May 01, 2017 anyone who turns to christopher clarks book about the runup to world war i, the sleepwalkers, will recognize a trumplike figure. I was particularly interested in the way british propaganda furthered the particularly negative view on the kaiser. Descendants of last german kaiser fight to reclaim royal property. King of prussia and german emperor from 1888 to the collapse of germany. Always wondered what became of the last kaiser of germany. What government replaced kaiser wilhelm in germany. Dropping the pilot kaiser wilhelm ii and the new course. Wilhelm ii ruled from 15 june 1888 till 9 november 1918 over germany. Kaiser wilhelm insisted on gaining germany a place in the sun by fair means or foul. Different outtake ive read one too many books containing information kaiser wilhelm ii and how much of an evil man he was. Born in germany, as the son of the crown prince of prussia and the daughter of queen victoria of great britain, wilhelm served as the emperor of germany. The book s endless details dont begin to reveal anything that comes close to such revelations. Ex crown prince friedrich wilhelm, born may 6, 1882. Kaiser wilhelm ii was sent into exile in the netherlands.
He grew up like any prussian prince, except for an arm that was deformed from birth. This began a period of ostentation in society and the arts. The end of the german monarchy and millions of other books are available for. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. What trump has in common with the last german emperor. The decline and fall of the hohenzollerns hardcover december 5, 2017. King wilhelm i of prussia, first ruler of a unified germany posted on march 22, 2017 author kyra wilhelm friedrich ludwig, the future king of prussia and first german emperor, was born on 22 march 1797 in berlin to prince frederick william and louise of mecklenburgstrelitz. The kaiser and the holocaust kaiser wilhelm2 was the emperor of germany.
The reign of kaiser wilhelm ii as king of prussia and emperor of germany from. The exception stage director david leveaux shows a natural instinct for cinema in his tony bigscreen debut, about a german soldier torn between duty and a jewish spy. It is not by his will that he will ujnleash a war, but by his weakness, said king edward vii about his vacillating weakminded nephew. How kaiser wilhelm ii changed europe forever imperial war. The man who would be kaiser a century after kaiser wilhelm led germany to war, his greatgreatgrandson is attempting to revive his familys fortunes sat, aug 2, 2014, 01. William i or wilhelm i of the house of hohenzollern was king of prussia from 2 january 1861.
When wilhelm was nearing twentyone the emperor decided it was time his grandson. Kaiser wilhelm ii 18591941 is one of the most fascinating figures in european history. Mar 22, 2017 william formally agreed to be the emperor of germany on 18 december 1870, with a select group reichstag members as witnesses. What unites donald trump and kaiser wilhelm ii us president shares many of the traits of the man who led germany into war, says historian. King wilhelm i of prussia, first ruler of a unified germany. The kaiser is shown as a triumphant caesar, bearing a laurel wreath. The venue is 1 mile from kzgedenkstatte alter banter weg, while deutsches marinemuseum is 1 mile away. The property is just a 5minute walk from main wilhelmshaven train station, offering a direct train link to bremen airport. Kaiser wilhelm ii, or william ii 18591941 was the last german emperor and king of. It takes 10 minutes on foot to get to wilhelmshaven city center.
My hope was to learn who kaiser wilhelm ii was as a person and how his actions were shaped by his personality. Eldest son of former kaiser wilhelm ii and heir apparent to the throne until he abdicated, december 1, 1918. In 1871, after defeating the french, the king of prussia declared germany an empire and crowned himself kaiser wilhelm in the versailles palace hall of mirrors. Inheriting the mightiest throne on earth in 1888, he played a central part in fashioning the policies which culminated in the catastrophe of 191418, the collapse of the reich, and his own abdication. Kaiser wilhelm ii was the monarchical ruler of germany, occupying the throne from june 1888 until his abdication at the end of world war i.
The bombed out kaiser wilhelm memorial church remains with mosaics as a reminder of what war does, but a new chapel was built next to it for worshipers containing panes of glass with blue tones. He also admired his english grandmother queen victoria. Kaiser wilhelm ii 18591941 is one of the most fascinating figures in european history, ruling imperial germany from his accession in 1888 to his enforced abdication in 1918 at the end of the first world war. This is a great summary of germany s last emperor who was generally credited for being the cause of the first world war.
