son Joachim committed suicide. By the second decade of the 20th century, Germany could rely only on significantly weaker nations such as Austria-Hungary and the declining Ottoman Empire as allies. [113], On 8 June 1913, a year before the Great War began, The New York Times published a special supplement devoted to the 25th anniversary of the Kaiser's accession. The monarchy's last and strongest support had been broken, and finally even Hindenburg, himself a lifelong monarchist, was obliged, after polling his generals, to advise the Emperor to give up the crown. Please select which sections you would like to print: Also known as: Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert, Wilhelm II, Professor of European History, University of East Anglia, Norwich, England, 196674. He made a spectacular visit to Tangier, in Morocco on 31 March 1905. May the Sultan rest assured, and also the three hundred million Mohammedans scattered over the globe and revering in him their caliph, that the German Emperor will be and remain at all times their friend. Wilhelm was the oldest of the 42 grandchildren of his maternal grandparents (Queen Victoria and Prince Albert), but more importantly, he was the first son of the crown prince of Prussia. A nation is created by families, a religion, traditions: it is made up out of the hearts of mothers, the wisdom of fathers, the joy and the exuberance of children For a few months I was inclined to believe in National Socialism. Kaiser Wilhelm II and George V at Potsdam, 1913 With self-preservation being one of the chief motivations of monarchy, by 1910 Europe's sovereigns, or at least their advisers, had had the. WWI Document Archive > 1914 Documents > The Willy-Nicky Telegrams. Whoever falls into your hands is forfeited. In 1908 William caused great excitement in Germany by giving, after a visit to England, a tactless interview to The Daily Telegraph, telling his interviewer that large sections of the German people were anti-English. Beginning in 1884, Bismarck began advocating that Kaiser Wilhelm send his grandson on diplomatic missions, a privilege denied to the Crown Prince. The imperial crown was thus tied to the Prussian crown, meaning that Wilhelm could not renounce one crown without renouncing the other. In particular, he was opposed to wage increases, improving working conditions, and regulating labour relations. William II and his first wife, Augusta, with their son William. Kaiser Wilhelm, the German emperor, and King of Prussia was a more-than-slightly recognizable figure of World War 1 and World War 2. In May 1940, Wilhelm declined an offer from Winston Churchill of asylum in Britain, preferring to die at Huis Doorn. After Kassel he spent four terms at the University of Bonn, studying law and politics. ; With Brother and Other Princes, He Is Greeted Tumultuously", "KAISER PREDICTS GERMAN VICTORY; Issues an Encouraging Decree as He Leaves Berlin for the Front", The Last Kaiser, Radio Netherlands Archives, November 1998, "His Ancestors Were German Kings. Alamy. Wilhelm also idolised his grandfather, Wilhelm I, and he was instrumental in later attempts to foster a cult of the first German Emperor as "Wilhelm the Great". For other uses, see, Wilhelm II speaking to the German people (recorded 1914). London, Hodder and Soughton Ltd, 1920. [92] The Weimar Republic allowed Wilhelm to remove twenty-three railway wagons of furniture, twenty-seven containing packages of all sorts, one bearing a car and another a boat, from the New Palace at Potsdam. The accompanying story called him "the greatest factor for peace that our time can show", and credited Wilhelm with frequently rescuing Europe from the brink of war. In this serious moment, I appeal to you to help me. Furthermore, the young Emperor had come to the throne determined to rule as well as reign, unlike his grandfather. Why Have So Many World Leaders Married Their Cousins? Thus, William, who showed little sympathy for his parents in their bitter crisis, found himself kaiser at the age of 29. What Happens When a Bad-Tempered, Distractible Doofus Runs an Empire? The thought that he, as heir to the throne, should not be able to ride was intolerable to her. The remaining powers in the Reichstag were the Catholic Centre Party and the Conservative Party. He routinely argued with Bismarck in the council to make it clear where he stood on social policy. [115] Thus, the argument is still made that the Kaiser played a major role in promoting the policies of both naval and colonialist expansion that caused the deterioration of Germany's relations with Britain before 1914.[116][117]. The high command continued with its strategy even when it was clear that the Schlieffen plan had failed. Satisfactory Essays. When asked whom they would accept, Ludendorff recommended Georg Michaelis, a nonentity whom he barely knew. Wilhelm II was on friendly terms with the Muslim world. After visiting Jerusalem and Bethlehem, the Kaiser went back to Jaffa to embark to Beirut, where he took the train passing Aley and Zahl to reach Damascus on 7 November. With World War I under way, the kaiser, as commander in chief of the German armed forces, retained the power to make upper-level changes in military command. Wilhelm II, German Emperor - Wikipedia [90] He purchased a country house in the municipality of Doorn, known as Huis Doorn, and moved in on 15 May 1920. Extract from Wilhelm's public address for mobilisation, 6 August 1914. [51] The assailant, identified as Deidrich Weiland,[52] was adjudged to be insane. [16], As a young man, Wilhelm fell in love with one of his maternal first cousins, Princess Elisabeth of Hesse-Darmstadt. This is more than could have been expected. A powerful navy was