His previous titles include queen victorias children, kaiser wilhelm ii and the. Buy a cheap copy of kaiser wilhelm ii book by christopher clark. He lived there, waiting for the day when someone would restore the monarchy to germany, which was a serious possibility into the 1930s. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. Marc bossaerts a24 most of the time the kaiser is a genial, p. Feb 26, 2017 an interview with christina croft about her book, the innocence of kaiser wilhelm ii duration.
The brandenburg gate and the kaiser wilhelm memorial church. What happened to the german royal family after world war i. This book is a good book about the other side of the man who apparently is viewed to have started world war and ruined his entire country. Use coupon code allnew and get 15% off your first order, now through june 30. Sep 15, 2005 kaiser wilhelm ii 18591941 is one of the most fascinating figures in european history.
What was former german kaiser wilhelms opinion of the. Mar 01, 2017 written with a commanding knowledge of the great dynasties of europe, as well as of the diplomacy of global conflicts, crofts new biography the innocence of kaiser wilhelm ii gives not only an understanding of the kaiser but of the complex political situation he faced, as well as of the many forces of change which wilhelm and the other. Private lives kaiser william ii his consort abebooks. New research on wilhelm iis role in imperial germany. Get an answer for what government replaced kaiser wilhelm in germany. The brandenburg gate was impressive enough, but it doesnt hold a candle to the unique beauty of the remains of the kw kirche. With lily james, jai courtney, christopher plummer, lois alessandra. William formally agreed to be the emperor of germany on 18 december 1870, with a select group reichstag members as witnesses. King of prussia and german emperor from 1888 to the collapse of germany in. For much of my life, two images have come to mind when ive thought of berlin. It may be the recent movie adaptation, called the exception, that now brings. An interview with christina croft about her book, the innocence of kaiser wilhelm ii duration. King of prussia and german emperor from 1888 to the collapse of germany in 1918 and a crucial player in the events that led to the outbreak of world war i. Stalin, hitler and the temptations of totalitarianism.
Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Croft is famous for painting things in a new light, and her book on the kaiser is up to the task. Stalin, hitler and the temptations of totalitarianism the. While opinions vary, there is a consensus that wilhelm iis brash leadership and imperialistic and. Kaiser wilhelm ii wilhelm was the last german emperor kaiser and king of prussia, whose bellicose policies helped to bring about world war one. To an extraordinary extent he was also representative of his epoch. Kaiser wilhelm ii is one of the key figures in the history of twentiethcentury europe. A german soldier tries to determine if the dutch resistance has planted a spy to infiltrate the home of kaiser wilhelm in holland during the onset of world war ii, but falls for a young jewish dutch woman during his investigation. But as frank lorenz muller has observed in his book our fritz, this is. Dotting germanys northern half, there is a collection of 19th century monuments that are astonishing both in size and theme. Anyone who turns to christopher clarks book about the runup to world war i, the sleepwalkers, will recognize a trumplike figure. I find him fascinating to study, as is the time period in which he lived, but i.
The kaiser was a tweeter before his time, firing off. Wilhelm ii 18591941 was the last german kaiser emperor and king of prussia from 1888 to 1918, and one of the most recognizable public figures of world war i. In this book the innocence of kaiser wilhelm ii i hope i have succeeded in portraying him in far fairer light. Kaiser wilhelm ii lived on after world war i until 1941, meaning that he was alive and presumably well for events such as hitlers rise to power and the beginning two years of world war ii. The book was published by the new york times company and includes. A century after the abdication of kaiser wilhelm ii, the descendants of prussias ruling dynasty are. As such, i was wondering if we know of his views on the political events going on in germany. He reigned from 15 june 1888 until his abdication on 9 november 1918 shortly before germany s defeat in world war i as the eldest grandchild of queen victoria, wilhelm s first cousins included king george v of the united kingdom and many. Rohl 2017, paperback at the best online prices at ebay.