Wilhelm's pet project. "[102], Upon the fall of Paris a month later, Wilhelm sent another telegram: "Under the deeply moving impression of France's capitulation I congratulate you and all the German armed forces on the God-given prodigious victory with the words of Kaiser Wilhelm the Great of the year 1870: 'What a turn of events through God's dispensation!' Wilhelm called on the services of the dynamic naval officer Alfred von Tirpitz, whom he appointed to the head of the Imperial Naval Office in 1897. In. His hopes of thereby showing that Britain was of no value as an ally to France were disappointed at the 1906 Algeciras Conference, at which the Germans were forced to accept French predominance in Morocco. In his speech, he even made remarks in favour of Moroccan independence, and this led to friction with France, which was expanding its colonial interests in Morocco, and to the Algeciras Conference, which served largely to further isolate Germany in Europe. After the outbreak of the German Revolution, Wilhelm could not make up his mind whether to abdicate. Wilhelm found 35-year-old Hermine very attractive, and greatly enjoyed her company. Later historians downplayed his role, arguing that senior officials regularly learned to work around the Kaiser's back. His fathers lack of stamina was not shared by his mother, who had acquired from her father, Albert, seriousness of purpose and from her mother emotion and obstinacy. Captain Gustav von Senden-Bibran was appointed as the first head and remained so until 1906. [7] The brachial plexus injury resulted in Erb's palsy, which left Wilhelm with a withered left arm about six inches (15 centimetres) shorter than his right. German Emperor and King of Prussia from 1888 to 1918, "Wilhelm II" and "Kaiser Wilhelm II" redirect here. Wilhelm was at the Imperial Army headquarters in Spa, Belgium, when the uprisings in Berlin and other centres took him by surprise in late 1918. 583 Words. [5], Modern medical assessments have concluded Wilhelm's hypoxic state at birth, due to the breech delivery and the heavy dosage of chloroform, left him with minimal to mild brain damage, which manifested itself in his subsequent hyperactive and erratic behaviour, limited attention span and impaired social abilities. It was reported that at least 60 railway wagons were needed to carry his furniture, art, porcelain and silver from Germany to the Netherlands. "[101] Wilhelm greatly admired the success which Hitler was able to achieve in the opening months of the Second World War, and personally sent a congratulatory telegram when the Netherlands surrendered in May 1940: "My Fuhrer, I congratulate you and hope that under your marvellous leadership the German monarchy will be restored completely." "The View From The Throne: The Personal Rule of Kaiser Wilhelm II,", Haardt, Oliver FR. Blow and Bethmann Hollweg, his loyal chancellors, looked after domestic affairs, while Wilhelm began to spread alarm in the chancellories of Europe with his increasingly eccentric views on foreign affairs. Farewell, comrades![48][49]. On 1 August 1914 (Saturday), Wilhelm II made a war speech in front of a great crowd. That year, Prince Wilhelm was sent to the court of Tsar Alexander III of Russia in St. Petersburg to attend the coming of age ceremony of the 16-year-old Tsarevich Nicholas. He had gained the reputation as a confident militarist through his speeches and imprudent newspaper interviews. He died there in 1941. BBC - History - British History in depth: Cousins at War Wilhelm's hope of retaining at least one of his crowns was revealed as unrealistic when, in the hope of preserving the monarchy in the face of growing revolutionary unrest, Chancellor Prince Max of Baden announced Wilhelm's abdication of both titles on 9 November 1918. American Entry into World War I, 1917 According to this view, what Kaiser Wilhelm termed "The New Course" is characterised as Germany's ship of state going dangerously off course, leading directly to the carnage of the First and Second World Wars. Updates? In a period of 10 years, between 1882 and 1892, Augusta Victoria bore Wilhelm seven children, six sons and a daughter.[17]. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, many Europeans, particularly citizens of the so-called Great Powers ( Britain, France and Germany) had convinced themselves of the cultural, economic and military supremacy of their nation. Though the Leipzig trials and the debate over Wilhelm's war guilt helped set the stage for both international law and the prosecution of war crimes, they failed to achieve the goal of actually . [111], Wilhelm was buried in a mausoleum upon the grounds of Huis Doorn, which has since become a place of pilgrimage for German monarchists, who gather there every year on the anniversary of his death to pay their homage to the last German Emperor. [27], Wilhelm supported the modernisers as they tried to reform the Prussian system of secondary education, which was rigidly traditional, elitist, politically authoritarian, and unchanged by the progress in the natural sciences. At 75 years of age, he was unable to solve the social and political problems confronting Germany at the end of the century. Wilhelm II was seen as the richest man in Germany before 1914. Later that day, one of Ebert's secretaries of state (ministers), Social Democrat Philipp Scheidemann, proclaimed Germany a republic. Between 1900 and 1914, Germany became identified by Britain as the chief foreign threat to its Empire. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). In South West Africa (now Namibia), a native revolt against German rule led to the Herero and Namaqua genocide, although Wilhelm eventually ordered it to be stopped.