As i mentioned in last weeks feature on kaiser wilhelm ii of germany, he is a bit of an enigma for me. In 1882 his grandson, prince wilhelm, future german emperor wilhelm ii, gave birth to the future crown prince wilhelm. It was named after the town of weimar where germany s new. There is a lot of newuncovered information here, that keeps you turning the pages for more. However, he did not have the dictatorial power that hitler later concentrated, sharing some power with the german parliament and increasingly towards the end of the war with the german. He reigned from 15 june 1888 until his abdication on 9 november 1918 shortly before germanys defeat in world war i.
Sadly, crown prince wilhelm was not able to inherit the royal and imperial thrones due to the monarchy in germany being abolished in 1918 at the end of world war i. The life and legacy of germanys emperor during world war i. This book is a must read for every history lover and especially the ones who are interested in germany. Kaiser william ii was born on january 27, 1859 to a prince and princess of prussia. German exemperor wilhelm ii, became emperor and king of. Oct 18, 2017 stalin, hitler and the temptations of totalitarianism. Christopher plummer as kaiser wilhelm ii in the film the exception. Germany and britain were warily eyeing each other, and the ottoman and austrohungarian empires. When the question of legal and moral culpability is raised as it was in the case of the kaiser by the allies and parts of the german public. Wilhelm ii played a significant role in the events that led to the first world war.
What if after the surrender of germany kaiser wilhelm ii decided against abdication. Nov 09, 2016 kaiser wilhelm monument 1896 at porta westfalica. King of prussia and german emperor from 1888 to the collapse of germany in 1918 and a. Wilhelm ii 18591941 was the last german kaiser emperor and king of prussia from 1888 to 1918, and one of the most recognizable public figures of world war i 191418. Kaiser wilhelm i of germany european royal history. Jun 01, 2017 christopher plummer as kaiser wilhelm ii in the film the exception. From an early age he had surrounded himself with racial theorists who were also antisemitic.
The innocence of kaiser wilhelm ii by christina croft. In postwar germany, the diagnosis could thus be used to counter demands for wilhelms return to germany and to open the political stage for new actors. Formally, it was kaiser wilhelm ii, the emperor of germany. Jan 10, 2016 documentary on kaiser wilhelm ii of germany. Wilhelm took control of foreign and military policy with a bellicose new course to cement germanys status as a feared world power. William was the first head of state of a united germany. Who was the german leader during the first world war.
Christopher plummer is an uncanny kaiser wilhelm ii in the. Jun 21, 2017 the bombed out kaiser wilhelm memorial church remains with mosaics as a reminder of what war does, but a new chapel was built next to it for worshipers containing panes of glass with blue tones. Ss untersturmfuhrer krebbs, barely know what to do with one another. The rapid transitions between the dignified monarchy of wilhelm i, to the brief, tragic reign of friedrich, followed by the accession of the much younger wilhelm ii, produced a wide variety of reactions from cartoonists of the comic weeklies. Into the abyss of war and exile, 19001941 by john c. All this has come to light after the recent leak of proceedings from. For some time, trumps critics have been alleging that he bears a close resemblance to kaiser bill. The nazis unsettle kaiser wilhelms exile in alan judds novel the. In the rightwing papers a new kind of story about germany began to appear, suggesting that it had longterm hostile intentions against britain, and noting with some anxiety that germany was overtaking britain. Photographs of crown prince wilhelm, the son of the former kaiser, with. Donald trump is no kaiser wilhelm the national interest. The new constitution and the title of emperor came into effect on 1 january 1871. The weimar republic was germany s government from 1919 to 1933, the period after world war i until the rise of nazi germany.
Wilhelm ii was the last german emperor kaiser and king of prussia. Kaiser wilhelm ii of germany european royal history page 2. The new constitution of germany and wilhelms imperial title officially took effect on 1 january 1871. Many historians consider wilhelm the individual most responsible for the outbreak of war in 1914. A little less than three weeks later, on 18 january, the king of prussia became kaiser wilhelm as well. Germanys last emperor and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle.
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